A new era of golf in Türkiye has begun. And it has begun with a bang!
This marks the opening of a brand-new golf course, The Dalaman Golf Club, located in Mugla Province, which now sits proudly alongside the Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Golf Hotel as the region's first golf offering.
Whilst the Hilton Dalaman has been a popular spot with tourists for many years, especially given that it's just 20 minutes away from the airport, the resort now boasts a stunning new parkland style championship golf course with plenty of water, elevation changes and panoramic views of both the mountains and the sea in equal measure.
The course, which is also accompanied by a fantastic driving range and practice facilities, only opened its doors on the 30th of August 2026, so I was one of the lucky few to experience such a fresh venue so soon after opening.
(Image Credit: James Hogg)
The par-72 championship course measuring at 6,728 yards from the back tees has been expertly designed by Andrew Craven of International Design Group who used the natural landscape to craft the layout. Demonstrating this, 10 of the 12 lakes on the golf course are natural water hazards and being so close to the sea, the ground is naturally a sandy terrain, but it also incorporates the pine forests and wetlands to create a course that blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape.
Pre-Round Thoughts
The best place to start would be the shuttle from the hotel up to the golf club itself - this is available for any players that are staying at the Hilton Hotel and will collect you and your clubs on a six-seater golf buggy. The ride only takes a couple of minutes as you run up alongside the impressive 18th hole towards the clubhouse that can only be described as a spaceship looking building.
The clubhouse itself sits proudly at the highest point of the entire course surrounded 360 degrees by - in order from the back - the driving range, 9th green, 1st tee, 10th tee, 18th green and the putting green just in front of the terrace. The terrace downstairs offers idyllic views of the course and the mountains in the distance; whether that's for a pre or post-round bite or drink.
(Image Credit: Matt Holbrook)
The professional shop has been designed incredibly well as a rounded room with lots of crested apparel and accessories on offer as well as balls, tees, gloves, etc.
The 20-bay driving range - all undercover - is an excellent place to loosen up before your round or do some work on your swing. Some bays also come equipped with Trackman technology and as a dedicated academy, there is also a separate chipping and putting green to benefit from.
Once you have sampled everything you need, you are ready to head downstairs to collect your buggy - which has already been loaded with your golf bag, water, scorecard, tees and pencils - and head to the 1st tee.
Front 9 Overview
(Image Credit: Matt Holbrook)
Views from the elevated 1st tee really set a tone for the duration of the round. Maybe half of the course is visible from this point and so is a lot of water that comes into play throughout. With a drop away to the green, it’s a fairly gentle opening hole at just 311 yards from the yellow tee. With a bit of help from the wind, some might fancy hitting it over the waste area to the left of the fairway and getting as close to, if not on, the green off the tee. But the smart play is down the fairway just short of a couple of bunkers before the hole takes a turn to the left towards the green.
There is a slightly tighter feel to the 2nd hole, and again, whilst dropping away from the tee - albeit not as severe as the 1st - with pines on the left, the fairway rolls itself down and around the corner to an enclosed green that has been carved out of its natural terrain. If you can shape your ball right to left, then perfect, but anything right that doesn't roll back to the fairway will leave the ball above your feet and a tricky approach.
The first of four par 3s comes at the 4th. Another green that feels as though it’s been chopped out of the surrounding rocky terrain, enclosed like the 2nd, any wind will be swirling but this mid-length par 3 is a stunning hole with a green that slopes severely from right to left so keep an eye on that pin position.
The front 9's hardest hole is the 5th.
Another cracking scene greets you at the tee box. Whilst 380 yards maybe doesn't sound much for such a challenging hole, the drop from tee to green is quite significant and tree-lined all the way down. With trees running further along on the left, cutting the corner of this 90-degree dogleg might be out of reach for most. The issues don't stop there, anything leaking slightly right off the tee may be met with the large fairway bunker or, even worse, the water hazard.
Finding this fairway is hard enough, the approach shot into the green as the hole starts to climb back up again poses its own problem in club choice, as you have to deal with any wind and miss the bunkers right. A hole that owns beauty and toughness in equal measure.
The 9th hole offers you a good chance to get one back, this is a par 5 that measures around 420 yards and is a real opportunity to end the front 9 with a birdie or even a good look for the rare big bird.
Avoiding the bunkers on the left-hand side is paramount if you are to achieve that feat, but beware there are more bunkers than you can see off the tee.
Back 9 Overview
As the 10th tee sits in close proximity to the 1st, the views and elevation change are pretty much the same spectacle, just that reminder of where you are is most welcome. The fairway runs to the left of the large mound that is visible and the tree on top of the mound is a long carry, so I’d recommend against trying to hit over that (I found out the hard way).
The 11th is one of those holes that has a bit of everything, and is another hole where you might be stood on the tee scratching your head over what club to hit and what direction to hit it in.
On the direct line between tee and green there is a large lake. The carry is close to 300 yards but between the water finishing and the green there is also a bunker, downwind the longer hitters may fancy taking a pop at this. But the majority will be aiming left off the tee away from the green trying to avoid a number of bunkers, some in sight, some not so.
The further left, the less danger, however, hitting away from the green will leave you a longer approach shot into the narrow surface - from this angle, with run-offs left and the bunker and water right, making a four here will definitely be a boost to your round.
The 14th, 15th and 16th are a standout section of the entire golf course.
14 is a devilishly long par 3, hitting over ravine from tee to green, with the largest of bunkers to also carry, this 230-yard hole is pretty much all carry. If you don't carry, you won’t lose your ball, you will just be faced with an incredibly tricky second shot into a green which is also severely undulating. It's not often you will find a par 3 as the toughest hole, but this one is well justified.
The 15th is the signature hole of Dalaman Golf Club.
(Image Credit: Matt Holbrook)
A par 5 measuring 527 yards from the yellow tee. On the raised tee box, the views are incredible. Both of the hole itself and the surrounding scenery.
The fairway also sits some 25 metres below and has water running up both sides of the fairway. I heard the fairway described as a 'runway through a lake' which was a fitting description.
If you find the short grass from the tee, you will have a choice of playing further down the fairway as the green sits off to the left at a 90-degree angle, but not so much that you can't have a go in two if you are in position.
The green is small and surrounded by water and reeds with a bunker slightly out of sight just short of the green from the angle of the fairway, so it takes a brave player to take this on. But either way, a great hole and so much fun to play.
You'll encounter even more water at 16. This time you can either play around to the right of the lake or try and take on the carry to the green. The closer to the green, the longer the carry here. So, it means that shorter hitters can also try and take on some of the water to leave a closer approach shot. The water again runs all the way around this green, but more room than the earlier hole. Longer hitters can aim directly at the green if they wish, knowing anything that may leak from right to left may still be safe and in a good position. A good risk reward hole and very easy on the eye too.
With the last of the four par 5s coming at the final hole, this is also the longest hole on the course by some distance. 550 yards of uphill par 5, bunkers both left and right of the fairway in the ideal landing zone, it’s not until your second and third shots that the hole starts to move dramatically uphill towards the green.
(Image Credit: Matt Holbrook)
Your approach shot into the green needs to be precise as anything short will roll quite a way back down, but with the stunning sight that is the clubhouse sitting behind the green at the top of the hill, you would be forgiven for forgetting about a score here and just taking a moment to remember where you are and the experience you have just had. A fitting finish to a superb golf course.
Post-Round Thoughts
There is nothing not to like about the experience at Dalaman Golf Club. As a golf course it offers everything you could ask for and a little bit more. For such a new venue, everyone involved should be incredibly proud of what has been achieved here.
The golf course is fit for everyone, obviously take into account the climate, in the middle of June/July it can get very hot and could potentially be a bit too much at particular times of the day. Should you wish to use them, buggies are included to make it easier as due to the elevation changes throughout, it is a tough walk.
With four different tee boxes, whites at 6,696 yards, yellows at 6,045 yards, blue at 5,489 yards and reds at 4,972 yards, there are plenty of options to choose from in order to maximise your experience. For reference, during my stay I played two rounds off the yellows and one off the whites. I felt that off the white, the tee shots offered a similar challenge, but the approach shots hitting more clubs offered me slightly more variety. This doesn't mean to say it’s 'better' off the whites, I just felt personally I was hitting a lot of wedges into greens from the yellows - which isn't always a bad thing.
Naturally with it being such a new golf course, the condition is incredible. There are some areas where plants and trees are being grown that, in time, will only add to the aesthetics of the golf course and, for now, go unnoticed.
There is also a great menu on offer after your round. I like golf courses that don't try and overthink a menu for a clubhouse. Pizza, burgers, fish and chips, for example, were all sampled by our groups with no complaints about portion or quality. Just another thing, on a long list, that I think they have got right at Dalaman Golf Club.
Verdict
(Image Credit: James Hogg)
In an area that doesn't know golf (Dalaman is located in the Mugla Province on the southwestern coast of the country), it was always going to be a risk to open the first golf course in the region. Especially when, admirably, as a business, Dalaman Golf Club wanted to employ locally, so the majority of staff have no previous experience working in golf.
What they have achieved is nothing short of remarkable in terms of a venue, facility, course, service, staffing. They have learnt as they go and produced an incredible golf experience. Whether it's a golf specific break or a round or two whilst on a family holiday in the region, The Dalaman Golf Club has set an extremely high bar for whatever is to follow in the region going forward.
About Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Golf
The five-star Hilton Hotel on-site at The Dalaman Golf Club offers golfers and non-golfers alike luxurious accommodation options that include 550 rooms, suites, and lake house suites.
Located where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet, the resort is within walking distance of the quaint Turkish town of Sarigerme and just a short 20 minute drive from Dalaman Airport.
There is a large variety of food options for all-inclusive guests, including buffet and à la carte restaurants serving Turkish, Italian, Asian, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine, plus a variety of bars, cafés and snack outlets. This family friendly hotel also offers on-site shopping, a selection of 10 swimming pools and lots of activities for both adults and children - including aquaparks with waterslides.
You can also enjoy a spa with 18 treatment rooms, VIP Suites, Turkish bath and multiple saunas and steam rooms that is accompanied by a relaxation pool and bespoke wellness rituals.
The private sandy beach that stretches across 650 metres is also an ideal spot for a bit of R&R.
Other on-site activities and facilities include football pitches, tennis courts, a 24-hour fitness centre, water sports, archery, yoga, Zumba, to name but a few. There is so much selection meaning there is something on offer for everyone.
Evening entertainment is also a highlight with plenty of shows on schedule throughout the week.
For more information on everything about the hotel, please visit https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dlmhrhi-hilton-dalaman-sarigerme-resort-and-golf/ for all info you could possibly need.
Overall Rating - 10
Course (Conditions) - 10
Course (Hole Variety/Layout) - 10
Course (Green Condition) - 10
Course (Challenge/Difficulty) - 9
Club Facilities & Clubhouse - 10
Practice Facilities - 9
Friendliness/Hospitality - 10
Pace of Play - 10
Value For Money - 9
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