The WeekEnd Golfer

Apr 17, 2007 - Golf Travel >>>

Bulgarian villas - Bulgaria vacation property, permanent residence or just investment. New Bulgarian development The Green Valley.

Brangelina's Apt - Gorgeous family spent two months before Africa, you can spend one week. Deluxe vacation stay in Paris.

Luxury holidays - Special offers for luxury holidays and honeymoons to the Indian Ocean and Caribbean

Bulgarian golf in its developmental stages - Golf course development has essentially reached the point of saturation in North America and many of the traditional golfing countries.

Yes, there are lots of absolutely gorgeous sites that could be converted into golf courses. But who is going to play on these courses?

As a result, investors and golf course developers are looking to "underdeveloped" countries in Europe and Asia for greener pastures. There the hope is to capitalize on the thriving tourist trade as well as turn some of the largely non-golfing local population into golfing fanatics.

Bulgaria is just such a country. With its recent entry into the EU, Bulgaria's development promises to be rapid and significant in the very near future. The same will likely be true for the development of the infrastructure required for extensive travel - airports, highways, hotels, tourist destinations, and golf courses.

Currently there are only two golf courses listed on GolfEurope.com:

Ihtiman Golf Club - the original Bulgarian golf course. Ihtiman Golf Course is rated by the rating committee of USGA. 18 holes, 6345 yards, rating is 71.3 and slope 131 from the back tees.

Sliven golf course was opened on May 24th, 2004. It is a par 71, 6563 yards. It features spectacular views to the Balkan mountain.

The Bulgarian Golf Federation hopes to gradually build more golf courses throughout Bulgaria. Golf courses in Razgrad, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv and Sofia are in the planning stages, and other developers are planning golf course developments as part of larger tourism projects.