Costa Navarino Partners with Champion José María Olazábal for New Golf Courses

Costa Navarino, a premier golf destination in Greece, has entered into a partnership with two-time Masters champion and Ryder Cup legend José María Olazábal, who will design two new courses in the region of Messinia in Greece.

According to an announcement, the new 18-hole courses at Navarino Hills will overlook The Bay Course and the historic Bay of Navarino. They will be constructed with the highest international standards in order to complement and adequately expand the quality golf offer at Costa Navarino.

With his golf-course design studio, Olazabal Design, José María has created several high-profile tournament courses, such as the Royal Sevilla Golf Club in Spain and the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills in China.

Stephanos Theodorides, Vice-President and Managing Director of TEMES, the developer of Costa Navarino, believes partnering with Olazábal, will enhance Costa Navarino’s position as one of the world’s most distinctive environmentally-friendly golf destinations.

José María Olazábal

“Our vision for the destination development always included Navarino Hills as an instrumental component, based on the principles of an eco-retreat. José María Olazábal stands for passion, integrity, and quality. These are principles very close to our hearts and made the decision an easy one to partner with him for this special project,” he said.

Work on Olazábal’s signature design, has just begun and is expected to open for play by 2021.

“What TEMES has created at Costa Navarino is extraordinary and for us to have a chance to play our part in the destination’s legacy fills us with immense pride,” José María Olazábal said.

The Bay Course. Photo: Costa Navarino

The new projects will bring the total number of signature golf courses at Costa Navarino to four, all within a 13km distance and under the same management.

Costa Navarino, voted “European Golf Resort of the Year” for 2017 by IAGTO, currently includes two courses, The Dunes Course and The Bay Course, designed by Bernhard Langer and Robert Trent Jones II, respectively.

The resort also features two luxury hotels, The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort; private residences; five-star services and facilities.