Legendary golf course designer Peter Matkovich heads to Zim
STAFF REPORTER
A team from South Africa led by legendary golf course designer Peter Matkovich is heading for Zimbabwe this quarter to commence work on the US$280m Warren Hills Golf Course in Harare.
In announcing big projects slated for this year, with some coming in few weeks, West Property Chief Executive Officer Ken Sharpe said the Warren Hills Golf Course project is set to kick off immediately upon acceding of recommendation by the city of Harare.
Matkovich is an increasingly prolific South African course designer, who started in the game as a professional on the European and South African tours before jumping fully into design during the 1990s.
His portfolio is now littered with high-profile creations such as Arabella, De Zalze, Pinnacle Point (with Darren Clarke) and Prince’s Grant.
“The first is the Hills Golf Estate and branded luxury residential and hotel development at Warren Hills. We managed last week to successfully achieve the eviction of the previous tenant under court case HC 6212/20 and court order number HH 0414385. We now await City of Harare to accede to the recommendation to allow the development to proceed,” Sharpe said.
“This paves way for our team from South Africa led by globally respected golf course designer Peter Matkovich to come to Harare in the next quarter and commence work on site,” Sharpe added.
He said the project upgrade for the new design will take 22 months to complete the brand new PGA Championship standard golf course that will have some exciting new features adding this will be a first for Zimbabwe.
“The infrastructure and servicing will commence within the next six months and run in conjunction with the golf course upgrade. This is a US$280 million project which in our view is a big confidence affirmation on Zimbabwe as an investment destination. This would be the first premium branded luxury residences attached to a five-star hotel in sub-Saharan Africa,” Sharpe said adding the developments were part of a vision and mission at West Property Zimbabwe to bring world class ‘Dubai type’ lifestyle communities to Zimbabwe where both residents and visitors can live, work, shop and play in a safe and secure gated development.
He said other projects on the cards include the Mall of Zimbabwe and Pomona City phase 2.
