Tee time for villas at O'Brien's championship golf resort

SPAIN CATALONIA:Denis O'Brien is developing villas that will typically cost from around €1m at his Catalunya Resort in north-east Spain

AS THE global economic crisis casts a pall over most of Spain’s holiday destinations, an Irish company is confident of bucking the trend by launching a marketing campaign for villas and apartments at one of the most prestigious golf resorts in the country.

The Catalunya Resort, in Catalonia in north-east Spain, just 10 minutes’ drive from the Ryanair-served Girona Airport, has two stunning golf courses, one of them the famous Stadium Course which is consistently rated in the top 10 in Europe, having hosted 11 European tour championships including the 2009 Spanish Open.

The resort is one of three owned by Denis O’Brien, who also operates the Quinta do Lago resort on the Algarve in Portugal and the Kungsangen in Stockholm.

Though the 741-acre Catalunya golf estate was set up more than 20 years ago and has a 149-bedroom hotel on the grounds, the development of the private dwellings is only getting underway now following the success of the Spanish Open.

Irish property expert Billy O’Sullivan, recently appointed chief executive of the Catalunya Resort, said there was already considerable interest in sites designated along the fairways, particularly those with privileged positions overlooking the courses.

Architects Lagula and Dublin-based deBlacam and Meagher have designed a range of luxurious homes and apartments which will be hidden in ancient woods and deep glades. A discreet road network and all main services have already been put in place to allow building to proceed.

The long-term plan is to have around 350 homes – a low density development with an average allocation of about 1.4 homes per 2.4 acres. Sites for individual villas will start at €350,000 but a majority of the plots of around half an acre will cost from €600,000. Many of them offer far reaching views over dense forests and beautiful lakes to the Pyrenees. The promoters expect that most overseas buyers are likely to come from Scandinavia, Ireland and the UK.

Two showhouses are shortly to be built, one a villa of 250sq m (2,681sq ft) and the other considerably larger with a floor area of 400sq m (4,306sq ft).

After that the promoters will be in a position to provide turnkey properties for buyers; those who opt instead to acquire sites and organise their own builder can expect to pay construction costs of anything from €1,800 to €2,200 per sq m (€132-€161 per sq ft), depending on the finish required.

All of the largest homes designed for the venue are single-storey with an underground space that owners can adapt to their own needs – a gym or perhaps a cinema. There are already two swimming pools, a gym and a spa in the crescent-shaped hotel.

To ensure that residents continue to have easy access to the two courses, the resort plans to keep membership at no more than €350 per course. The annual sub has been set at €2,500. Though the Catalonia region has an excellent climate for most of the year, the busiest golfing months are April, May and October when it is pleasantly warm.

Secluded sandy beaches are close by and, for that “two seasons in one day” experience, the longest ski runs in the Pyrenees are just over an hour away.

The skiing option means that many families will use the golf villas in the winter as well as the summer.

The close proximity of the Catalunya Resort to Girona will also prove an important selling point because the city has all the charm and character of larger cities but without the crowds.

It is renowned for its medieval walls, churches and one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. It is also famous for its restaurants which specialise in both Catalan and international cuisines. No fewer than 21 Michelin stars have been awarded to restaurants within an hour’s drive of the golf resort.