Cuba plans to develop golf courses.

Growing talk of an end to the U.S. travel ban against Cuba is stimulating interest in golf-oriented ventures on the island.

At least one major golf resort, the six-star Carbonera Club Esencia Hotels & Resorts, is in the process of being built near Varadero.

The joint venture with Cuban state entity Palmares SA, consists of a championship 18-hole golf course, a yacht club, a hotel and spa, along with 720 residential properties.

Its developers say the property is only the beginning in terms of Cuba's future as a viable site for golf resorts.

Andrew Macdonald, chief executive of Esencia Hotels, observed that Great Britain--which is similar in size to Cuba--has over 2,000 golf courses, while Cuba basically has just one, which is why he's overly optimistic about future golf-related developments.

"There's a lot of room for potential. They should have 25 or 30 golf courses without even touching the market," Macdonald told CubaNews from London. "Golfers are a higher level of tourist. There are niches that haven't been developed. It's attractive for investors. We're finding surprising buoyant interest."

Another golf-centric project is in the works on Cuban soil. A group of developers has won Cuban government approval to build a luxury real-estate venture at Bahia Honda, an hour's drive west of Havana. This one will include three golf courses and a 500-slip marina.

Cuban authorities didn't always look kindly on the sport. During the early years of the revolution, Fidel Castro, being a poor player, virtually shut down any property that had golf courses. But the apparent hunger for tourist dollars from wealthier visitors is prompting the regime to change its mind about golf.

One reason for Macdonald's optimism: the Dominican Republic, home to 24 golf courses.

Besides Casa de Campo in La Romana and PuntaCana Resort & Club is Cap Cana, a huge venture launched by Dominican developer Ricardo Hazoury, with Donald Trump and veteran pro golfer Jack Nicklaus as partners.

In the meantime, Macdonald is encouraging golf culture by holding a competition this month for junior golfers. The Esencia Cup, at the Varadero Golf Club in conjunction with the Montecristo Cup tournament, will feature a trophy presentation by Great Britain's ambassador to Cuba, Dianna Melrose.

Yet for the time being, golf is about as foreign in Cuba as cricket. According to Miami lawyer Tony Zamora, "we're getting to a situation where discussion about 10 golf projects will be approved in the next few months."