Norman to leave imprint on Dakak golf paradise
By Cedelf P. TupasPhilippine Daily Inquirer
HALL-OF-FAMER Greg Norman will inject his creative influence into an 18-hole golf course he’ll design at the scenic Dakak Resort in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.
The 57-year-old Norman, a two-time winner of the British Open and 89 other professional events worldwide, expressed excitement as he braced for the project to be laid out on what his associates say is one of the best sites that the golf legend will be working on.
“I’m excited. I’ve been here three times but I haven’t been down to Mindanao,” Norman said during a quick press conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati.
“It’s been a great journey for us in terms of designing golf courses. Every golf course we design we try to make it different. It has to do with the environment and the topography.”
Norman, the world’s No. 1 player for 331 weeks from the 1980s to the 1990s, will inspect the 120-hectare area where the course will be constructed. He is scheduled to return to the country three more times before the grand opening of the course. Construction will be completed in 12 to 18 months.
Shaped like a horseshoe, the golf course, which will have a total yardage of at least 7,000, will be carved out at the back of the Dakak resort with plenty of elevation changes and seaside holes.
“You can see the ocean from every golf hole,” said Dan Grassi, senior director of the Greg Norman Golf Course design.
Aside from the 18 holes, a driving range and possibly a training facility and academy will also be put up in the golf complex.
“I love it here and I’m looking forward to visiting the site,” said Norman, who also designed the Splendido course in Tagaytay and one of the six courses at Eagle Ridge.
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