The initial project was developed by the local council, who created the plans. On 14 June 2005 the contract for the design of the golf course was signed ceremonially at the Boyana Presidential Residence in Sofia with Nicklaus Design and the Ibar Golf Club in the presence of the lead designer, Steve Nicklaus, son of Jack Nicklaus.
20m Euros will be invested in the project, whose construction was launched in the autumn of 2005. The golf course will be ready in the autumn of 2007, and the villas completed in September 2009.
The organisers, Ibar Golf Club, and the local municipality promise that the new golf course will meet the standards of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the Professional Golfers' Association of America. (It is believed to be the only golf course in Eastern Europe to meet PGA standards.)
Nicklaus Design press release
The Dolna Banya golf course will cover 870,000sq.m., will be 7,071 metres long, and will be nearly 12km in circumference. Neighbouring land may be acquired, to fill the gaps around the perimeter.
The investors are planning to turn the sports complex into a family-oriented club. A small 5-star hotel with 20 rooms and 10 suites, a 1,000sq.m. spa centre, two sports centres, a shopping centre, 300 3-bedroom+2-bathroom detached villas, and other facilities will also be built.
The site of the Momina Valley Holiday Village is edged in blue on the photo opposite, and the mountain bike trail park in green. The access road is shown in red. Marked in purple is a proposed footpath to the golf course development.
| Dolna Banya golf course project schedule | ||
| Construction | Start | Finish |
| Practice facility | Summer 2005 | May 2006 |
| First 9 holes | Autumn 2005 | April 2007 |
| Second 9 holes | May 2006 | Autumn 2007 |
| Villas | September 2005 | September 2009 |
