Schmidt-Curley golf course architecture firm has broken ground on its first project in the Asian nation of Myanmar. 

The Mandalay Myotha Golf Club is being built southwest of Mandalay and will include an 8,000-yard, par-72 championship golf course, a full service driving range and new golf academy.

“An innovative design will take full advantage of the site’s dramatic terrain, with golf holes playing along deep river canyons and fairways routed through av ast rolling landscape,” said Lee Schmidt, principal at Schmidt-Curley Design.

Architects at Schmidt-Curley have designed the layout of the new course with the input of Kyi Hla Han, a former professional golfer and currently executive chairman of the Asian Tour.

“As the layout is set to play host to international events, Kyi Hla will provide valuable input on the course design to help produce a stern test for today’s best players,” added Schmidt, who will take up the role of president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects this May.

“Having spent 25 years playing various Tours around the world and hundreds of courses, I’m able to offer an insight from the perspective of a professional golfer,” said Han. “Schmidt-Curley has done some wonderful work in Asia and I’m sure this project will rank right up there with the best.”

Full construction will begin in mid-2014 and the course is set to be open for play in late 2015.