EGYPT
Golf
in front of 4000 year Pyramid
-
Where
to play
(3)
-
at Luxor :
The Royal Valley Golf & Country Club
This course has been designed by Arthur Davis and created
at the same time as Katameya and Mirage in the same spirit:
turn desert sand into lush green rolling fairways. And the
slogan was “Tee time with ancient Kings and Queens”.
It is located on the East bank of the Nile, near the Luxor
airport, in the desert just away from the Nile green zone.This
championship course has narrow rolling fairways bordered by
large waste areas of natural desert between numerous water
hazards, and well dispatched sand bunkers. It is a long par
72 of 6735 yards with some very long par 4 as holes …….
But there are four tees boxes and the forwards positions offer
an equally enjoyable experience for the high handicappers
as for the low from the King Tut tee deck.Unfortunately the
projected development of the Royal Valley Golf resort has
been stopped just a few days after its opening, by the terrorists
attack of November 1997 against foreign tourists in the Kings
Valley.
Nowadays Egyptian tourism is coming out from the tunnel and
the unfortunate Luxor managers invigorate the golf course
to bring the players back on the fairways; it is just a problem
of green keeping to get the Bermuda grass in good shape.
Anyway the course design of Royal Valley Golf remains of great
quality and in the centre of the course the Nubian style club-house
is still majestic.
-
Along the Red Sea :
In
the last ten years, brand new tourist hotels and resorts have
sprung out from the desert sands and stones along the coasts
of the Red Sea beginning around Hurghada on one side and Sharm
el Sheikh on the Sinaï side. Long sandy beaches, blue
(and not red) sea water with famous underwater natural museum
of corals and marine fauna, year round sun (rain is exceptional)
have been the first attractions. Nowadays golf is part of
the development at El Gouna, Soma Bay, and to morrow at El
Soukhna, Sal Hasheesh, …
- Jolie Ville Golf Resort at
Sharm el Sheikh
Between the mythic Sinaï mountain and Tyran island in
the Aqaba Gulf , the Jolie Ville Golf Resort at Sharm el Sheikh
with its18 lakes and ponds is a stopping point for more than
15 different species of migrant birds. Not only for birds!
It is now a favourite playground for more and more golfers
who have decided to buy a residence in this paradise along
the beaches of the Red Sea.
Located near the airport at about 5kms from the main hotels
zone, the Bermuda grass and the numerous palm trees lie their
green mark in the sandy desert colour. The Mövenpick
Hotel Group has been the instigator of the Jolie Ville Golf
Resort designed by Sanford Associates from Florida (USA).
They have brought their specific style which fits well with
the very specific environment between Sinaï and Red Sea.
It is a par 72 championship course American way of 6021 meters
from the black tees with five different boxes which make the
course playable for golfers of any skill. Water hazards are
more or less present on 14 holes but on three different places
on the 18th which is the signature hole in front of the white
house of the club. Karts are available but walking is very
easy.
|
|
Royal
Valley hole 18
Investors, architects, karts before inauguration in 1977
Sinaï in background
at
Jolie Ville golf
and its white club-house
|
REPORTS | GOLFNOTES | ARCHIVES | E-MAIL 
