The Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort, home to the Montgomerie Maxx Royal Golf Club – host venue of the Turkish Airlines Open on The European Tour International Schedule – has become the 17th member of the exclusive European Tour Properties network.
The spectacular resort, located in the Belek region of Turkey close to Antalya on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, has become the latest prestigious venue to be named as a European Tour Destination – joining The 2018 Ryder Cup venue Le Golf National among many others.
The Montgomerie Maxx Royal Golf Club boasts an 18-hole Championship course, an impressive double-ended practice facility with a golf academy building and teaching studios, golf shop and an elegant and spacious clubhouse with views to the Mediterranean Sea. Unusually, the club also offers fully floodlit golf on the back nine of the course.
Opened in 2008 and set in 104 hectares of picturesque mixed pine forest and sandy ridges, the course was designed by eight-time European Tour Number One Colin Montgomerie in association with European Golf Design. The par 72, 6,486m layout features large lakes in an area chosen for its natural beauty and fabulous climate.
The hotel offers spacious and luxurious suite accommodation, with suites starting from 80m², and has breath-taking views across the coastline, stunning landscaping and beautiful gardens. A great beach, superb children’s activities including a water park, a variety of high quality dining options, bar and café outlets, a spa, impressive fitness centre, multi-sports courts and its own football club and pitches complete the impressive offering which is arguably the best in the Belek area.
David MacLaren, Director of Property & Venue Development at The European Tour, said: “We are particularly delighted to announce Maxx Royal – a superb Montgomerie/European Golf Design project – as our 17th European Tour Properties Member Venue and the very first in Turkey.
“Maxx Royal has successfully staged three Turkish Airlines Opens and our elite players have thoroughly enjoyed both the golf course and the incredible resort facilities.
“Belek has become a golfing hotspot for travelling golfers and we are delighted to strengthen our ties with all our partners in the region through this announcement.”
Cahit Şahin, General Manager at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal, said: “After the success as host venue of the Turkish Airlines Open for the last three years, we are delighted to retain and develop our relationship with The European Tour through becoming the first official Turkish European Tour Destination.
“We look forward to working with the team at Wentworth to further enhance Maxx Royal’s reputation as one of the region’s most prestigious golf resorts.”
As part of The Final Series, the Turkish Airlines Open has fast become one of The European Tour’s premier tournaments, attracting world class fields – including Rory McIlroy, winner of the 2015 Race to Dubai, US Open winners Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer, Tiger Woods, who finished tied 3rd in 2013, and a host of Top 50 World Ranked players including Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Andy Sullivan, Thongchai Jaidee, Shane Lowry, Bernd Wiesberger and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
This year was the third staging of the tournament and the second Turkish Airlines Open victory for Victor Dubuisson following the Frenchman’s triumph in the inaugural event in 2013 – the intervening year saw American Brooks Koepka take a maiden European Tour win.
As a European Tour Destination, Maxx Royal will benefit from European Tour Properties’ focused, year-round sales, marketing and operational support, joining the 16 existing members in the network portfolio, which also includes exceptional facilities such as Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, London Golf Club in England, Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort on the French Riviera and Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, recent host venue of The 2015 Solheim Cup.
Maxx Royal joins Black Mountain Golf Club and Resort in Thailand, Saujana Golf and Country Club in Malaysia and Ireland’s Mount Juliet Estate as additions to the European Tour Properties portfolio in 2015.
European Tour Properties www.europeantourproperties.com