Tiger Woods is the world's best golfer and highest paid athlete. And if all goes according to plan, the popular golfer will soon be sporting his biggest trophy yet: a luxury golf course called Al Ruwaya (meaning serenity), hewn from the sands of the Arabian desert.The ambitious project, touted as the first course in the world designed by the champion golfer, remains a work in progress on the outskirts of this Middle Eastern boomtown.
But the project's chief said on Monday that the first phase of the development, which among other unlikely features promises five million square feet of locally grown grass and more than 30,000 full-grown imported trees, is on target for completion sometime in the last three months of 2009.
"Our schedule is currently on track," Abdulla Al Gurg said. At the moment, the 18th hole is being shaped, according to the developer.
Tatweer is a division of Dubai Holding, which is owned by the emirate and its ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The golf course is the centerpiece of the project, The Tiger Woods Dubai, an exclusive residential golf community. It will be part of a massive theme-park complex known as Dubailand the company is building on barren desert along the edge of the city.
The company is spending about US$1.09 billion (HK$8.5 billion) to build the course and the surrounding housing development.
Gurg would not say how much Woods was being paid. He spoke following an event to showcase the master plan at a glitzy be
achfront hotel. Full- page ads in Emirates newspapers have been trying to entice local buyers to consider one of the 197 so-called palaces (100,000 square feet), mansions (50,000 sq ft) and villas (30,000 sq ft) that will flank the course.The project's first stage will consist of the 18-hole, par 72 course itself, as well as a golf academy, driving range and a spa. Holes will have six tees. A hotel and most of the gated housing community should be finished by the second or third quarter of 2010, Gurg said. The golf course will offer only 200 memberships.
On Monday, Woods visited the construction site for the first time since a June knee surgery sidelined him for the rest of this season.
"It's frustrating for me," he said when asked about the injury.
As for his first golf course project, he said: "When I set out to design Al Ruwaya, I wanted the course to reflect what I truly love about golf - a stern mental and physical test that rewards smart thinking. I believe weve achieved that goal with a course that will be fun and rewarding for all skill levels to play."
Dubai, which is rapidly becoming a major golfing destination, hosts the Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Ladies Masters every year.
Woods said he drew inspiration for his first course from clubs in the "sandbelt" golfing region near Melbourne, Australia. "We want this golf course to play fast, quick," he said, while noting it would also appeal to a broad range of players.
Woods is not the only golfer laying out links in Dubai. An 18-hole course designed by Colin Montgomerie was launched in 2006, and another by Ernie Els opened earlier this year. Greg Norman, Sergio Garcia, Pete Dye and Vijay Singh are also working on courses. Dubai developers have tapped other top shelf names as well, as they struggle to make their projects stand out.
Plans for the golf course by Woods were first made public more than a year- and-a-half ago.
ASSOCIATED PRESS/STAFF REPORTER
