A new home for golf around Split?
Croatia's Golf klub Split 1700 is looking beyond its longstanding course at Stobreč, near Split, for a possible 18-hole replacement course in the Dalmatian hinterland. On 22 October 2026, regional newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija reported that club members had surveyed numerous prospective locations, stretching from Zadvarje to Primorski Dolac.
According to the newspaper's interviews with the golfers, former basketball star and keen golfer Toni Kukoč has accompanied members on some site visits and is helping them assess options. That is a reported advisory role, not evidence that he has committed funding or that construction has been approved.
Why Stobreč is under pressure
The search follows the Croatian government's September decision to grant the City of Split building rights over land used by the Stobreč golf facility for a proposed training centre for football club Hajduk Split. Local broadcaster TV Jadran reported on 21 September that the grant covered 71,973 square metres, for a 50-year term, with an estimated land value of €8.7 million. The right was reportedly granted without a fee, conditional on delivery of the project within the stipulated period.
Golf klub Split 1700 representatives opposed the loss of their existing facilities and said they intended to defend the club's interests. These developments should not be confused with a completed relocation: no replacement site or firm construction schedule has been announced.
The existing Stobreč facility, close to the Žrnovnica river, had six holes, according to Slobodna Dalmacija. Club members say they invested years of work and resources in developing it.
Sites considered in the Dalmatian hinterland
In the municipality of Muć, possible locations discussed included Zelovo, Vrba, Crivac and land near the Prisika business zone. The newspaper reported practical barriers ranging from rocky terrain and inadequate acreage to fragmented ownership and competing land uses. A search beyond those sites has also been under way.
An 18-hole venue with supporting facilities is the ambition described by the club. Yet the discussions remain exploratory: no preferred site, public budget, permits or opening date had been confirmed as of 22 October.
A larger question for Croatian golf
For local golfers, the immediate issue is retaining a permanent venue in the wider Split area. A possible course farther inland raises another set of questions about land availability, environmental protections, access to water and the economic viability of year-round golf tourism.
The search is therefore a meaningful infrastructure story, but not a construction announcement. The next substantive milestone would be the identification of a specific site backed by formal plans and approvals.
Sources: Slobodna Dalmacija, 22 October 2026 (club's search and Kukoč's reported advisory role); TV Jadran, 21 September 2026 (land decision and reported terms).
