TABA HEIGHTS, Egypt -- The Taba Heights resort golf community is scheduled to open the Middle East's newest and most prestigious championship golf course in October, resort officials have announced.
With the dramatic Sinai Mountains providing its backdrop, the course will overlook the azure waters of the Red Sea, offering views of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. Designed by John Sanford, the new 18-hole course will offer a full practice and driving range facility, clubhouse, bar and golf shop.
The course will measure 7,100 yards and is designed to suit and challenge golfers of all levels. As part of this philosophy, each hole will offer the option of five different tee placements, allowing golfers to either undergo exciting challenges or stick within their handicap levels.
Golfers can expect many target fairways and approach shots over lakes, flood canals or well-surrounded desert green complexes. Offering a mix of uphill and downhill fairways, large undulating greens and pot bunkers, the diversity means that even badly hit shots can provide either a severe penalty or nice reward.
Due to its position between the Sinai Mountains and waters of the Red Sea, the Taba Heights course offers elevation ranging from 12 feet to more than 200 feet.
Located in the desert, the course's design contrasts the natural non-grass arid environment with grassed areas that provide the lush appearance common to most courses. A number of special measures have been put in place to ensure that the course is protected from the different effects the arid environment may create.
Four large lakes and three flood diversion canals channel the water coming from the mountains to the sea during the rainy/flood periods, in order to protect the course and surrounding area. In addition, the course uses a special grass type that can withstand brackish water. This grass is environmentally friendly, requires less water, fertilization and pesticide, yet still offers a great surface for golf playability.
Taba Heights as a destination provides guaranteed year-round sunshine, offering a great environment for golf and also ensuring that the course will be available to guests all year round. For those who just wish to incorporate golf as part of their holiday rather than making it a focus, however, the resort also offers a range of other activities to be enjoyed.
Sports such as diving, snorkeling, wakeboarding, sailing, parasailing and quad biking through the desert are available; while so too are cultural excursions to nearby sites in Petra and Jerusalem. The resort also offers five hotels, many of which participate in the special dine-around program, meaning guests can make the most of the 32 bars and restaurants located in the resort, regardless of the hotel where they are staying.
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