Porto Carras (Olive Grove) - Greek Mainland - Greece

Giannis Carras, a Greek businessman, created the Porto Carras Resort in the early 1970s. Located near the village of Neos Marmaras on the western coast of Sithonia, Giannis established an impressive array of hotel complexes, vineyards, olive groves, a marina and a 9-hole golf course within the resort.

Following a gradual decline in popularity toward the end of the 1990s, Constantine Stengos, head of the Technical Olympic company, stepped in to revive the fortunes of the resort with the aim of restoring Porto Carras to its former status as one of Europe's premiere leisure and holiday destinations.

Originally designed by Geoff Cornish and Bill Robinson, the golf course was renamed “Olive Grove” and given a total makeover in 2002 which lead to an extension to a full 18-hole layout. Major renovation work included the relining and reshaping of three lakes and the installation of a modern irrigation system to water the new paspalum grass that replaced the old turf. The lakes now feature as water hazards at four of the back nine holes between the 11th and 15th.