Heathland-Style Championship Course For Turkey

The golf course architecture company co-founded by five-time Open winner Peter Thomson has reached an agreement with Turkish developers to build a heathland-style championship standard golf course on the country's Mediterranean coast.

The Carya Golf Club in the Belek Tourism Centre, Antalya, is to be set amongst rolling sand hills and mature pine and eucalyptus forest just 200 metres from a beach. The sandy terrain will ensure that the course can be constructed with a minimal level of impact on the environment.

Thomson, Perrett & Lobb have a combined total of 75 years' experience in golf course design and have constructed courses in sixteen different countries on three continents. TPL held off bids from six competitors to secure the contract with Turkish developers Carya Turizm Yatirimlari, who will be adding a clubhouse, extensive practice ground, training holes and several luxury villas to the complex.

Thomson, along with co-founders Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb, was delighted to have secured the contract and was looking forward to beginning the exciting new venture.

"This is an exceptional piece of land on which to build a golf course," he enthused.

"It is reminiscent of the famous Surrey heathland courses near London that I rate among the world's best and which I was fortunate enough to enjoy much success on in my playing days. I am very excited about the prospect of TPL creating a classic, traditional style course in Turkey."

Chief designer Tim Lobb echoed Thomson's enthusiasm, citing the natural lie of the land and vegetation as the main attraction for him and his co-designers.

"It's one of the best pieces of land I have seen in the region," he said.

"The area is heavily forested with corridors of trees through which we will build holes, plus spectacular pine and eucalyptus that will become an integral part of the course strategy."