Thracian Cliffs Golf Course
One of the most spectacular settings in golf. Gary Player carved this par 72 into the Black Sea cliffs near Kavarna, the holes running for nearly three miles along the clifftops with the water in view from every tee, and a par 3 sixth so dramatic it has become one of the most photographed holes in the world.
Photo: Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort via Google.
The verdict
Bulgaria is not the first country that comes to mind for a golf trip, and that is exactly why Thracian Cliffs feels like such a discovery. Opened in 2011 as a Gary Player Signature design, it occupies a wild ribbon of the northern Black Sea coast near Kavarna, where the land falls away in red and ochre cliffs to the water below. Player and his team draped the course over this terrain rather than flattening it, so the holes climb, plunge and traverse the clifftops for around 4.5 kilometres, and the sea is in view from every single one. It was named Bulgaria's number one course almost from the day it opened, and it remains the country's flagship.
At a par of 72 of around 6,452 yards it is not about length, it is about nerve and setting. This is a resort course built to take your breath away, a buggy ride between tee boxes perched above the surf, and a round you remember for the views as much as the score. For the travelling golfer it is the centerpiece of a Cape Kaliakra golf trip, easily combined with the neighbouring cliff and coastal courses at BlackSeaRama and Lighthouse Golf Resort, a cluster of dramatic golf at prices well below western Europe.
Thracian Cliffs at a glance
- Opened
- 2011
- Designer
- Gary Player Signature
- Type
- Clifftop resort
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 6,452 yds
- Green fee
- From about 109 euros
Designer, year and yardage verified June 2026 from Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort and leading course databases. The Gary Player Signature course opened in 2011 and plays to a par of 72 of around 6,452 yards, running for around 4.5 kilometres along the Black Sea cliffs. Green fees are indicative, from around 109 euros for visitors and around 79 euros for resort guests in recent seasons, with a mandatory buggy of around 40 euros owing to the terrain. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Thracian Cliffs is theatre from the first tee. The course is routed in two loops over a tumbling clifftop site, the fairways tilting toward the sea, the greens set on shelves and headlands, and the buggy paths winding between holes perched high above the surf. It plays firm and breezy, the wind off the Black Sea adding a half club here and a wild guess there, and while it will never be mistaken for a championship test of pure shot values, few courses anywhere can match it for sheer spectacle.
The signature is the par 3 sixth, played from one clifftop to a green on another with the sea crashing in the gulf between, a hole that has launched a thousand photographs and is reason enough on its own to make the trip. Around it the round delivers one jaw dropping vista after another, downhill par 4s that funnel toward the water, short holes that dare you to flirt with the edge, and a closing stretch back up toward the resort that rewards a steady nerve.
For the travelling golfer, Thracian Cliffs is a bucket list view at a fraction of western European prices. Time it for late spring or early autumn, pair it with the cliff golf next door, and add a few days of the wild Bulgarian coast and the seafood and wine that come with it.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course open to visitors and resort guests with a tee time booked in advance; a buggy is mandatory owing to the steep clifftop terrain |
| Green fee | Indicative for recent seasons, from around 109 euros for visitors and around 79 euros for resort guests, plus a buggy of around 40 euros |
| Booking | Reserve ahead in the May to October season; stay and play packages with the resort are often the best value |
| On the day | Bring a camera and sun protection; the course is exposed and the buggy ride between holes is part of the experience |
| Getting there | Near Kavarna and Balchik on the northern Black Sea coast, around 45 minutes by road from Varna airport |
| Best months | Late spring and early autumn for warm, settled weather; high summer is hot and busier on the coast |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from Thracian Cliffs and leading course databases; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the resort or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The simplest base is the Thracian Cliffs resort itself, a cliffside village of apartments and villas with pools, restaurants and a beach club below the course, built for a stay and play week with the first tee on the doorstep.
For a wider trip, the coastal towns of Balchik and Kavarna are close by, and the resort city of Varna, with its airport, beaches and old town, is under an hour away, so a Thracian Cliffs round slots into a longer Black Sea coast holiday.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Thracian Cliffs and along the Cape Kaliakra coast.
Build a Black Sea golf trip
Thracian Cliffs anchors a Cape Kaliakra golf week, paired with the cliff golf at BlackSeaRama and Lighthouse Golf Resort next door, at prices well below western Europe. We sort the tee times, the stay and play packages, the lodging and the transfers, and price the trip to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
Thracian Cliffs questions
Who designed Thracian Cliffs?
Thracian Cliffs is a Gary Player Signature design. It opened in 2011 on the cliffs near Kavarna on the northern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, and Player himself officially opened the course. It is rated Bulgaria's number one course.
Can visitors play Thracian Cliffs?
Yes. Thracian Cliffs is a resort course open to visitors and resort guests with a tee time booked in advance. A buggy is mandatory because of the steep clifftop terrain. Indicative recent green fees ran from around 109 euros for visitors and around 79 euros for resort guests, plus a buggy of around 40 euros. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking.
What is the par and length of Thracian Cliffs?
Thracian Cliffs plays to a par of 72 and measures around 6,452 yards, running for around 4.5 kilometres along the clifftops with the Black Sea in view from every hole. The signature par 3 sixth plays from clifftop to clifftop and is one of the most photographed holes in golf.
Where is Thracian Cliffs?
The resort sits on the northern Black Sea coast near Kavarna and Balchik, around 45 minutes by road from Varna airport in northeast Bulgaria. It pairs naturally with the neighbouring cliff and coastal courses at BlackSeaRama and Lighthouse Golf Resort for a Cape Kaliakra golf trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.