By Design – Issue 66, Summer 2024

6 Brian Curley, ASGCA, of Curley-Wagner Golf Design is under way with Shura Links, a course located on an island off the west coast of Saudi Arabia. “There are very few places in the world that can offer year-round sunshine, stunning vermilion sunsets and a wonderfully natural design,” said Curley. “Shura has it all. We expect everyone from professionals to beginners to be drawn to this unique course and have designed it accordingly.” The course is being grassed with Platinum TE paspalum, supplied from the Atlas Turf Arabia turf farm set up as a joint venture between Golf Saudi and Atlas Turf International. “I was an early convert to paspalums, using them all over Asia in the late 1990s but the earlier versions were sometimes far from what I wanted in density and firmness,” said Curley. “The Platinum, however, is a massive leap forward in quality and will be a huge factor in contributing to both playability and environmental stewardship.” Construction is progressing well. “The course will be minimally turfed,” said Curley. “When you do desert golf, it’s not about what you do in the turfed areas so much as what you do in the areas that Brian Curley designs new course for Red Sea island DIGEST

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