Next year's World Matchplay championship is to be held at the Thracian Cliffs course in Bulgaria.

The event will move to Thracian Cliffs, which was designed by Gary Player's firm, after three years at Finca Cortesin in Spain. It will be the European Tour's first visit to Bulgaria.

Thracian Cliffs, which juts out over the Black Sea, has been compared to Pebble Beach by some commentators. “I think the players are in for a real treat,” said Gary Player. “I can easily say that there is no course like Thracian Cliffs anywhere in the world. It will be a pleasure to see the world’s top players tackle the course.”

Careful geotechnical planning was a crucial element in designing holes on the cliffs, especially the par three eighth. The tee sits atop a cliff with the green set some 40 metres below, cut into the hillside and surrounded by the Black Sea.