Egypt Golf Trophy

New Golf Accents By the Red Sea and the Pyramids

Egypt wants to draw new energy and motivation from the country’s unique combination of golf, culture, and nature. 15 years ago, the country of the pharaohs began to develop new destinations that along with its historical attractions in and around Cairo, in the Nile Valley at Luxor, and famous diving grounds of the Red Sea combine the natural beauty and historical treasures, such as desert and sea, temples and pyramids, with new superb golf courses and wellness temples – ideal for all holiday makers, but particularly for golf travellers. 14 excellent golf resorts have been established, and at least a dozen golf courses and resorts will soon be added in and around Cario as well as on the coast of the Red Sea. Under the motto “Golf by Pharaohs” Egypt is well on its way to becoming a first-class golf travel destination.

Golf in Egypt looks back on a longer tradition than in Germany: Directly in the shadow of the famous Great Pyramid of Cheops, next to the Sphinx, you can breathe history: Africa’s oldest golf club, the Mena House Oberoi Golf Club, 9 holes, 4,783 m, par 68, dates back to 1889 and is to be extended by 9 to 18 holes this year.

Supported by state aid and private investors, golf resorts are now, 120 years later, sprouting like mushrooms out of the desert around Cairo and in particular out of the sand dunes and cliffs by the Red Sea. This is where new standards are being set – Egypt is unique and ideal for great golf vacations. You find culture that is thousands of years old, temples, pyramids, monasteries, and the beautiful, unique nature of the desert and mountain regions in the Sinai, the coastal landscapes by the Red Sea and the Mediterranean that can be perfectly combined with excellent hotel, resort and golf facilities. Egypt is blessed with 350 days of sun and a very good hotel infrastructure; and tourism is secured and protected by the state. It can be reached within a 4,5 hours’ flight from Germany and prices are attractive compared to central, southern and western European regions.

The Red Sea – so far mostly marketed as the Egyptian diving paradise – has within a couple of years developed into a true golf and travel destination – and is still developing. This also goes for the Gulf of Aqaba that is situated like a thorn between the Peninsula of Sinai and the Saudi-Arabian Peninsula, where the Golf Luxury Resort of Taba Heights, bordered by Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, opened its doors in 2006. Taba heights features an exceptional 18-hole golf course (host of the first finale of the Egypt Golf Trophy in 2008) and a big marina by the Red Sea. In a not too distant future, speedboats will be leaving this marina to reach Jordan on the other side in 20 minutes, where the establishment of the biggest Jordanian golf resorts is planned (2 x 18 holes) – this first trans-border golf complex at the Gulf of Aquaba is already much more than a pie in the sky project. The southern peak of Sinai offers excellent golf in Sharm el Sheik, where the Maritim Jolieville Golf Resort features a stunning 18-hole golf course that has already hosted the European PGA Tour.

You can either reach the west coast of the Red Sea by ferry for Hurghada, or you can drive through the tunnel that provides a crossing under the Suez Canal (where you a leaving the Asiatic for the African Continent) to reach the City of Suez, where enormous cargo and tank ships seem to “whizz past you like skyscrapers”. Located a few kilometres south of Suez, in Ain Soukhna, you find the first high-quality golf oasis: the Stella di Mare Golf Hotel that features an 18-hole-par 71 links-style golf course and 7 holes featuring water.

The Stella di Mare Resort in Ain Soukhna is the beginning of a long chain of golf pearls by the Red Sea that continues southwards for another 120 kilometres. This is where you find the golf vacation world of El Ghouna featuring hotels, resorts, restaurants, real estate, and a very good 18-hole golf course.

Hurghada is situated 25 kilometres to the south and has for a long time been the touristic centre by the Red Sea. There are no golf courses in Hurghada, but an enormous, almost gigantic, project called Sahl Hasheesch is going to be realized: Located in the desert region by the Sea between Hurghada and Makadi bay – around Cape Citadel – at least 5 golf resorts and 14 golf-related hotels are to be built over an area of 20 kilometres.

The Jaz Makadi Golf Resort at Makadi Bay that opened in October 2008 offers tranquillity and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The golf course was extended to 18 holes and features a clubhouse in a 5-star-superior hotel – top-class accommodation and golf. The TRAVCO-Group has developed the entire Makadi Bay and the golf course, which - although still young - has already become the new golf jewel by the Red Sea and is going to host the 2nd Egypt Golf Trophy at the end of November 2009. It is an excellent golf course featuring first-class practice facilities. Villas for rent at the Driving Range and the Academy Course complete the overall splendid offer.

Somay Bay with La Residence des Cascades and the new Kempinski Soma Bay is surely a destination by the Red Sea that is renowned for utmost quality in connection with golf, hotel, wellness, diving and kite surfing – a destination that is continuously striving for top-class quality. The South-African golf architect Gary Player has created the Cascades Golf of Soma Bay, a golf course that is already now regarded as Egypt’s “signature course” and will be host and venue of the 2nd Egypt Golf Trophy from 16 November till 2 December 2009. Another champion will be added to the Player-Champion very soon: an18-hole golf course by Phil Jacobs, who learned from Gary Player.

A three-hour drive from Hurghada through the desert will take you to Luxor, the historic city at the Nile, where the Valley of the Kings, the spectacular river and fascinating temples such as the Karnak Temple are more than historical highlights. Another highlight is a round of golf in the Royal Valley Golf Club in Luxor, Egypt’s only royal golf course. Due to the absolutely perfect combination of nature and culture, history and golf, the big closing gala event of the 2nd Egypt Golf Trophy 2009 will take place on the forecourt of the Karnak Temple.

Where is Cairo? Nobody and no golf player - who has visited this metropolis, where golf was established in Egypt next to the pyramids 120 years ago, will ever forget this city. In the middle of the city, located on an island in the Nile, you can play 9 holes of golf in the Gezira Golf Club. At the edge of the old El Quahira, where numerous museums boast unique world art treasures, with the hustle and bustle of the old Medina between mosques and walls, you find excellent new golf courses in the outskirts of the 20-million metropolis. For example the Dreamland Golf Club close to the pyramids featuring 27 holes in the Dreamland Golf Resort and a new 18-hole course by Jack Nicklaus (Palm Hills) is being added.

The Championship golf course of Mirage City Golf Club and the Katameya Heights Golf & Tennis Resort are located in the rich urbanisations of the eastern part of the city. On the hills above Cairo you may look forward to two new courses by Nick Faldo and Greg Norman.

Egypt also features interesting destinations at the Mediterranean. Along with Alexandria, where you can play golf, Porto Marina also plays an important role. An 18-hole golf course is being established in Porto Marina: 9 holes are ready, and another 9 will be added in 2009. Located in Suleimania between Alexandria and Cairo, lies the Pyramids Golf Resort directly at the desert motorway, where 45 holes of golf are in the process of being renovated.