LILIAN Todorov is living every man's fantasy: He has a putting green at his office. You can do that when you are the owner and President of Air Sofia, an air freight company, and also President of Golf Club Air Sofia. "I started playing when I was 56. Golf is a sport that helps to release pressure but also it's a good way to change the way people communicate." Those are added assets for his colleagues in the office but anyone can learn to play the game at Golf Club Air Sofia.

Built in 2000, it is the first complete 18-hole golf course in Bulgaria. Noticing in his travels to the West that many major hotel complexes offered a golf option, Todorov designed and built a similar hotel and golf complex in Ihtiman, 40 km from Sofia. A master at marketing, Todorov designed the clubhouse around the fuselage of an old aircraft. Motorists heading up the freeway from Sofia should look for the old wing and tail parts that designate directional signs toward the club's location.

The Club offers everything from horseback riding lessons to tennis, swimming pool, basketball and volleyball facilities. The centerpiece though is the 4583 m golf course with a Par 71 rating. Yet Todorov admits,"It's been a challenge to introduce this sport in Bulgaria." The Club currently has about 80 members, half of which are Bulgarians and half are foreigners. "The Bulgarians have never heard of golf, so that was the first obstacle." His ultimate goal is to "involve as many people as possible in playing." For that effort, he's a one-man golf industry promoter through his golf organisation, the Golf Federation of Bulgaria.

He will build two new courses in the coming year, in Sliven and in Razgrad. His idea is to create a national network of courses so that "those interested will never be more than 100 km away from a facility." And how does one build golf courses in a country where few know the game? "We have backed a new firm called Golf Creations Company. We sent the four Bulgarian architects to training about golf course design."

The Sliven course is the first project of this group. The driving range will open in September, with the official course opening set for the spring. Todorov's future plans include a golf cart factory on the Ihtiman property, a Junior Golf Club and a Ladies' section.

Educating an entire nation about a new sport takes a lot of creativity. Starting on September 5 , Eurovision will air the first of 25 episodes of a film series produced by the Golf Federation. Each 15-minute show is a mini golf lesson that will be taught in Bulgarian. He's planning a multi-media effort with an accompanying book to be released soon. The book, also in Bulgarian, is 200 pages and covers instruction, rules and etiquette of the game.

Todorov is betting golf will suit Bulgarians to a tee. With increased popularity everyone will soon want an office putting green and he is positioned to be just the man to provide it.