IN a first for a Saudi Arabian leisure development, the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has won two Best Leisure Development accolades from the International Property Awards. Established in 1995, The International Property Awards celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industry. Assessed by an international panel of highly experienced professionals who cover the whole range of property disciplines, an International Property Award is a world-renowned mark of excellence. The 2016 Awards recognized Royal Greens Golf and Country Club as the Best Leisure Development in Saudi Arabia and named the Club as the sole nominee as Best Leisure Development in Arabia in the global competition, which will be announced in London later this year. "This is an unprecedented achievement for a Saudi leisure facility and shows that this country can compete and win at the very highest levels of the leisure and tourism industry," said Fahd Al-Rasheed, Managing Director and CEO of King Abdullah Economic City. "The Royal Greens Golf Club is a stunning development and a key component of the city's rapidly growing leisure offering." The exclusive Royal Greens Clubhouse was designed by KTGY, a world leading architectural practice and further refined by Hosam Alabdulkarim Architectural & Engineering Consultants (HAK), a leading GCC architectural practice with its roots in KSA, to create a premium signature clubhouse that blends perfectly with the surrounding city landscape and is constructed with locally available materials. The interior of the clubhouse was created by award winning European interior design agency Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) and incorporates wide corridors adorned with art, luxurious dining and meeting spaces and an elegant spa. The interior design is contemporary, sophisticated and international in ambience and draws on patterning, color palettes and details drawn from around the world as well as from local culture and nature. Featuring world-class cuisine complimented by panoramic views across the golf course and the Red Sea, the clubhouse will offer both alfresco dining on the covered veranda and a variety of restaurants that offer a unique, contemporary setting for members and their guests to dine. Managed by Troon Golf, the world's largest operator of competition-grade golf courses, the Royal Greens clubhouse is in the final stages of fitout and will open in the first quarter of 2017. The 18-hole, par 72 course features a maximum length of just over 6,900 yards and is the only grass course on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Designed by London based European Golf Design, the course is designed to be in harmony with the surrounding Saudi Arabian desert landscape, incorporating numerous wadi features that help to alleviate storm drainage while creating strategic challenge, aesthetic enhancement and habitat creation. The course also benefits from a fully floodlit back nine holes, for cooler evening play. The harsh climatic conditions, and the high levels of salt in the existing soils called for extensive design precautions in the selection of both the grass and the irrigation system. Genetically modified, heat resistant grass was sourced from Georgia in the United States and the irrigation system was designed to provide uniform and efficient application of water, minimize wastage and provide sustainable use and management of water. Complimenting the golf course is a premium golf academy featuring a state-of-the-art teaching facility with extensive practice areas including a full length driving range with swing studios, as well as extensive putting, chipping and bunkers greens complexes. The Academy will open in December 2016, offering instruction and practice facilities including special facilities for women and children to learn the game. "The Royal Greens golf course is an iconic model of excellent golf course design, construction and maintenance practice in Saudi Arabia, showcasing a layout which is bold, beautiful, exciting and challenging, but most importantly, enjoyable, allowing golfers of all ages and abilities the chance to enjoy the full spectrum of golf's magnificent appeal." said Dave Sampson, the lead architect of the development from European Golf design. "Competition for the International Property Awards is intense and we could not be more pleased that the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club has outperformed some of the top leisure developments in the region to win this accolade," said Charles Biele, CEO of Real Estate Development Company (REDCO) at KAEC. "We have partnered with some of the best companies in the world to design and deliver an unparalleled facility that will be an icon for the city and a must-visit destination for golfers from around the region."
