Floating Golf Course

World’s First Floating Golf Course Could Open in the Maldives

The Maldives is already home to artificial islands, scuba-diving Cabinet ministers and a back-up plan to relocate its entire population if it is swamped by rising seas. Now the Maldives has another scheme to deal with its watery future: floating golf.

Floating Golf Course in the Maldives

Dutch Company Researching Floating Golf Course

The island nation has signed a deal with a Dutch company to investigate building the world’s first permanent floating golf course, which would also comprise a convention centre and residences, all built atop the paradisaical waters of the Indian Ocean.

The overall goal here is not just about a floating golf course, but rather to see if the technology can be applied to other uses, including floating villages and towns, which would present a great alternative to the Maldives in the event that rising sea levels do indeed swamp the Republic in the coming 100 years.

Flooding in Netherlands Prompted Technology Development

The company developed the technology in the Netherlands because of all the flooding to which the country is prone and is now being used in a project in Dubai.

Floating Golf Course to Have Minimum Impact

If the project goes forward, it will have a minimum ecological impact and the President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, believes it will attract many more tourists, particularly golf-loving businessmen, and thus generate more income for future projects the country is developing in response to climate change. The course will be anchored just outside of Malé, the country’s capital. But, avid golfers, don’t get your hopes up just yet – the project is not approved and in the case it does meet approval, there will not be room for a full 18 holes on the “island”.