Canarian Weekly
22-04-2013, 13:00
PLANS for a new golf course in Guia de Isora are still in their infancy, but Mayor Pedro Martin has investors lined up already. “The tourist offer available here in the municipality will be reinforced once the construction of a new course is complete,” said the Mayor this week.
He would not be drawn on the location, and admitted the plans were still at the draft stage.
Yet he spoke of a complex, not just a course, highlighting the strengths of such a venture and stressing that it would benefit the area greatly, adding to the already-successful 18-hole Championship course at Ritz Carlton’s Abama.
The Dave Thomas-designed Abama course is widely regarded as a great challenge, rambling over 6,271 metres of ever-changing terrain. And it features 22 lakes, linked by impressive waterfalls, white-sand bunkers, and 25,000 palm trees.
With any new project there are sceptics, and one of the issues with a gleaming green course is water.
During last year’s atrocious forest fires here on the Island, affected residents in Vilaflor complained about water shortages because it was “being sent down the hill to feed the golf courses”.
But Mayor Martin is keen to point out the new golf course would not deplete existing water resources, and that any additional requirements would be made available from desalinated sea water.
Does this mean that the new course will have its very own desalination plant, and is dependent on this infrastructure development?
Guia de Isora’s objective is that a new golf course in the municipality would complement the existing tourist offers and, thus, increase the number of visitors.
As to whether accommodation would be part of the new golf venue, he said: “There are a very limited number of hotels that fit the General Management Plan (PGO) and we have only three or four more areas where they could develop luxury accommodation.”
The rumour circulating for many years is that a hotel and golf course would be built on the same road as the existing Abama course: hotel on the sea side, golf course to the right.
However, that was dependent on infrastructure elements such as completion of the new ring road, and the building of an independent desalination plant.
Why the issue has arisen again for discussion is not clear, but one can only assume that it’s because the Island is continually improving and promoting itself as a quality, five-star destination with accommodation, flights and activities to boot.
Golf is an activity that matches the demographic of Tenerife visitors. The average age of our tourists is 47 and each year, 1.6 million Brits alone flood to the tiny rock in theAtlantic.
Over half the visitors enjoy at least one activity while here – and in February alone, 379,726 visitors descended on Tenerife.
Unfortunately, a new golf course is not a quick fix to the tourist offer, because the Guia de Isora complex will take at least 3-4 years to build
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/guia-gear-golf/)
He would not be drawn on the location, and admitted the plans were still at the draft stage.
Yet he spoke of a complex, not just a course, highlighting the strengths of such a venture and stressing that it would benefit the area greatly, adding to the already-successful 18-hole Championship course at Ritz Carlton’s Abama.
The Dave Thomas-designed Abama course is widely regarded as a great challenge, rambling over 6,271 metres of ever-changing terrain. And it features 22 lakes, linked by impressive waterfalls, white-sand bunkers, and 25,000 palm trees.
With any new project there are sceptics, and one of the issues with a gleaming green course is water.
During last year’s atrocious forest fires here on the Island, affected residents in Vilaflor complained about water shortages because it was “being sent down the hill to feed the golf courses”.
But Mayor Martin is keen to point out the new golf course would not deplete existing water resources, and that any additional requirements would be made available from desalinated sea water.
Does this mean that the new course will have its very own desalination plant, and is dependent on this infrastructure development?
Guia de Isora’s objective is that a new golf course in the municipality would complement the existing tourist offers and, thus, increase the number of visitors.
As to whether accommodation would be part of the new golf venue, he said: “There are a very limited number of hotels that fit the General Management Plan (PGO) and we have only three or four more areas where they could develop luxury accommodation.”
The rumour circulating for many years is that a hotel and golf course would be built on the same road as the existing Abama course: hotel on the sea side, golf course to the right.
However, that was dependent on infrastructure elements such as completion of the new ring road, and the building of an independent desalination plant.
Why the issue has arisen again for discussion is not clear, but one can only assume that it’s because the Island is continually improving and promoting itself as a quality, five-star destination with accommodation, flights and activities to boot.
Golf is an activity that matches the demographic of Tenerife visitors. The average age of our tourists is 47 and each year, 1.6 million Brits alone flood to the tiny rock in theAtlantic.
Over half the visitors enjoy at least one activity while here – and in February alone, 379,726 visitors descended on Tenerife.
Unfortunately, a new golf course is not a quick fix to the tourist offer, because the Guia de Isora complex will take at least 3-4 years to build
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/guia-gear-golf/)