Gary Player - The Legend

Gary Player Design Appointed for Saadiyat Island Beach-Front Development

Aug 01, 2007 | Filed Under: Golf Course Design

Gary Player has been appointed to design the first of two championship golf courses planned for Saadiyat Island - the 27 square kilometre island offshore Abu Dhabi city which is being transformed into a world-class tourism, culture and residential destination. The Saadiyat course will be the first in the Arabian Gulf with several beach-front holes. It is also the first in the UAE for Gary Player Design, adding to the already-extensive global portfolio.

“Gary Player is renowned as much for his dedication to the principles of design excellence as he is for his golfing accomplishments. He is recognized worldwide, as an uncompromising perfectionist who settles for nothing but the best,” said HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and of Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the name behind the transformation of Saadiyat Island.

The Gary Player Signature course, scheduled for completion in 2009, is being constructed in the Saadiyat Beach district - one of seven distinct zones within Saadiyat Island. Additionally, a second ‘ocean-style’ golf course is to be built in an effort to substantially enhance the golf tourism offering of Abu Dhabi, which already has a championship course at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, home to the annual European Tour-backed Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The unique environment of Saadiyat Beach, which lies to the north west of Saadiyat Island and is positioned as its premier hospitality district, presents special opportunities for hotel and resort developers.

The Saadiyat Beach course deal was officially signed at Carnoustie in Scotland during the British Open between Gary Player and Lee Tabler, CEO, TDIC.

“Saadiyat Beach is master-planned to produce a range of five-star resorts flanking nine kilometers of pristine beach, a championship golf course with freehold villas, dedicated sailing club and private beach clubs. The Gary Player course will be a key component of this overall celebrity see-and-be-seen environment,” said Tabler.

TDIC’s aim for Saadiyat Beach is to have highly landscaped resorts noted for their tranquil sanctuary designs and ambiance. TDIC has laid down strict development guidelines for the resorts which have a series of natural sand dunes and fauna lying directly behind their beach fronts. Development concepts for the beach have to take into consideration the natural environment as well as offering hotel guests recreational amenities and entertainment on a par with the world’s best resort settings.

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