Serbia is one of few European countries without major golf courses - Is it worthwhile to invest in sport with 36 holes?

At this moment, Serbia has only two golf courses, both of inappropriate size and inadequate for bigger competitions, it was said at a panel discussion at the real estate expo REBEC.

- Situation in in this sport in the region lags significantly behind other parts of Europe. Construction of golf courses with accompanying contents is an investment that can bring high profits, but it is also one of the conditions for joining more developed Europe – said Dr. Zivorad Nikolic, president of the Golf Association of Serbia.

Only two golf courses are active in our country - the one at Ada Ciganlija and the other in Zabalj, near Novi Sad. These courses have 9 holes each, while the minimum number of holes on a golf course for international competitions is 18. High-quality golf courses have 27 and 36 holes, which provides an additional pleasure for players.

Slovenia has a big number of golf courses, Croatia has few, while Montenegro does not even have one. However, one of directors of Porto Montenegro project in Tivat, Ivan Cakarevic, explains that the design of a project envisaging the construction of a golf course within that center is underway.

- Montenegro has a big problem with seasonality. The hotel capacities are too small in summer months and unprofitable off the season. That is why we have noticed that our project, comprising 700 suites, 2 hotels, a casino and a marina, needs a golf course as well, as an additional content – says Cakarevic.

- On the other hand, since the type of land we would use to build a golf course on is very specific, the Montenegrin government has rented us a piece of land for the period of 90 years, for which we are now preparing a documentation – Cakarevic adds.

Zivorad Nikolic stresses that an ideal golf course is situated in the nature, about 20 to 40 kilometers away from the center of a major city.

- It is the place where residential capacities and shopping centers can be situated as well. All around the world, it is a space of special economic interest - Nikolic points out.

Organization of international competitions is a significant bait for tourists. In order for a course to be marked as a "champion" course, it is necessary to meet the requirements regarding size, as well as to be certified by the Golf Association. Then the players like Tiger Woods can come to play golf on such courses. For now, the offer of golf courses in Serbia is very limited. Current capacities at Ada Ciganlija and in Zabalj are very modest.

- We should not forget that the first golf course in Serbia, in Kosutnjak, was opened back in 1936 and that it met the highest standards of this sport. For us, golfers, 9-hole courses satisfy only the most basic needs, while the travel abroad is necessary to enjoy the game to the fullest – says Nikolic.

However, many people are interested in investing in golf courses in Serbia.

Jovica Bozic, owner of BiS-Reciklazni Centar and former member of the national karate team of Serbia, and Zoran Gajic, former coach of the national volleyball team and winner of the Olympic gold, plans to have golf courses built in the vicinity of Pancevo. As they announced earlier, the plan is to also suggest implementation of such project to other municipalities interested in developing that sport, which should then provide 30 to 50 ha of non-cultivable land for golf courses.

Becmen

Construction of golf courses in Becmen, near Belgrade, is also in the pipeline. Participants in the REBEC conference stress that, if all disputes with minor landowners are resolved, construction may commence in 2012 or 2013. Preparation of detailed regulation plans may start as early as this year. These plans should determine the positions of golf courses with 18 and 9 holes, basketball, cricket and football courts, a hotel, a suite complex, an artificial lake, a shopping center, pedestrian and bicycle trails, a school, kindergartens, and a health center on the area alongside the Sava river, which is surrounded by a forest. If the investor provides EUR 800 million, which is the estimated value of the first phase of the project, and opens the building site next year, golfers will be able to swing their golf clubs on these courses in five to seven years.

Prices

On working days, one-day play on the golf course at Ada Ciganlija costs RSD 2,800 per person, while the same service in Slovenia is charged EUR 30.

On the other hand, according to Nikolic's words, the annual membership fee in a domestic club amounts to EUR 2,500, while people who pay EUR 1,800 in Slovenia can play golf for one year on numerous courses in three countries - Slovenia, Italy, and Austria.

M.D.