Later this year, a trio of U.S. architects expects to commence work on the first golf course in Russia’s premier resort city.
Pete Dye, his son P. B., and Bobby Weed are collaborating on the 18-hole course for Sochi Golf Club, which will anchor a resort community that’s to take shape on 415 acres adjacent to Sochi National Park. The community has been planned to include about 150 villas, an equal number of cottages and townhouses, 200 or more apartments, a 120-room hotel, an equestrian center, a spa, and other attractions.
The club is just one of a slew of construction projects in progress in and around Sochi, which is preparing to host a series of high-profile sports events in the coming years, most notably the Winter Olympics in 2014. The city (population: 329,000), which is located along the Black Sea and framed by the Caucasas Mountains, already attracts more than 2.5 million visitors a year. As its tourism business grows, it’ll be among the most camera-ready faces that Russia shows to the world.
Sochi Golf Club is an important component of Sochi’s growth. The club is being developed by NBB Developments, an affiliate of the Moscow-based National Business Development Bank. NBB, which has leased the property for the community, is making a significant investment in the area, with a list of projects that includes a marina, a sports center at the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort, and the reconstruction of the Moscow Hotel in downtown Sochi.
The bank expects Sochi Golf Club to attract national and international golf tournaments and to serve as a year-round breeding ground and training center for Russia’s young golfers.
The architects expect to break ground on the club’s championship-caliber course and accompanying practice facilities this fall. Pete Dye, who’s now in his mid 80s, lends his considerable star power and hall of fame credentials to the venture, but P. B. and Weed will oversee the construction and make the on-site design decisions.
This story originally appeared in the World Edition of the Golf Course Report, in a slightly different form. For a sample copy of the World Edition, call 301/680-9460 or write to WorldEdition@aol.com.