Dalaman Golf Club officially opened for play on September 1, introducing the region’s first golf venue and extending Türkiye’s championship golf options beyond its established destinations.
The par-72 course is managed alongside Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Golf, giving international visitors access to golf and five-star accommodation within 20 minutes of Dalaman International Airport.
Founding tournament marks the opening
Golfers first played the course on August 30 during the Founding Preview Invitational, staged to coincide with Türkiye’s Victory Day. Prospective members and visitors also used the 20-bay driving range, putting green, short-game area and clubhouse.
The individual Stableford competition adopted the red and white colours of the Turkish flag. Men wore white polo shirts with red caps, while women played in red polo shirts and white caps.
Callum Kenny of Prenton Golf Club in Merseyside won Category A with 39 points. Can Özede took Category B on 32 points, while Maddison Merritt scored 31 points and beat Deborah Garnett on countback in the women’s competition.
A 6,728-yard coastal course
International Design Group created the layout on natural sandy soil; it measures 6,152 metres, or 6,728 yards. The routing includes 55 bunkers and 15 natural water hazards, while elevation changes add another strategic consideration.
The course occupies an ecologically diverse coastal site bordered by long beaches and lakes that serve as resting places for migratory birds. Its holes traverse pine woodland and wetlands, with uninterrupted views towards the Mediterranean.
The par-five 15th presents a pronounced elevation change. Players face a 25-metre drop from the tee, with a nature reserve bordering one side of the fairway and a lake protecting the other.
Ten bays on the driving range use TrackMan Range technology. The wider facilities include a golf academy, restaurant and halfway house, supporting both visiting players and the club’s plans for junior development.
Hilton resort supports year-round golf travel
The opening follows plans to establish Dalaman as a year-round golf destination, using the region’s warm climate and direct air connections to attract visitors beyond the peak coastal holiday season. Club general manager Ümit Yaşar Atalay said before the launch:
“Golf will help extend the tourism season, attract a new high-value visitor segment and create year-round economic benefits for the destination. We believe the timing is ideal to establish Dalaman as Türkiye’s next major golf destination.”
Opened in 2009, Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Golf occupies 74 acres beside the Dalaman River. Its 550 accommodation units include Lake House suites with private piers and direct access to the water.
The ultra-all-inclusive resort also has a 650-metre private beach, ten pools, two seasonal waterparks and the Elysion Spa, which contains 18 treatment rooms. Its congress centre can host as many as 1,000 people, helping attract visitors outside the main summer season.
For more information on the club CLICK HERE.
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.