Photos of the 3 Saidia golf courses

[Investy]

Segales, the golf course constructors, have a website that shows progress photos of all 3 Saidia golf courses.

To click between the 3 courses click on 'Volver' which is located on the right hand side near the top. This gives you a table of all 3 courses (plus one other) and you simply click on the name of the course you wish to view.

Grupo Segalés

 

[The Soup Dragon]

There's only one picture of a green and while its hard to tell from a distance, I'd say it doesn't look great. Would like to see some close up pictures of the greens / hear from someone who has been over recently.

 

[Lysos]

I know it's early days but they all look bare, flat and uninteresting. I'm a keen 'hacker' and for quality of courses and infrastructure, plus superb value all-inclusive hotels it has to be Belek in Turkey.

 

[Steve C]

I agree, 'the Palms' (el palmeral) which is supposed to be open, doesn't look at all impressive to say the least .
It looks like a poorly thought out rush job to me. Flat, spartan, dull and uninteresting
I'll reserve final judgement pending further photos, but so far not so good

BTW on a similar note. I hope they will be doing something about the plethora of ugly electricity pylons all over the place. Before I bought I was told that there would be a great effort to keep most of the power cabling underground. Bit by bit I'm losing faith in what I've been told. Standards could well be slipping in the rush to get things finished.

 

[Investy]

I'm guessing here, but wont each of the 3 courses be different? One flatter, one undulating and so on?

I agree about the ugly pylons and would add the tall white lamp posts look very incongrous. Surely the hotels will complain about this?

I suspect a lot more planting will be done which will soften everything.

I'm not loosing faith though. I was offered a small unfunky chintzy 2 bed detatched villa on Desert Springs for 550k! No pool, no marina etc.

 

[Steve C]

I suspect a lot more planting will be done which will soften everything.

I certainly hope so Investy.
I was very surprised to see the 'course open' flag on Sagles site. Up until then I had put down the sparse look of the course as it being unfinished. No problem. If however they consider that banal looking effort the finished product then I'm very disappointed.
A golf course forms probably the main landscaping feature of any development. So, not only should it be good to play on, but it should look fantastic too.
This course visually is certainly no oil painting.
Half term report...... "C- for effort I'm afraid - must improve".

 

[Investy]

I've emailed Segales in English, letting them know I think it looks poor. Why dont some of you do the same - especially if you know Spannish.

I fear there could be the classic disconnect between the Moroccan tourism ministry and the project on the ground. We're always being told the King visits the site so surely he would have a lot to say on this.

Property Logic bang on about thier world class 5* project becomming one of the most sought after in the world, thats no small claim to make, so surely the directors will not be happy with a sub standard golf delivery. Perhaps some of you could query this with PL, as I dont want to myself as Ive been moaning about some other stuff so they may just think its 'him again' being overly fussy.

I read somewhere that Segales had framed the Saidia project in terms of 'spectaculour'. Mmmmmmm

 

[Steve C]

E-mail duly sent.

 

[Mr Ri]

I've used the 'contact us' form (in english) on the Segales Golf website previously, and not received a reply. Perhaps the form doesn't work, or you need to be able to write in Spanish. There are individual contact details on their site, including email addresses, for the staff (everything from President downwards) which maybe more effective.

I mentioned the 'bare' looking patches on the photos to a very keen golfer friend of mine, who suggested that with only the one years growth, we should not expect such fantastic fairways and greens.

The absence of contours and trees and shrubs does make the El Palmeral look uninteresting. I'm hoping the clue is in the course name, and a substantial number of palm trees will be planted this year.

 

[Investy]

I did email Property Logic afterall, for thier input.

I've been informed they have raised the asthetics concerns with the Moroccan authority with responsibility for the project, but as yet have not had a reply.

I imagine some of the 5* hotels will definitely being raising the same concerns as they were lured here with the same notions of Saidia being a high end showcase resort.

On balance Im not overly concerned, I think it will all work itsself out (he says with fingers crossed)

 

[Lysos]

I agree that with only one year's growth you cannot expect superb fairways and greens. However, the landscaping and planting of trees, shrubs, plants etc. should have been done first. Last September I played the "Kaya Eagles" course in Belek, one week after it opened. Yes, it was obvious the fairways and greens were not mature, but the rest of the course and the clubhouse were superb.