Croatian developer Profectus Grupa has announced that the American design firm of Hills & Forrest has been appointed to create the first golf course of its Croatian Dream resort near the city of Dubrovnik.

The 5,000 hectare project will ultimately include multiple hotels, a casino, two marinas, a business park, film studio, exhibition space, airport, university campus, hospital, theme park, sports arenas, recreation areas, museums, a vineyard, and five golf courses. The first, designed by Hills & Forrest on a seaside parcel called the Three Sisters, is scheduled to break ground later this year, 20 km north of Dubrovnik. 

“We are delighted to confirm, given their great successes in Sweden, Portugal and elsewhere, that Hills & Forrest is designing our first golf course,” said Vicenco Blagaic, CEO of Profectus Grupa, who noted that while a significant portion of Croatian Dream's plans remain in conceptual design, construction of Three Sisters course will begin in 2011. “We are confident the skills and track record of Hills & Forrest, in combination with a stunning piece of coastal property, will produce one of the finest new courses in continental Europe.” The course is yet to be named.

“I don't anticipate any shortage of evocative name options for this project, as it is perched along a dramatically elevated, rocky coastline, where each hole will feature beautiful views of the water,” said Steve Forrest. “There are particularly dramatic views to the southeast, towards the city of Dubrovnik, while holes thirteen to sixteen will offer views up to the hillside town of Ston, which sits at the end of a long fjord-like inlet.

“We have designed a resort-style course that will interest and naturally accommodate the full range of players. We anticipate the importation of soil and sand to make these rocky plateaus effective hosts to healthy turfgrass. But that effort will be well worth the trouble.”