The first time I visited Costa Navarino, I thought: okay, impressive.
I had just arrived at The Dunes – the resort’s central plaza – and suddenly found myself in a world that was Mediterranean, modern, relaxed and overwhelming all at once.

This plaza. The architecture. The 30+ restaurants and bars. The real estate showrooms. The pools, the shops, the view of the Ionian Sea.

It felt like a city – just without the chaos.

I had come for the Messinia Pro-Am – a fantastic multi-day tournament somewhere between world-class golf and beach club vibes, where you play all the courses.
And that year, with the special occasion of the official opening of the International Olympic Academy Course.

And after the first evening, I thought: This is great – nothing more to expect.

Little did I know. I wasn’t young, but I was naive.

What Is Costa Navarino Really?

Costa Navarino isn’t a golf resort with a little beach access.
It’s a masterplan of vision and realization, construction madness and sustainability, superlatives and meticulous detail.
It’s big. Very big. It’s impressive. Extremely impressive.

The resort in numbers, facts and superlatives:

More than 1,000 hectares on the west coast of the Peloponnese – a resort that blends into the landscape, but in structure and diversity functions almost like a small city.

Four golf courses designed by three golf legends: Bernhard Langer (The Dunes), Robert Trent Jones Jr. (The Bay), and José María Olazábal (The Hills & Olympic Academy Course).
Over 74,000 rounds played in 2024. Guests primarily from Germany, the UK, Sweden, Switzerland, France, the USA – and even Iceland.
Five hotels, including The Westin, The Romanos, and the Mandarin Oriental – each with its own character, all with the goal of blending into the natural surroundings.
30+ restaurants and bars: from high-end fine dining to authentic tavernas using 80% local ingredients.
Three clubhouses, each with its own signature menu – no copy-paste, but distinct experiences.
An agora – a central marketplace – with a cinema, co-working spaces, concept stores, street food and design boutiques – bustling like a small village center.

Sports, Leisure & Movement

Mouratoglou Tennis Academy:

• 7 clay courts
  
• 4 hard courts
  
• 1 natural grass court
  
• 3 padel courts
  
• 2 pickleball courts
  

Also on site

• NBA-powered basketball school
  
• FC Bayern Football Academy
  
• Watersports center with kitesurfing, SUP, scuba diving, sailing
  
• Indoor climbing wall, bowling alley, outdoor training areas
  
• 25 km of hiking and biking trails
  

Swimming Pools

Outdoor pools:

• The Westin Pool: a relaxing central pool area
• The Lagoon Pool: scenic and revitalizing
• Aqua Park: three slides and a play pool for families and kids
  

Indoor pools:

• WestinWORKOUT® Indoor Pool: 21 metres, perfect for laps and aqua fitness
• Health Center Lap Pool: 25 metres, heated and open year-round
  

Wellness & Spa

Two spa worlds with more than 50,000 treatments per year.

The Anazoe Spa combines modern therapies with traditional Greek healing methods – including olive oil.

Sustainability as a System

• 1.5 million m³ water storage in two reservoirs
• 65% of energy from renewable sources
• Over 100,000 olive trees under active cultivation
• Architecture follows the principle of “design follows landscape”
  

And yes, in case you missed it:
a bowling center,
a congress hall (underneath the plaza – sic!),
water skiing

… and so on and so on …

And – almost hard to believe with all that’s on offer – Costa Navarino plans to be fully climate neutral by 2035.

The Golf Olympus – The Hills Courses

So now I had arrived. On the golf Olympus – in the Hills.
The view wide, the air clearer – and there I stood, on the first tee of the Olympic Academy Course, overlooking the Peloponnese and the resort areas by the coast.

And my question was: How the hell do you build something like this?

Toni Ortner asked himself the same – only a few years earlier.
Back when the site had no routing, but above all one thing: hard, massive rock.
And the task wasn’t: build a course.
It was: create a new dimension in Costa Navarino.

Toni Ortner is lead architect at Olazábal Design – and responsible for the creation and realization of both Hills golf courses.

“Two courses are good – but not yet a destination where people stay for a whole week.”

So: two new courses. Two completely different characters. On terrain that was anything but easy.
The Hills Course is nestled in the inland hills. It uses the terrain like a quiet whisperer – dramatic views, subtle slopes, constantly changing play conditions.
The Olympic Course feels more open, especially on the back nine. These holes run along the cliffs and lead, visually and play-wise, into a world of their own.
“We wanted the courses to be challenging but not unfair. Strategic players are rewarded – sheer length doesn’t help here.”

What looked elegant on paper was a real feat in execution.
Planning: two and a half years.
Construction: three full years – Olympic first, then Hills.
Routing was not a fixed idea – but a constant dialogue with the terrain.

“We made adjustments throughout construction – by the end we were at version K.”

Biggest challenge? The terrain. Beneath the surface: solid limestone.

“Moving rock is extremely laborious. You either need blasting (not permitted in Greece) or hydraulic hammers.”

And once the rock was gone, the next problem came: red soil.
Nice to look at – useless for golf.

“It holds water or dries to dust. Totally unsuitable for golf.”

So: everything out. Full sand capping.
Greens built to USGA specs, tees and fairways with local, well-draining construction sand.
Total volume: 340,000 cubic metres of earth moved.

Some of it reused on site: for drainage, dry-stone walls, pathways, tee markers.
“We didn’t want to import unnecessarily. Gravel for drainage, stones for walls, even the tee markers – all sourced locally.”

Goal: Recycle as much as possible – and build everything to last decades.
Greens: Agrostis L93
Fairways: Bermuda Monaco, overseeded with rye for winter
Roughs: a mix of regional fescues and wild grasses

The irrigation system is also smart:
Two reservoirs holding a total of 1.5 million m³, plus an artificial lake on the Olympic Course.Highly precise:
“Sprinklers stop exactly at the fairway edge. That way, we don’t waste water in the rough. It needs to last decades – without excessive loss.”
They also set their own high sustainability standards – on top of strict regulatory requirements.

Routing had to be coordinated with zoning and the overall masterplan.
Areas marked as forest in the zoning plan were off-limits for construction.
Only agricultural land could be used – with a 15-meter buffer to the zone boundary.
Obviously, agricultural land is interesting for future villas.
But forests in Greece are strictly protected.

In short: it was complicated.

And then – as if that weren’t enough – came Covid.
“There were moments when we thought the project would be shut down.”

Travel impossible. Plans and even entire construction phases were coordinated via video call.
Bunkers were drawn in Austria – and built in Greece.
Via Zoom. With measuring tape.

And if someone did fly, they had to make up a fifth digit for their Austrian postcode – because Austria only has four.
The build was led by Greek company Maragakis – supported by four shapers, drainage and irrigation crews. At peak, over 70 people were on site.

And yes, in the end, it became exactly what you feel when standing on the course: No gimmicks – just an incredibly organic, spectacular golf experience.

“My personal highlight is a hole that perfectly picks up the landscape and blends into it.” – Toni Ortner
Most guests rave about the panoramic views – especially the elevated tee shots on the Olympic Course.

Play-wise, the mantra is: precision over power.

“There are situations where an iron or a wood is better than a driver. If you just hit it long, you’ll get yourself into trouble.”

And the greens? Pure Olazábal philosophy.
“The breaks are subtle and often only visible on the second read – it’s not like the green hits you with a huge wave.”

And you quickly realise: Toni Ortner was the right man for this job. Pragmatic, precise – and with a passion for the bigger picture.
“You have to be 100% passionate – that’s the only way great things can happen. A golf course shouldn’t be forced onto the land – it has to work with it. And the same goes for working with people.”

Which is why nothing here feels artificial. Everything is coherent. Not spectacular for the sake of being spectacular – but spectacular because it’s just right.

“Seeing the first balls fly over the new fairways – that was a special moment.”

Team & Execution – Hills Courses

Execution focused on local value creation – not just ecologically, but to support the regional construction economy.

• Construction & execution: Olazábal Design with local Greek firms (same ones who built Dunes and Bay)
  
• Lead shaper: Brian Jorgensen
  
• Construction crews: up to 70 people on site
  
• Coordination: across Greece, Spain and Austria
  

José María Olazábal – The Quiet Visionary

Two-time Masters Champion. Ryder Cup Captain.
Now again serving as Vice Captain at the upcoming Ryder Cup in Bethpage. A man who doesn’t build for show – but for the experience.

“We don’t impose a golf course onto the land – we let the land shape the course.”

His design is never a foreign body – it’s a conversation with the terrain.

Toni Ortner – The Enabler

Austrian. Former ski and tennis athlete, then amateur golf career with the Austrian national team, winning multiple national and international titles.
Landscape architecture degree, internships and training in the USA with top golf architects and construction firms (including Winged Foot and Oakmont).
“I’ve seen golf courses all my life – from the car, through the forest – and I made it my mission to follow my passion for golf this way and realise international top projects that make golfers happy.”

Olazábal Design – Passion. Integrity. Respect.

These three words are on Olazábal Design’s website – not because they sound good,
but because they define what this office stands for.
And you feel it in every step through Navarino Hills.

• Passion means: planning with full conviction. Always aiming to create a place that lasts.
  
• Integrity means: no design that imposes something. Only design that fits.
  
• Respect means: regional materials. No showmanship. No design louder than the landscape.

Passion means: planning with full conviction. Always aiming to create a place that lasts.

Costa Navarino – What Remains, What’s Coming

By 2027, a fifth course is planned. New hotels. New concepts.

Sustainability target: CO₂-neutral by 2035.
No compromises on the way there.

Costa Navarino is an experience – no matter where you look or swing.
And once you’ve stood up here – on the first tee, high above the coastline – you know: This vision is here to stay.