The capital of Tatarstan, already famous for its kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can now take pride in owning one of the rare golf courses to be found in Russia.
The Harradine Golf company, founded in Switzerland in 1929, was chosen to design the course, near the Volga River, where the stream reaches almost three kilometres in width.
In winter, it’s a ski resort. In summer, since September, 2007, it is a majestic course, currently with six holes. By next spring, three more holes will be ready.
The conditions are similar to those found in the Swiss mountains: snow throughout half the year and wonderful weather in summer. “This place was asking to be exploited during the summer season, and the project for a golf course came naturally,” explains Peter Harradine, an internationally renowned golf-course architect.
“The Minister of Tatarstan, himself a keen player, encouraged and financed the project, the goal being to enhance tourism as well as the localmarket at the same time.” Construction of the course took over two years and was by no means an easy task.
Golf is still viewed as slightly exotic in this part of the world, and several difficulties linked to the site’s creation arose: “We had to import the machines we needed from St. Petersburg and Dubaï,” remembers the architect. The result is nonetheless spectacular: the course is a true jewel, and each season’s colours should dazzle the players. Only a few Swiss specialists were present to make sure that all was going according to plan. “Although we designed the project,” explains Peter Harradine, “the Russians are the ones who carried it out.” Three hotels, designed by a Swiss architect in modern chalet style, were also built for this new club.
The Kazan course is suitable for confirmed players as well as for beginners, which should attract a large clientele. The Swiss expert is confident that Russia has a promising future in this discipline: it’s a goldmine, and one cannot begin to count the huge and beautiful parcels of land that lend themselves ideally to this sport.
“In Switzerland,” regrets Peter Harradine, “the building permits are very hard to get; the land is far too expensive, and the environmentalists are always after us.
Here, it’s a dream: we have 60 hectares available for a 9-hole course. And the final project will count 18 holes on a surface twice as big.” Thanks to the country’s economic growth, particularly in the region of Kazan since oil was discovered there, this business promises to be prosperous: “In four years,” notes the specialist, “the living standards of local people have grown considerably, creating the assets to turn them into future golfers.”
