Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Golf is set to open The Dalaman Golf Club on 30 August, adding what it says is a new golf destination to Türkiye’s tourism map. The project is positioned at the meeting point of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions and is designed to strengthen Dalaman’s role in international golf travel.
The club is being promoted as the first championship-standard golf course built in this part of Türkiye. It will include an 18-hole course, a golf academy, practice areas, social spaces and modern infrastructure for both experienced players and newcomers to the sport.
The company says the development aims to extend stays, widen the holiday season and boost the area’s competitiveness in overseas markets. It also wants to position Dalaman as a year-round destination and support Türkiye’s wider strategy to grow higher-value tourism products.
“This investment is a strategic regional investment in Dalaman’s future,” said Mustafa Göçen, chairman of Göçay-Onur Turizm İşletmecilik A.Ş.
He said the project was not only about building a new golf course, but also about creating a long-term destination vision for the resort and the surrounding region. “We aim to build a strong lifestyle area that combines golf, wellness, gastronomy and nature,” he said. “Our goal is not only to add value to our facility, but to contribute to a sustainable tourism ecosystem that will raise Dalaman’s international brand value.”
Göçen said Türkiye should support its natural, cultural and tourism assets with products that generate more value. He said golf tourism was one of the most important areas in that transformation because it could lengthen stays, broaden the season and create significant economic value for the region.
He added that Belek remained one of Türkiye’s leading golf destinations, but Dalaman’s natural advantages could offer a strong alternative. He also said there were 16,000 golf courses in the United States, 6,000 in Europe, 36,000 worldwide and more than 100 million golfers, with annual tourism revenues of more than $30bn.
Aslı Çetinceviz, a board member at Göçay-Onur Turizm İşletmecilik A.Ş., said the company had promised to add value to Sarıgerme when it first arrived in the area. “Today we are happy to fulfil that promise,” she said.
Çetinceviz said the group opened the region’s first congress centre 15 years ago and later showed that the area could attract visitors throughout the year. She said Dalaman Airport now handles about 5 million to 6 million passengers a year, while Antalya is close to 40 million, and argued that the region still had far greater international potential.
“I believe the step we are taking today will pave the way for new golf courses, quality accommodation investments and different tourism projects,” she said. “In the coming years, I wholeheartedly believe our region will become a stronger and more recognised international tourism hub.”
Mehmet Göçen, also a board member, said the company had not thought short term since the project began in 2009. “We believed in the future of the region and of Türkiye tourism, and we reinvested every value we created back into our country,” he said.
He said Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Golf already combines accommodation, sport, gastronomy and service quality under one roof. “On 30 August we will open the region’s first 18-hole golf course and our golf club,” he said. “We believe the new course will attract golf enthusiasts from different countries and increase the region’s international competitiveness.”
General manager Ümit Yaşar Atalay said the golf club is one of the hotel’s most important four-season investments. “Our golf course is not only a new product, it is a strategic investment that differentiates the guest experience,” he said.
Atalay said the resort was targeting markets with strong golf cultures, including Britain, Germany, western European countries, the Nordic countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States. He said the aim was not only to bring in new guests, but to make Dalaman a permanent and strong location on the international golf map.
The club’s director, Mitat Batır, said the course had been designed as a championship layout on natural sand ground, in line with sustainability principles. He said it stretches 6,152 metres, is a par 72, and includes 15 natural water hazards, 55 sand hazards and a varied elevation structure.
Batır said the technical design would offer a rich playing experience for both professional and amateur golfers. He added that the club wants to host international tournaments in the future and support the next generation of players through its golf academy.
The course sits in a biologically diverse natural ecosystem surrounded by a long coastline, wetlands and pine hills. International Design Group designed the facility, which also includes a driving range, short game practice areas, a clubhouse, restaurant, pro shop and an artificial intelligence supported TrackMan system.
The resort is about 20 minutes from Dalaman International Airport and is aiming to become a year-round meeting point that combines golf with nature, comfort and social life.
