Property Prices Soar As New Championship Golf Course Development In Messinia Gets Under Way

The first phase of the long awaited for championship golf courses in Messinia, Greece is now under way. Construction work on the 18 hole state of the art luxury golf course at Romanos was started in September 2006, by The Tourism Enterprise of Messinia (TEMES). Troon Golf, the world’s leading high-end golf development, marketing and management company will be managing both the championship and standard courses. The golf courses themselves are being designed by Robert Trent-Jones II Inc the Californian based Golf Course Architects.

The opening of the course at Romanos will be in spring 2008 and is set to be a grand affair with many public personalities and it will also be televised. The construction of the second Phase at Pylos will commence in spring 2008 and the third phase at Rizomilo will begin in spring 2010. Achilles Constantakopoulos, the Managing Director of TEMES has stated that by 2015, Navarino will be Greece’s premier golf destination. There will be seven courses within half-an-hours drive of each other. In fact it will be the largest golf resorts in the whole of the Balkans and Mediterranean.

A large amount of land surrounding Romanos and Pylos has already been brought up by the ship owner who is developing the courses. A total of approximately 1.2 million m2 of land has been acquired from 1,300 individual holders of deeds. As a consequence it is becoming harder to find building plots and houses near the golf courses. Those that are left are commending very high prices.

In the passed year property prices near Romanos and Pylos have increased rapidly and the trend is set to accelerate still further. Government studies have shown that more than 200,000 visitors to Greece annually are potential golf tourists. It seems that many of these golfers are looking for property near the courses and are adding to the frenzy of property hunter that are now flocking to the area.

As property near the courses at Romanos and Pylos grows ever scarcer property hunters are being forced to search further a field than they anticipated. The areas that are benefiting most from increased interest are Methoni, Evagelismos and Finikounda.

The private sector investors have been buying large parcel of land in Messinia and have been building holiday rental units. It is estimated that over the next 3 year the seaside town of Finikounda alone will have accommodation for over 2000 tourists. Tourists will also benefit from a new Thalasso therapy centre (seawater treatments) that will soon be completed.
Evagelismos a beautiful authentic Greek village which centres around its whitewashed church, cafes shaded by trees, a fountain and several shops creating a lively atmosphere. With its beautiful views across the surrounding countryside and of the islands that are scattered along the southern coast line has become a hotspot for people looking for property at affordable prices.

Currently it takes approximately 3.5 hours to drive to the new golf resorts from Athens, but this time will be reduce to under 3 hour when new road are in place. In accordance with the government’s guidelines for the ‘Good Road Plan’ a new motorway is under construction from Tropoli to Kalamata and is nearly completed. Another new major road is planned between Kalamata and Methoni further opening up the area. There is also talk of expanding Kalamata airport although nothing has been confirmed yet. However, demand for flights is already outstripping availability so it is only a matter of time before flights to Kalamata are increased.

Messinia is one of the most beautiful locations in the whole of Greece. This lesser know region is full of cultural history, important archaeological sites and is rich in colourful, traditional towns and villages. It has an abundance of outstanding natural beauty and some of the best beaches in the whole of Greece. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that Messinia has become an area of interest for golf enthusiasts and their families.
For further information about the Messina region of Greece and previous articles about the golf courses follow the link http://Blog.r-and-c-pms.biz

Claire May is a recognized author of articles about property in Messinia, Greece. Her articles aspire to help buyers with their research and assist them through the unfamiliar Greek property purchasing procedures. Claire has also designed a website to provide readers with information about property in Messinia.