Three international events will bring junior and club golfers to Egypt’s Red Sea coast before Somabay completes its second championship course in early 2027.
Hidden Coves, Somabay’s new 18-hole championship course designed by Lobb & Partners, is scheduled to be fully playable from January 2027.
- Somabay’s autumn golf programme begins with the U.S. Kids Golf International Teen Series from 25 to 27 September 2026, followed by the Somabay Open from 8 to 10 October and the Somabay World Cup in mid-October.
- Somabay expects more than 240 players to take part across the three events on its Gary Player-designed championship course.
- The full 18-hole Hidden Coves course, designed by Lobb & Partners, is scheduled to be playable from January 2027.
- Hidden Coves incorporates low-water Pure Dynasty Paspalum turf, limited earth movement and a routing shaped around the site’s natural coastal landforms.
(NEWS) SOMABAY, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt, 2026-Sep-15 — /Travel PR News/ — Somabay Golf is moving into one of the busiest periods in its recent development, pairing a run of international tournaments on Egypt’s Red Sea coast with the final build-out of Hidden Coves, its second 18-hole championship course.
The sequence matters beyond the tournament calendar. Somabay is broadening its golf proposition from a single established championship layout into a 36-hole destination, while using competitive events to attract junior players, international club golfers and travelling golf communities during the autumn season. The resort says more than 240 participants are expected across three events between late September and October.
Autumn tournament programme starts with junior golf
The first event is the U.S. Kids Golf International Teen Series at Somabay, scheduled for 25 to 27 September on the Gary Player Course. The official U.S. Kids Golf listing says the three-day championship is open to players aged 13 to 18 and can contribute to World Amateur Golf Ranking and Junior Golf Scoreboard recognition.
That is followed by the annual Somabay Open Golf Tournament from 8 to 10 October. Somabay’s current events calendar then lists the Somabay World Cup for 12 to 17 October, with the event being staged in collaboration with LeClub Golf. The current calendar dates are one day later than the 11 to 16 October window stated in the original announcement, so travellers planning around the tournament should use the latest official schedule when making arrangements.
All three events are centred on the Gary Player Championship Course, the resort’s established 18-hole layout. The course has also gained fresh international visibility this year after being included in Golf World’s World’s Top 100 X Factor Courses, a ranking focused on the overall setting and experience of distinctive golf venues as well as their design.
Hidden Coves brings a second championship layout
The larger structural change comes with Hidden Coves, an 18-hole championship course designed by Lobb & Partners. Somabay’s current website says the complete course is due to be playable from January 2027, creating a second full-length option alongside the Gary Player layout.
The course follows the contours of the Red Sea coastline rather than relying on extensive reshaping of the site. Its routing moves through natural coves, desert terrain and coastal sections, with the surrounding mountains forming much of the visual backdrop. The official course description says later holes open toward the Red Sea, while the early part of the routing uses landforms to provide shelter from coastal winds.
Tim Lobb, principal of Lobb + Partners, said the design was intended to work with the coastline, with “every hole responding to the natural contours of the land.” He said the aim was to give Hidden Coves a distinct identity from Somabay’s existing championship course while retaining the challenge and playability expected by international golfers.
Sustainability is built into the course design
Environmental considerations are also central to the new layout. Hidden Coves has been shaped with minimal earth movement, and Pure Dynasty Paspalum turfgrass has been selected because of its comparatively low water and fertiliser requirements. Natural landforms are also used to shield parts of the course from wind, reducing the need for more intrusive landscaping.
The approach sits within Somabay Golf’s wider sustainability programme. The operator holds GEO Certified status and says its golf operations use measures including treated wastewater for irrigation, biodiversity protection, renewable-energy initiatives and waste-reduction practices.
For the wider Somabay resort, the addition of a second championship course creates a stronger foundation for multi-round golf holidays and tournament travel. It also gives the destination more capacity to combine golf with its existing Red Sea leisure offer, including beaches, diving, kitesurfing and wellness facilities.
With the September and October tournaments providing an immediate international showcase and Hidden Coves moving toward full operation in January, Somabay is using both events and infrastructure to deepen its position in the golf-travel market. The next test will be how effectively the expanded 36-hole product converts tournament visibility into repeat leisure demand and longer golf-focused stays on Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
