Give yourself a Bulgar treat

Named by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators as the ‘Undiscovered Golf Destination of 2012’, Bulgaria looks set to become European golf’s next big tourism venue.

The sport is still very much in its infancy in the country, which sits in the south east of Europe to the north of Greece and Turkey. However, if the hype is anything to go by, then it has a hugely exciting future ahead of it.

At present, there are only a handful of courses in Bulgaria but, if ever there was a case for quality over quantity, then surely this is it.

Thracian Cliffs is, without doubt, the best-known golf development there thanks in no small part to the fact that it hosted the 2013 Volvo World Matchplay Championship.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy described Thracian Cliffs as ‘a stunning bit of land’.

The Gary Player-designed course’s stunning cliff-top setting has seen it dubbed the ‘Pebble Beach of Europe’ and the Black Sea resort was certainly popular with the players who took part in that event. Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy described it as ‘a stunning bit of land’, whilst Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter called it ‘amazing’. Worth bearing in mind that these guys have seen all of the great courses the world has to offer, so they don’t use expressions like those lightly.

Thracian Cliffs is not Player’s only Bulgarian development. He is also the brains behind the BlackSeaRama courses, which is a links-style course just 50km from Varna, the largest city on the Black Sea coast where the majority of Bulgaria’s golf courses are to be found.

An exception to this rule is the Riu Pravets Golf & Spa Resort, above, situated on the banks of a lake and just 40 minutes east of the capital Sofia. Its course is a ‘must play’ for any golfer visiting this beautiful, rapidly-growing country.

Bulgaria might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of great golf destinations but, trust us, all that could change very quickly.

Golf in Bulgaria :: Some essentials

FLIGHTS

British Airways flies to Sofia from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen via London Heathrow.

CURRENCY

The currency in Bulgaria is the lev. Current exchange rate (Jun ’13): 1 lev = £0.43

NUMBER OF CLUBS

At present, there are only six full-size courses in Bulgaria, although several more are in the pipeline.

GREEN FEES

Bulgaria is exceptionally good value for money. A round at Thracian Cliffs, for example, costs €100 for hotel guests.

FYI 

The 2013 Volvo World Matchplay Championship was the first-ever European Tour event to be held in Bulgaria.