“All of us at Nicklaus Design love to see golf grow around the world. We have golf courses in 28 countries now and are expanding. I know golf is not new in your country but is relatively new and the growth of golf in Bulgaria will happen over time and we are delighted to be part of it.”
Jack Nicklaus

Country Golf Club & Spa IBAR is a private “members only” Golf & Spa recreational complex on an 18-hole Nicklaus Design Golf Course with villas and apartment houses. Nicklaus Design, the privately owned company led by legend Jack Nicklaus and the Nicklaus family is recognised as the world leader in golf course design. Nicklaus Design has 341 courses open for play in 34 countries and 39 states. Of those 341 golf courses, Jack Nicklaus has been involved in the design of 271 courses. At least 63 Nicklaus Design courses have been ranked by major industry publications like Golf Digest, Golfweek, GOLF Magazine and Travel and Leisure Golf, in various national or international Top-100 lists, and no fewer than 88 Nicklaus Design courses have hosted a combined total of over 600 professional golf tournaments worldwide or significant national amateur championships including events on the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour, the LPGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour, among others.
Nicklaus Design currently has more than 40 golf courses under construction and projects under development in 46 different countries. Country Golf Club & Spa Ibar golf course is one of these projects and it is the first Nicklaus Design project not only in Bulgaria but also in South-East Europe. The area of the Golf Club is about 395 acres of which 250 acres are green area including the 18-hole golf course. The complex is situated at the foothills of the highest mountain on the Balkan Peninsula – Rila at an average height above the sea level of 650 m.
The region is unique with its natural resources and environment, the mineral water springs and favourable climate. The complex offers a 14-month season – 9-10 month golf season and 3-4 month ski season.

The project foresees the building of around 450 properties - detached, semi-detached and apartment type villas, hotel, Club House and SPA center with hot mineral water, communal pools, various sports facilities, mini market, restaurant and pubs. A considerable part of the properties are already built and the rest of them are at a different stage of construction.

At the moment the Driving Range and Practice Area (Chipping and Putting Greens) are open for use. Furthermore 9 holes of the golf course are completed and will be open for play soon.

Location
The complex is strategically located less than an hour drive from the capital Sofia (70 km) and the second largest Bulgarian city Plovdiv (80 km), in a close proximity to the premier Bulgarian ski resort Borovets (18 km), between Dolna Banya and Kostenets.