Duo driving forward

Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Views, and sales and marketing director Hugh O’Shea are no strangers to turning barren landscapes into lush green residential golf courses.

Over the past 15 years the pair has worked on six multi-million dollar world-class residential golf communities in South Africa, including the Fancourt Estate and the Oubaii Golf Resort, home of an Ernie Els signature course.

But nothing prepared them for sculpting a vast 280-hectares of Bahrain’s interior desert into rolling greens surrounded by 1,020 new homes … and selling them.

“A major challenge was that golf is not a sport that is highly-recognised in the Middle East,” said Mr O’Shea. “The Bahraini market wondered why people would want to live on a golf course. But most people who live on a golf course live there because of lifestyle – we’re not just selling bricks and mortar but a way of life.”

The public release of the final Riffa View’s estate, The Park, last week marked the success of a project that has captured the imagination of home-buyers at home and abroad.

It is a testimony to the pioneering nature of the development that more than half the project has already been sold ahead of its 2009 final completion date.

“There have been challenges,” explained Mr Browning, “but we have tried to focus the local mind that you can live outside your home. It is hot, but seven months of the year the climate is lovely.   

“Our product was in the right place at the right time. We are celebrating our success so far but we still have two years to go so we can’t get complacent.” 

Before joining Riffa Views in June 2006, Mr Browning had overseen the development of six golf communities, with Mr O’Shea working as a consultant and sales director.

“I consider myself a specialist in this product,” he said. “Residential golf courses are a proven model the world over.” 

Despite the early misgivings of skeptics, investment in Bahrain’s first residential golf community has sky-rocketed.

By the end of the Park Estate launch more than 100 of its 331 homes were sold, many to Kuwaiti investors. 

“The Estate’s release comes at an ideal time for potential Riffa Views homeowners as it opens up a new set of exciting opportunities in response to the increasing demand created by the success of existing sales in the development,” explained Mr Browning at the event.

For the hundreds who bought properties in The Oasis and The Lagoon estates, their investments have already risen by up to 50 per cent and prices are likely to double by the project’s completion.

“People are now wondering what’s going to happen in two years time,” said Mr O’Shea.

More than 40 per cent of sales have been to Bahraini nationals and the remainder to ex-pats and GCC investors.

“We have buyers from all over the world. People rushed in because this is one of the few freehold properties in the kingdom,” explained Mr O’Shea.

However, he also says it is a “lights on development,” where 65 per cent of buyers will live in the properties.

Mr Browning attributes the success of Riffa Views to the fact they are creating a product which is “equivalent, or superior, to what exists overseas.”

He said: “You can take this and place it in the US, Europe, or anywhere and it’s as good if not better.”

When completed, Riffa Views will incorporate an 18-hole golf course, a Boris Becker tennis centre, a retail centre, country club, international school and three residential estates.

Much of Riffa View’s success is due to the fact that they have shrewdly adapted to market demands and modified plans along the way.

The management took the bold step of changing the initial design of the golf course and bringing in the expertise of legendary golfer Colin Montgomerie.

“We’ve gone for the experience of sportsmen who can impact the end result and leave a personal legacy,” said Mr Browning.

The project has continued to develop. Mr Browning explained: “You can’t be dogmatic as a developer, you adapt to market forces.

“The local market was also calling for something closer to their way of life – a tight community in close proximity with structured landscapes.”

The result was the Park Estate which is set back from the golf course and offers more privacy and seclusion.

“The Park is completely different to the Oasis and the Lagoon because it’s not set around the golf course,” said project developer Steve Russell-Rayner. “They have their own natural features but The Park needs a huge amount of landscaping.”

When completed The Park will have landscaped green parks, walkways, tree-lined avenues and floral gardens. 

In a few months celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw will also be brought on board to create “signature landscapes”.

As well as allowing fluidity in the master plan, branding and building confidence in the region have been key strategies in their success. 

Mr O’Shea explained: “When we came to Riffa it was a case of standing back from it, seeing what needed to be done and raising the profile.”

Now as the concept becomes a reality, the challenge is to deliver the development by the forecasted completion dates. The first properties are due to be handed over in June next year with the Park estate following in June 2009.

Officials say completion dates are so far on track and work is continuing at a remarkable speed.

“I walked past the old golf academy at 10 in the morning, and two hours later it was gone,” said Mr Russell-Rayner.

Mr Browning added: “This is a success story and there will be more like it in Bahrain. Durratt will be close behind and other developments complement what we are doing - the challenge is to get the kingdom known around the world.”