A ceremonial opening after the first rounds
The Dalaman Golf Club in Muğla province, southwestern Türkiye, held its formal inauguration on 30 October 2026. The occasion coincided with the country's Republic Day celebrations and the conclusion of the adult division of the 2026 TGF Republic Cup (Cumhuriyet Kupası). The Turkish Golf Federation (TGF) reported on the ceremony on 31 October.
The distinction between the official ceremony and the course's first day of play matters. The club welcomed golfers for a preview invitational on 30 August and opened for regular play on 1 September. The 30 October gathering was a ceremonial inauguration, not the first time golfers could play the course.
Federation leaders and public officials attended
Among the guests were Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Muğla Governor İdris Akbıyık, former foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and TGF President Yıldırım Demirören. Alongside Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Golf chairman Mustafa Göçen, the guests struck ceremonial opening shots. The federation said prizes were then presented to the Republic Cup competitors.
Hasan Ceylan leads a 61-player Republic Cup field
The adult Republic Cup took place 29–30 October at The Dalaman Golf Club with 61 competitors, according to the federation. Hasan Ceylan of Carya Golf Club won the men's gross division with 134 strokes (10 under par). İbrahim Tarık Aslan of Sueno Golf Club was second at 143 (−1), while Recep Turan of Taurus Golf Club finished third at 148 (+4).
In the women's gross division, Yelda Öztürk of Azura GSK led with 150 strokes (+6). These totals are gross stroke scores, not handicap-adjusted net totals. The federation also published separate Stableford categories, where the measure is points rather than strokes.
The course and its place in Turkish golf
The club describes its championship layout as 18 holes, par 72, designed by Andrew Craven of International Design Group. Its routing uses the surrounding pines, sandy dunes, lakes and wetlands. The venue is linked to Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Golf, about a 20-minute drive from Dalaman Airport.
Beyond the inauguration itself, staging a federation competition at the new venue shows that it is already functioning as a tournament course. It also adds golf infrastructure to the Muğla region. Claims about its eventual economic or tourism impact, however, should be judged against future participation and visitor data rather than opening-day expectations.
