75 change that will help with the creation of great golf holes and most will have phenomenal backdrops. We have also worked hard to route the course to avoid having uphill challenges for players, resulting in a very walkable and tournament-friendly design. While this is arguably a rather difficult site, I am confident that we will create a final golf landscape that people will never guess to have been so severe at the start. “The course will offer drastically differing terrain. Dense vegetation will punctuate the landscape at times, but the design will rest mostly on a theme of open views and vast expanses of turf and Bahia grass groundcover that will create long views through the corridors and to the mountains beyond. We are fortunate to have so many great things align here: a wonderfully committed owner, a fantastic property, amazing surrounding views and incredible design.” The course will be grassed with Zeon Zoysia and greens with Primo Zoysia, supplied by Sports Turf Solutions. “The site and its extended dry season are perfect for the use of Zoysia and its ability to maintain hard and fast surfaces, especially on a site where the incorporation of slopes is a key design element,” he says. “Martin Moore of Flagstick was instrumental in the construction of some recent designs where similar playbooks were utilised. We plan to follow those concepts that helped transform those very flat sites into world-class golf.” Construction is currently focused on 18 of the 27 holes that will be a composite of the final design and the most walkable and accessible for tournament spectators, and will play to just over 7,400 yards. Curley highlights the massive, irregularly shaped bunkers – often punctuated with islands of Bahia – fairway speed slots, kick slopes and ‘mini fairway’ tee complexes. Greens will be expansive, with many having significant contours, fall-away lobes and a variety of pin positions. “We are using the varied terrain to create unique holes, such as the driveable par-four fourteenth, which incorporates an existing quarry with views across the site and to the mountains,” says Curley. The initial 18 holes are expected to open in late 2024 with the clubhouse to follow shortly after. “I am confident this project will be heralded as one of Asia’s best,” says Curley. Image: Schmidt-Curley Design Construction is currently focused on a composite 18 from the three nines
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