Since Roman times a game called ‘poganica’has been played. Later the English played a variant of poganica with the name ‘cambuca’, which was very similar to golf. Nowadays the home country of the game is considered to be Scotland, where the first official golf club was opened in 1754. This was the Golfers’ Association of St. Andrew’s, which became in 1834 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
In early times the number of holes on golf courses was 5 or 6 to 22,
and sometimes more. The last reform of the golf course by the St. Andrew’s
club left it with 18 holes. Perhaps from this time, since people began
to talk about the game, the expectation has been for 9 or 18 holes, and
for a area covered with low-cut grass, with natural or artificial obstacles
and many trees, providing a fresh and unique playing atmosphere.
In Europe, golf is the favourite game of people of good social status. This
is evidenced by the fact that the United Kingdom, Spain and France have more
than 500 courses each. Comparing this with the situation in Bulgaria, we must
mention the existence of three fully completed and operating golf clubs.
| The first golf club in Bulgaria opened in the year 2000. It has 18 holes, in accordance with golf tradition. It is in the town of Ihtiman, 40km from Sofia. Under the sponsorship of the Bulgarian Golf Federation a second golf course, the largest in Bulgaria, was opened near Sliven. The third one is near Elin Pelin, to the east of Sofia. Golf projects are now being developed near Dolna Banya, Kavarna, Balchik, Sunny Beach, Burgas, Katina and Razlog. Soon there will be dozens. The strategy of the Federation is to cover the whole country with courses, and to make the game accessible in every corner of Bulgaria. |
The construction of a golf course requires a huge financial investment, needing at least 100 hectares (250 acres) of land. The other requirements for construction are determined mainly by the terrain. All Mother Nature’s gifts should be used to the full by selecting a suitable area. Even the plainest territory can be transformed into one of the legendary golf venues of the world. Abroad, projects very often include excavation and removal of the soil, replacing it with a special mixture of sand and peat, or adding other types of suitable soil. Thus just the construction of the course can cost millions of Euros.
The return on the investment from fees is long-term, and many investors rely on another trend, related directly with golf course projects, namely the need for luxurious hotel accommodation and vacation properties. The areas near golf clubs become as popular as those at the sea-side or near a ski-run. This level of investment is justified by the constant tourist traffic and the need for a comfortable stay after a pleasant round on the golf links.
Golf courses also change the lives of the local people. Influenced by the lovely modern houses, they erect attractive buildings, and make their gardens irresistibly charming, and a pleasure for the human eye to behold. According to Lilyan Todorov, the owner of the first Bulgarian golf course, anyone who intends to develop a course should not change the sequence of operations; If they construct the golf course first, they will find it easier to attract buyers afterwards. It seems that the strategy: ‘Buy a villa while there are some left, because we shall build a golf course here’ is not the most appropriate.
Golf development is in its infancy in Bulgaria, but the prospects and possibilities in this region are enormous. For example, Spain has acquired several hundred prosperous golf courses during the last six years. How many will be developed in Bulgaria? Will they meet international standards? And could Bulgaria one day become a prestigious golf destination?
Information courtesy of "Tourism & Property" magazine,
Plovdiv - April 2006.
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