New Golf Resort Coming to County Cork, Ireland


XCES Projects, an International Property development consortium, has announced plans for a €200 million tourism project located on a 650-acre site near Kinsale, County Cork in Ireland. The Kinsale Harbour Resort is a collaboration between Cork-based XCES Projects, Hyatt International and PGA Golf Management. It will be Ireland’s first integrated tourism complex and will include:

· A 200-room Hyatt Hotel and Holiday resort lodge with conference facilities and a spa;
· An 18-hole, 260-acre golf course capable of hosting major events. The course has been designed by European Golf Design, a joint venture between the European Tour & IMG;
· Clubhouse and golf academy;
·Indoor-outdoor equestrian complex and a 500-seat indoor arena capable of hosting large events.

PGA Golf Management will operate, maintain and promote all golf-related facilities, and oversee the clubhouse operations and golf academy. Hyatt will operate the resort, equestrian facility and food and beverage services. The resort will create an initial 350 full-time positions, with an estimated 450 indirect jobs to be created as a direct result of the project. Another 300 jobs will be involved in the three-year construction phase.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister Martin said, “This proposed investment is a major boost for tourism in the southern region and I welcome the jobs that will flow from it.”

“We are delighted to attract such world-class partners,” said Carlos D’Avilez, director of XCES Projects. “Hyatt International is a high-end operator with a fantastic record in resort management and there are no better partners in golf than PGA Golf Management. The concept behind creation of the project was to produce a world-class integrated resort destination, which would complement and reinvigorate the Kinsale area and Cork County Tourism.”

Also commenting on the project was David Dean, senior management executive of PGA Golf Management. “The Kinsale Harbour Resort will not only be a market leading addition to the economy of Kinsale and Cork County, but will become one of the finest and most sought-after golf resort experiences in Europe.

“The unique combination of resort facilities, location and headland setting of the golf course will be stunning, and PGA Golf Management is delighted to be responsible for managing the golf facilities. We are looking forward to working with XCES Projects, Hyatt International and European Golf Design in making the resort a success,” Dean concluded.

Michael Shindler, senior vice president of development for Hyatt International, added, "We have brought our management and brand to many beautiful destinations around the world, but none more spectacular than the Kinsale Harbour Resort project. We will be thrilled to offer Hyatt's services to the multinational companies in Cork, and we will add to the world-class food and beverage facilities for which Kinsale is widely known."

The golf course has been designed to follow the existing contours of the site, which was previously Kinsale’s racecourse. It’s also reputed to be the site of one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland.

The project has been designed by architect Henry J. Lyons to blend in with the local environment and landscape. There will be a net gain in open space with the existing gorse buffer zone along the shore to be extended. The countryside access will be retained and enhanced with a new public walkway along the boundary of the site overlooking the sea.