One of the worlds leading golf course architects, Gil Hanse, is in Dubai to check on the progress of the Trump International Golf Course, Dubai, currently under development at the AKOYA by DAMAC master development.

The 7,205-yard, par 71, 18-hole Championship-standard course, is the focal point of AKOYA by DAMAC, a 42 million square foot master plan development off Umm Suqeim Road in Dubai. The project includes mansions, villas, luxurious apartments and a retail centre all surrounding the course.

Since the announcement in May last year, we have been able to get straight on to the site and already the driving range and holes 10 & 11 are grassed, one lake is filled and shaping work is well underway on holes 2 through to 6, said Hanse. From a distance I have been delighted with the way the course is coming along, and I am very excited to get back on the course with the guys and help to personally shape this special course - I believe it will prove to be a fair challenge for players of all levels.

Hanse arrived in Dubai to work on the project having just completed the re-design and renovation of the famed, Blue Monster at Trump National Doral, Miami which is currently home to the World Golf Championships - Cadillac Championship, an official PGA TOUR event.

Hanse, Golf Magazine's Golf Course Architect of the Year in 2009, is one of the most respected names in the industry and has also been commissioned to design the course for the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.

The Trump International Golf Club, Dubai a collaboration between DAMAC Properties, the regions largest luxury private developer, and The Trump Organization, headed by US real estate mogul, Donald J. Trump. The Trump International Golf Club, Dubai is the 15th course The Trump Organisation will manage, and the first in the Middle East.

The AKOYA by DAMAC golf community has proven to be one of the most in-demand projects we have ever launched, with luxurious living concepts surrounding this stunning course, said Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President, DAMAC Properties. AKOYA by DAMAC will offer the most exclusive lifestyle in Dubai and it is critically important that the project is supported by the best golf course in the region we are delighted that someone as influential and in-demand as Gil Hanse is delivering on that vision.

AKOYA by DAMAC will be a fully-integrated community with globally-recognised retail brands, leisure & entertainment offerings, a sports complex and beautifully manicured landscaping throughout.

Further information is available at www.damacproperties.com