Promises to remodel the Secret Valley Golf Course go back to 2007
In a press-release back in 2007, it was announced that British golfing legend Tony Jacklin would carry out the re-design of the Secret Valley golf course, turning it from a basic 18-hole venue into a scenically spectacular 36-hole golfing tour de force.
And so, starting with a complete overhaul of the clubhouse at a cost well in excess of two million Euros, work began to turn Secret Valley from a small, provincial golf course, into an international standard golfing resort rivalling the likes of La Manga in Spain or Vale do Lobos in Portugal. |
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Flight of Fancy or Boastful Plan?
Over three years later, the promised conversion of Secret Valley's golf course has yet to commence.
What's more, while 2010 has seen a veritable flurry of announcements concerning other forthcoming golf resorts across Cyprus, there has been no news with regards to Secret Valley for a very long time, despite earlier claims of unlimited financial backing and support from both the PGA and the Cypriot government. Statements that the Secret Valley Course would eventually become part of the European Tour also seem doubtful in view of the fact that other planned venues are now making similar claims.
At this stage there is certainly something of a Sword of Damocles hanging over the resort's future. |
In its current condition, the Secret Valley golf course is no longer an effective contender
Certainly, the resort’s fabulous location in a scenic river valley between the town of Pissouri and the village of Kouklia contributes to its rather unique charm. With truly spectacular rock formations, and views of the sea and the mountains further inland, Secret Valley boasts an almost dream-like country club atmosphere. But this ambiance comes at an unexpected price, unexpected at least for an arid island like Cyprus.
The golf course at Secret Valley suffers from severe drainage problems.
It is ironic that while a shortage of viable water sources has presented the largest obstacle for Cyprus' forthcoming venues, its riverbed setting cause the Secret Valley golf course to suffer from a surfeit of moisture. In fact, as any golfer who's played the course in between the end of November and the end of March will tell you, the course can be positively boggy during these months. Although the riverbed in which the course is situated has been dry for many years, the valley still boasts an unusually high groundwater table, which, in turn, accounts for Secret Valley's marshy playing conditions during the winter months.
Unsurprisingly, Tony Jacklin's plans include a complete overhaul of course drainage.
Then there's the course itself, almost fifteen years old, and completely unchanged during this time. Back in 1996, when Tsada, itself had only opened a couple of years earlier, and was the only other 18-hole grass venue in the Republic of Cyprus, the Secret Valley golf course could justifiably claim supremacy. These days, however, there are already a number of viable competitors to be found along the island's west coast. Even Tsada has long since been overhauled by iconic course designers Mackenzie & Ebert, and rebranded as Minthis Hills.
And still Secret Valley golf course, with its mostly straight, flat Fairways and almost uniform Greens, sits unchanged in the Ha Potami river valley, surrounded by beautifully scenic rock formations and big plans.
The question is: "Will its new golf courses ever be built?"
* Ha Potami being Greek for Low River
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