Solar-powered golf course opens in Aqaba

AQABA — Some 72 golfers took part in an amateur tournament on Friday to mark the opening of Jordan’s first 18-hole championship golf course in Aqaba, 330km south of Amman.  

The course relies on solar power for desalination and irrigation requirements and uses subsurface irrigation, while native plant species and salt-tolerant grass are used throughout the grounds, according to Sahl Dudin, managing director of Ayla Oasis Development Company. 

“The Ayla Golf Course has been designed in compliance with strict environmental guidelines to carefully harness the stunning natural beauty of Aqaba and the Red Sea,” said Dudin, speaking at the soft launch. 

The course could boost tourism to the Kingdom and aims to “attract golfers from all over the world as well as tourists enjoying Jordan’s tourism heritage, culture and natural beauty”, said Chris White, director of operations at Ayla. 

“Golf as a sport has immense potential for growth in Jordan. With the opening of the Ayla Golf Course, we seek to create opportunities for Jordanians, residents and visitors through ensuring their easy access to some of the best golfing facilities in the region,” he added. 

The golf course, designed by professional golfer Greg Norman, includes 350,000 square metres of rolling green fairways and dedicated practice grounds with grass teeing areas. 

The Ayla Golf Academy Clubhouse is currently under construction.