Donnafugata Golf Course 3D Renderings – Sicily Refurbishment Project

Project Overview

We produced a complete set of photorealistic 3D renderings for the major refurbishment of the former Donnafugata Golf Resort courses in south-east Sicily, near Ragusa. The two 18-hole layouts (now part of the relaunched Costa Ragusa Golf destination) are undergoing a full redesign led by Spanish golf legends José María Olazábal and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, in collaboration with NCM Network.

The courses closed in 2020 and remain under active construction and redesign, with a planned reopening in 2027. Our visualizations were created primarily for marketing and stakeholder communication, while also serving as a practical design tool that helped the architects fine-tune routing, bunkering, green complexes, and overall course character before physical work advanced.

Role of the Renderings

High-quality CGI allowed the design and development teams to:

• Evaluate proposed changes in realistic context (Sicilian landscape, light, vegetation, and topography).
• Make informed design decisions earlier in the process.
• Communicate the future look and feel of the revitalized courses to investors, operators, and marketing partners while the site was still under construction.

Deliverables

• Day and night photorealistic renders – Atmospheric stills showing the redesigned holes under different lighting conditions, highlighting playability, landscape integration, and the distinctive Sicilian setting.
• Masterplan illustration – A clear, detailed overview visualization of the full course layout and surrounding resort context, supporting both design coordination and promotional use.

Media Coverage

The broader project has been featured in leading industry publications:

• Golf Course Architecture – “Spanish golf legends Olazábal and Jiménez lead revival of 36-hole Sicily golf resort”
• Golf Business News – “Olazábal and Jiménez to redesign courses at Sicilian resort“

Why This Project Matters for Golf Course Visualization

This commission demonstrates how accurate 3D rendering supports both marketing storytelling and the practical design process on a live refurbishment project. When a course is still under construction, photorealistic day/night images and a clear masterplan illustration become essential tools for alignment between architects, operators, and stakeholders — and for building anticipation ahead of the 2027 reopening.