GOLF
ESCAPES
2010
promotion
Your 116-page guide to great golfing holidays in Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Alabama USA, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Balearic Islands Spain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Belek/Antalya Turkey PLUS the Marriott GOLF hotels collection
CONTENTS
Son Gual in Majorca, Spain.
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WELCOME
fter a long and cold winter, the sprouting of spring bulbs and blossom can only mean one thing – the domestic golfing season will soon be in full swing. But if you are fed up with your golf clubs gathering dust because of snowbound or waterlogged courses, don’t despair. There’s a world of golf just waiting to be played, at any time of the year. So let us give you some golfing getaway suggestions with this, Golf World’s annual Golf Escapes guide. Near or far, you’ll find plenty of ideas for golf-based holidays within its 116 pages. We begin with a focus on Marriott Golf, a collection of 17 superb golf resorts across the UK and Europe where a family golf break won’t break the bank, thanks to Marriott’s Kids Golf-4-Free programme. We then catch the ferry to look at a couple of Irish gems. Egypt is our next port of call, travelling through the land of the pharaohs from the White Med coast along the Nile to the Red
Sea Riviera, seeking out its wonderful fairways. The Mediterranean beckons again, this time Spain’s sunny Balearic Islands. We take a detailed look at Majorca, the Med’s biggest golf island, and its siblings, Minorca and Ibiza. Our Asian swing takes in the top-quality courses of Malaysia and Thailand, followed by a tour of the United Arab Emirates for a focus on Abu Dhabi’s amazing golf and tourism developments as well as the golf offerings of established neighbour Dubai. Crossing the Atlantic, we suggest some flydrive tours around Alabama with great-value golf including its Robert Trent Jones Trail. South America’s golf capital, Argentina, and the Caribbean’s Dominican Republic are next, both offering golf with a Latin twist, then Jamaica for tropical golf with a reggae flavour. Back in Europe, we spotlight Bulgaria’s developing Cape Kaliakra region, twin-centre golf breaks in the Czech Republic combining Prague and West Bohemia, and the golfing feast served up by Emilia Romagna and the rest of Italy.
DESTINATIONS 4 Marriott Golf 10 Ireland 14 Egypt 31 Balearic Islands, Spain 48 Malaysia 52 Thailand 56 Dubai and Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates 68 Alabama
72 Argentina 74 Dominican Republic 76 Jamaica 78 Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria 82 Czech Republic 86 Italy 90 Emilia Romagna, Italy 92 France 98 Belek, Turkey
SON GUAL
We finish with a look at France, and the Turkish delight that is Belek. What are you waiting for? Get booking! Peter Ellegard Editor, Golf Escapes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Golf Escapes is published by Bauer Media in England. Tel: 00 44 1733 468000 www.bauermedia.co.uk Editor: Peter Ellegard (peter@ellegard.co.uk) Design: Top Corner Editorial and Design Ltd Publisher / Travel Director: Ken Gill Tel: 00 44 7810 377146 ken.gill@bauermedia.co.uk Travel Accounts Exec: Samantha Bland Tel: 00 44 1733 468133 samantha.bland@bauermedia.co.uk Illustrator: Graham Gaches Printer: PCP Printers Telford, Shropshire Colour origination: Gildenburgh Ltd, Peterborough Cover graphic: Graham Gaches; Cover golf course image: Golf Son Gual, Mallorca, Spain www.son-gual.com
Golf World magazine Get the next 6 issues of Golf World for only £12 when you subscribe today – saving 50% Call 0845 601 1356 and quote DVFF Offer closes: 30th March 2011
Golf Escapes 2010
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M A R RIOTT GOLF
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MARRIOTT GOLF
Setting the standards across Europe.
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ime for a golfing break? Look no further than one of 17 Marriott operated golf resorts located in idyllic locations across the UK & Europe. Held in high esteem for their consistent levels of first-class accommodation, championship golf, restaurants and service, Marriott golf resorts provide guests with so much more than just golf. A number of resorts have hosted prestigious professional tournaments and each venue is blessed with at least one championship course.
£35 million investment across Europe
With a continued commitment to investing in every single one of its golf resorts, visitors
to Marriott venues in the UK & Europe will be able to take advantage of a recent refurbishment programme worth over £35 million. Added to that, free use of fully-equipped leisure facilities, a choice of restaurants with award-winning dining and supremely-comfortable Marriott bedrooms and you needn’t look anywhere else for a golfing break.
ing room upgrades, special bonuses, gifts and other exclusive privileges. Individuals can join Marriott Rewards by visiting www.marriott.co.uk/rewards.
Rewards
Kids Golf-4-Free
The Marriott Rewards® programme is a prime example of Marriott’s commitment to providing its most loyal guests with access to a whole host of special deals and access to exclusive deals including hotel offers, holiday offers, spa offers and much more. Marriott Rewards points may be redeemed for more than 250 rewards including hotel stays, airline miles, car rental, cruises, spa treatments, shopping vouchers and more. Frequent users of the programme can also enjoy Elite status benefits includ-
Families visiting any Marriott golf resorts can take advantage of the fantastic Kids Golf-4Free initiative. The programme is designed to make it easier for adults and children to play and learn golf together as well as attracting more youngsters into the game. Guests can take advantage of a free round of golf for children under 15 years old, provided they are accompanied by a full-paying adult and book a tee time after 3pm. In addition, kids up to 15 years of age receive a free lesson when accompanied by an adult who is taking a fully-paid lesson from a
Lingfield Park is the UK’s first combined hotel, racecourse and golf club.
Approach to the Forest of Arden’s 16th hole.
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Dalmahoy, near Edinburgh, is among 11 Marriott golf resorts in the UK.
Marriott Golf instructor. To further encourage the whole family to play, junior-sized sets of golf clubs are available for hire at no cost for both lessons and rounds of golf.
Marriott tournament heritage
The rich heritage than runs through Marriott golf resorts in Europe is apparent from the
moment you step on the first tee. Having staged such high-profile events as the English Open, British Masters and the Solheim Cup, Marriott’s golf resorts are second to none when it comes to providing golfers with precisely-manicured fairways, smooth greens and, most importantly, a friendly welcome and guarantee of the finest service.
New developments
Following a multi-million pound build, Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club will be the UK’s first ever hotel, racecourse and golf club. Open from April 2010, the resort features 116 luxurious bedrooms, many of them with stunning views across Lingfield Park Racecourse. Facilities available to guests include: an 18-hole golf course which has been newly-landscaped in parts; a brand new health and leisure facility which will include an indoor swimming pool, steam room, sauna, fitness room and a selection of treatment rooms; the Cyprium Bar and Grill; and a selection of modern, well-equipped conference and banqueting suites. Visit: www.MarriottLingfieldPark.co.uk
Marriott golf resorts go green
Breadsall Priory, in Derbyshire.
Ten Marriott golf resorts in the UK have been awarded Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status in recognition of the hard work they have all undertaken implementing a variety of projects in environmental areas around the golf courses. This exemplary distinction is an international recognition of environmental excellence bestowed on organisations that are taking a leadership role in conservation. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programme for Golf Courses helps to enhance wildlife habitats and protect natural resources for the benefit of people, wildlife and the game of golf. The programme is designed to give golf course managers the guidance and information they need to implement stewardship projects and receive recognition for their efforts.
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M A R RIOTT GOLF
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MARRIOTT GOLF European resorts.
SPAIN
Mallorca Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort & Spa
With fragrant olive and almond trees perfuming the sun-kissed air, the Mallorca Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort & Spa is a paradise for golfers, pleasure seekers and meeting attendees alike. Close to Palma, the airport and famed beaches, it provides an exceptional experience. Its beguiling local country decor offers guests a rare haven, especially in spacious, finely-furnished guest rooms offering plush new bedding and tranquil views from the balcony or terrace. Two tempting restaurants offer the fresh flavours of the Mediterranean. When it comes to golf, Son Antem is the only resort in the area with two 18-hole courses and features an impressive driving range and Golf Academy staffed with PGA pros. After your round, The Spa Son Antem offers a blissful retreat, with a warm water pool, fitness centre and indulgent spa treatments.
Praia d’El Rey is set by the Atlantic.
PORTUGAL
Praia d’El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort
Set along a beautiful, sandy beach less than one hour from Lisbon, in an area of protected rural landscape of rolling sand dunes and pine tree forests, the five-star, luxury Marriott Praia d’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort offers guests a championship links golf course, luxury accommodation, world-class spa and a vast range of outdoor activities. The hotel has 179 deluxe rooms with breathtaking views of the ocean and its
Set like a rare gem on the sun-drenched Mediterranean Costa Blanca, the Denia Marriott La Sella Golf Resort & Spa is one of the most luxurious destinations in The Denia Marriott Alicante. LoLa Sella course. cated alongside the Montgo National Park and only 10 minutes from the beaches of Denia and Javea, the resort also features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Spanish golfing legend, Jose Maria Olazabal that offers a challenge for any player. Activities are abound at this world-class resort, from flamenco, horseback riding and wine tasting, to regattas, beach sports and tours of ancient landmarks. There’s a choice of restaurants and bars, including the Segaria, which offers fine wines and a culinary journey. Spacious, well-appointed guest rooms exude a sense of comfort and luxury, with balconies to enjoy the views.
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Penha Longa Hotel & Golf Resort
Denia Marriott La Sella Golf Resort & Spa
world-renowned 18-hole championship golf course. Ranked 13th out of the top 100 courses in Continental Europe by Golf World, the course is simply stunning and offers a challenge for golfers of all levels. Guests have two restaurants to choose from with cuisine to suit all tastes and the beautiful setting offers a perfect opportunity for luxurious events such as weddings or corporate events.
Penha Longa – a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
Located in the glorious Estoril coastal region
Ponderosa caption here Peter.
of Portugal, the Palazzo-style Penha Longa Hotel, Spa Golf Resort can trace its origins back to the 14th century. As well as views across its two golf courses, the hotel is also blessed with a spectacular backdrop of rolling hills, lush gardens and the lakes of the Southern Sintra mountains. Ranked in the top 30 Courses in Continental Europe, the Atlantic course, designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones Jr, has hosted several Portugal Open championships. The testing layout requires courageous approach shots and offers both an adrenalin rush and a soothing journey through one of Portugal’s most inspiring landscapes. Its sister, the nine-hole Monastery course, is a perfect partner – equally pretty but slightly less demanding. The hotel has 194 well-appointed guest rooms and offers guests a multitude of facilities including five exceptional restaurants, outdoor tennis courts, squash, jogging tracks, horse riding, a state-of-the-art Six Senses
Druids Glen’s two courses have hosted several championship events.
Spa and even a monastery that was built on its ground and has been a frequent retreat of Portuguese royal and foreign dignitaries.
Villa Sol Algarve – a Renaissance Spa & Golf Resort
Set in 150 hectares of Algarve countryside, the five-star Villa Sol Algarve, a Renaissance Spa & Golf Resort is a nature-lover’s dream with buildings set within gardens and footpaths that surround lakes and golf courses. With a fantastic climate, a wellness spa and one of Europe’s best golf courses, Villa Sol is the ideal destination for a golfing break. The fabulous 27-hole golf course, 27 holes of golf are on offer at Villa Sol in the Algarve. designed by celebrated architect Donald Steel, meanders through a valley sculptured by nature and is divided into three nines of different levels of difficulty that golfers are able to enjoy in a unique natural setting from the first to last shot. Guests can choose from hotel rooms or self-catering apartments which are just a 15-minute walk from the hotel offerings and close to the renowned spa. The hotel itself has four restaurants, two tennis courts, kids’ club, supermarket, on-site bank and, during the summer, guests can take the short shuttle to the beautiful, nearby Algarve beaches.
IRELAND
Druids Glen – a Marriott Hotel & Country Club
Glorious woodland setting for Portugal’s Penha Longa.
Just 25 miles south of Dublin and situated in spectacular County Wicklow, the Marriott Druids Glen Hotel & Country Club is a treat for any golfer with its two championship golf courses. The Druids Glen course has hosted the Irish Open on four separate occasions and its sister course, Druids Heath, has staged the Irish PGA Championship. When you
play at Druids Heath, you’re walking in the footsteps of golf’s greats, including Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington, and Colin Montgomerie. A Fáilte Ireland five-star hotel, you’ll experience the same superior level of service and amenities that has placed Druids Glen among the top hotels in Ireland. Spacious guest accommodation is designed for comfort and function, and offers conveniences such as high-speed broadband internet access. Dining takes on a fresh, new dimension at Druids Brasserie and Atrium. There’s an indulgent Elemis Spa with seven treatment rooms. Extensive conference facilities totalling 8,030 square metres make Druids Glen perfect for corporate, social events and weddings. FACTFILE
EUROPEAN RESORTS Druids Glen Ireland Tel: +252 1 287 0801 www.MarriottDruidsGlen.ie Son Antem Majorca Tel: +34 971 129119 www.MallorcaMarriott.com Denia La Sella Costa Blanca, Spain Tel: +34 966 454054 www.Marriott.com/ALMC Praia D’EL Rey Lisbon, Portugal Tel: +351 26 2905100 www.Marriott.com/LISDR Penha Longa Estoril, Portugal Tel +351 21 924 9011 www.PenhaLonga.com Vila Sol Algarve Algarve, Portugal Tel: +351 289 320 320 www.RenaissanceAlgarve.com
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MARRIOTT GOLF UK resorts.
a gentler test at 5,732 yards and par 68. Both courses blend seamlessly into the magnificent rolling countryside and offer a great day out for golfers of all abilities.
Forest of Arden, a Marriott Hotel & Country Club
The Marriott St Pierre has seen £7 million worth of investment.
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here are 11 Marriott golf and country clubs conveniently located around the UK that all offer the same high level of accommodation, championship golf, restaurants and service that Marriott is renowned for around the world. Marriott Hotel & Country Clubs are the perfect place to tee off with amazing golf courses. Each destination offers at least one championship course and some venues have played host to some of Europe’s top tournaments, including the Solheim Cup and a number of European Tour events. These first-class resorts also provide nongolfers with a haven in which to unwind and relax, with acres of beautiful surroundings and superb leisure and spa facilities. Add to this a fantastic choice of restaurants offering first-class food with friendly service and you have the complete golf and leisure destination.
St Pierre, a Marriott Hotel & Country Club
The Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club, in Chepstow, Wales, has undergone a major transformation over the past year and has recently completed a £7 million investment plan that includes a complete
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refurbishment of bedrooms, restaurants and bars, leisure club and spa. The resort’s Mathern and Old courses have undergone a £1.8 million remodel specifically designed to create two courses which will play to a high standard all year round. The Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country Club is one of the leading golf resorts in the
One of the leading championship venues in the UK, the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel & Country Club, near Birmingham, has undergone an extensive £5 million renovation programme to its hotel and golf facilities over the past few years. Designed to enhance both the accommodation and services on offer to guests, the comprehensive redevelopment has included a complete revamp of all hotel rooms, restaurants, conference suites and leisure facilities. The Forest of Arden is blessed with 36 holes of first-class golf and its championship Arden course has had the privilege of hosting numerous European Tour events, including the English Open and British Masters. Located in 10,000 acres of parkland in the heart of the Midlands, this distinctive Warwickshire resort is close to the motorway and rail networks, and is just 10 minutes from Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).
Hanbury Manor, a Marriott Hotel & Country Club
The five-star Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel & Country Club, in Hertfordshire, is widely regarded as one of the finest golf resorts in the South East of England and has been described as “London’s Favourite Country Retreat”. The prestigious golf course was the first to be designed by Jack Nicklaus II, and still incorporates features from an earlier 9-hole course designed by the great Harry Vardon. The glorious estate boasts a five-star 161 bedroom country Hanbury Manor is regarded as one house hotel, excellent of the South East’s best golf resorts. conference facilities, multiple restaurants UK and has staged the Solheim Cup and and an award-winning health club and spa. numerous European Tour events. There are The pool, tennis courts, sauna, steam rooms two championship courses at St Pierre; the and fully-equipped gyms combine with the Old course is a challenging 6,925-yard par golf course to create one of the UK’s premier 71 layout, while the Mathern course provides resorts.
18th hole at Dalmahoy.
Dalmahoy, a Marriott Hotel & Country Club
Host of many major tournaments, the two 18-hole courses at Dalmahoy are set in wooded countryside just seven miles from the centre of the historic city of Edinburgh. The West course has tight fairways and small greens and the dramatic finish around the Gogar Burn that will test the nerve of all
The Forest of Arden course.
levels of golfer. The internationally-renowned East course, host to the 1992 Solheim Cup and Scottish Senior Open from 2006-2008, has recently been extensively upgraded and now presents an even greater challenge, with perfectly-manicured fairways, wellpositioned bunkers and large, undulating greens. In addition to the excellent golf, there
are many leisure activities available in this historic 215-bedroom baronial manorstyle hotel, which combines tradition with modern comfort. The leisure club boasts a fitness and aerobic studio, a fully-equipped gymnasium and a large swimming pool with steam room, sauna and solarium. There are also two tennis courts and other outdoor activities can be arranged locally. FACTFILE
UK RESORTS Breadsall Priory Tel: 01332 833 509 www.MarriotBreadsallPriory.co.uk Dalmahoy Tel: 0131 333 1433 www.MarriottDalmahoy.co.uk Forest of Arden Tel: 01676 523 711 www.Marriott ForestofArden.co.uk Hanbury Manor Tel: 01920 487 692 www.MarriottHanburyManor.co.uk Hollins Hall Tel: 01274 530 187 www.MarriottHollinsHall.co.uk Lingfield Park Tel: 01342 834 800 www.MarriottLingfieldPark.co.uk Meon Valley Tel: 01329 833 455 www.MarriottMeonValley.co.uk St Pierre Tel: 01291 625 261 www.MarriottStPierre.co.uk Sprowston Manor Tel: 01603 410 871 www.MarriottSprowstonManor.co.uk
Central contact telephone:
0800 0195888
Tudor Park Tel: 01622 734 334 www.MarriottTudorPark.co.uk Worsley Park Tel: 0161 799 6341 www.MarriottWorsleyPark.co.uk
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D R U I D S G L E N G O L F R E S O R T, I R E L A N D
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DRUIDS GLEN GOLF RESORT
Two contrasting courses and a five-star hotel provide one of golf’s finest experiences.
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ALL PHOTOS DRUIDS GLEN GOLF RESORT
ruids Glen Golf Resort has evolved over the past decade, now featuring two championship courses – Druids Glen and Druids Heath – and a golf academy, along with the historic Woodstock House and the AA five-star Marriott Druids Glen Hotel & Country Club. The resort is conveniently located just 20 minutes south of Dublin in the midst of the Garden of Ireland, County Wicklow. Druids Glen was originally the Woodstock
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Estate and dates back as far as 1600. Druids Glen Clubhouse, fondly known as ‘Woodstock House’, was built in 1770 and has been thoroughly restored to its former grandeur. Druids Glen Golf Course is often referred to as ‘The Augusta of Europe’. The flora and fauna of the parkland Druids Glen Golf Course provide a colourful backdrop to a magnificent golf course. The forests and streams produce a haven for wildlife in what was once a home to the druids. Designed by Pat Ruddy and Tom
Craddock, Druids Glen opened in 1995. The Druids Glen name originates from a stone altar of pre-Christian worship, which was discovered during the construction of the golf course in a thickly-forested area overlooking the 12th green. Today, a druid stands proudly at the site as a reminder of the history of the glen. Druids Glen was the Home of the Irish Open for four consecutive years from 1996-1999. In 1996 and 1997, seven-time European number one Colin Montgomerie
Druids Glen is often called ‘The Augusta of Europe’.
Golf Escapes 2010
The links and heathland setting of the Druids Heath course.
The Marriot Druids Glen Hotel has been rated five-star by the AA.
won the title. He was denied a hat-trick of victories the following year by David Carter, in a dramatic playoff. Record crowds witnessed teenager Sergio Garcia win the Irish Open at Druids Glen in 1999, securing his first professional victory. In 2002, Druids Glen was the host venue for the Seve Trophy, a biennial event between the leading tour professionals of Great Britain & Ireland and their counterparts from Continental Europe. The teams were captained by Colin Montgomerie and Seve Ballesteros. Great Britain & Ireland won by 14½ to 11½. The five-star Marriott Druids Glen Hotel and Country Club opened in 2002. The hotel offers a range of advanced business and leisure facilities, a choice of seven meeting rooms
and a variety of dining options. The hotel boasts 145 luxurious guestrooms along with one of Ireland’s top spa and health clubs. The creation of the sensational Druids Heath Championship golf course which opened in September 2003 has achieved the objective of Druids Glen – to become one of the world’s finest golf resorts. Described as ‘Nature’s Gift to Golf’, Druids Heath is situated on a unique piece of land that provides golfers with spectacular views of mountains, sea and Irish countryside. Druids Heath is true to the history of the great game of golf and represents a complete contrast in design to the parkland Druids Glen Golf Course. The variety of exciting challenges and the spectacular setting produce an unforgettable golfing experience on this unique and thrilling golf course which combines links and heathland. Druids Heath has tested the skill of reigning US Open champion Retief Goosen and also Sergio Garcia, Darren Clarke, Sam Torrance, Ian Poulter and Paul McGinley.Druids Heath was host to the Irish PGA Championship in September 2006.
The Resort Golf Academy is located adjacent to the Marriott Druids Glen Hotel and the first tee box at Druids Heath Golf Course, offering stunning panoramic views out over the Irish Sea. It provides the perfect opportunity to limber up before tee off or indeed to practise the game. The resident PGA head teaching professional, George Henry, is on-site for tuition and caters for individuals and groups alike. In 2005, Druids Glen Golf Resort received the prestigious European Golf Resort of the Year award, voted by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).
FACTFILE
DRUIDS GLEN GOLF RESORT, IRELAND Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, Ireland For reservations or further information: Tel: 00 353 1 287 3600 Fax: 00 353 1 287 3699 Email: info@druidsglen.ie Web: www.druidsglen.ie
Two nights bed & breakfast at the Druids Glen Marriott including 1 round on Druids Glen and 1 round on Druids Heath from as little as £190pps.
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K I L L A R N E Y, I R E L A N D
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Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
Fun and drama as Killarney hosts its third Irish Open.
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ake your Irish golf holiday extra special this summer with a trip to Killarney Golf & Fishing Club for the Irish Open. There can be no better setting for this prestigious Tour event than the magnificent Killeen Course, and the tournament is sure to attract the biggest names in the pro game as they strive to make the European Ryder Cup team the following month. FACTFILE
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club Co Kerry, Ireland Tel: +353 64 6631034 Fax: +353 64 6633065 www.killarney-golf.com
Last year’s Irish Open at Baltray provided a wonderful spectacle including a fantastic finale, with Irish amateur Shane Lowry winning after the third play-off hole. Fans can expect as much drama again when the event returns to Killarney for the third time in its history. Killarney, in County Kerry, is set in one of Ireland’s great beauty spots and the event, with its wonderful festival atmosphere, is expected to be a big draw for golf fans on holiday in the region. Killarney will be a thrilling venue for the event. The Killeen Course, which is the jewel in the crown of the three-course Killarney Golf Complex, was originally designed in 1972 by Eddie Hackett and Billy O’Sullivan. The Killarney lakes and high mountain range provide a stunning backdrop. At 6,564 metres (7,178 yards), it will challenge long hitters and accuracy will be vital as there is water on many
Killeen: the jewel in Killarney’s crown.
of its holes. It previously staged the Irish Open in 1991 and 1992, when Sir Nick Faldo won back-to-back victories. Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington says: “I believe the golf course is superb and I am 100% sure that the venue will be very popular with the players. That is very important – the Irish Open has to give a little bit more than other events: it has to give the whole package with people enjoying the whole week around the golf. That’s what the Irish Open always did in the past. “I’m sure the guys will have a great time and I will be telling all the players to bring their families that week to join in the fun.” Come along – you are sure to have a great time too.
IRELAND
Fairways of
CORK
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…brought closer to you by Ferry…
Swansea to Cork route returns with the MV Julia ship
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xcitement is building, ashore and on board, as the inaugural sailing from Cork to Swansea of the impressive MV Julia approaches on 1st March 2010 – appropriately enough, St. David’s Day. Tom Barrett, Chief Executive of Fastnet Line, which operates MV Julia, looks forward to welcoming passengers from the UK and says there are many cost effective packages available, to families in particular but also to freight carriers and groups. Visitors to the South West of Ireland will be delighted with the host of attractions on offer – a large range of superb golf courses within easy access on arrival into Cork, live gigs with
international stars in Cork City, walking tours across several counties, sailing/surfing events, arts festivals and food festivals. MV Julia is a comfortable, sturdy and beautifully appointed passenger/car ferry which will also carry commercial freight, campers/caravans and pets. It has 300 cabins, extensive deck areas, a selection of bars and restaurants, shops and a casino, making the ten-hour crossing a virtual mini-cruise. This all year round service will run 6 nights a week, with additional sailings in highseason, ie July and August. Sailing will be overnight departing at 21.00 hours and arriving at 07.00 hours the next day.
For further information and details of current offers, visit www.fastnetline.com, call 0844 576 8831 or email info@fastnetline.com
…THE NEW
SWANSEA
TO
CORK ROUTE
Commencing MARCH 2010 A Real Pro Experience awaits you. Book online today at
www.fastnetline.com or Tel. 0844 576 8831
Cork, one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2010
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EGYPT
Golf’s centre stage beckons for fast-growing destination Egypt.
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gypt continues to build on its reputation as a golf destination. It was just four years ago that the land of ancient pharaohs first gained international recognition for its fairways, when it was named Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year in the 2006 IAGTO Awards, the golf industry’s own Oscars. The country has long been attracting top designers, among them Gary Player, Fred Couples, John Sanford and Karl Litten. And despite the global economic crisis, more courses will join its existing tally of 17 in the next year or two, including new layouts by Major winners Sir Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Peter Thomson. Now Egypt is set to make its mark on the international professional golfing calendar, too. The Egyptian Open – one of the world’s oldest open golf events, dating back to 1921 – got a new look when it was staged at Cairo’s JW Marriott Mirage City course in November 2009. Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was among 60 players who contested the $200,000 prize money. He finished fifth, with the title being taken by England’s Steven Tiley for his biggest-ever win. The event was supported by the European Colin Montgomerie by the Great Pyramind.
Challenge Tour, and in 2010 and 2011 the Egyptian Open will gain Challenge Tour status – with the possibility of joining the elite European Tour after that. Egypt’s golf history goes back over 120 years. The British first brought it with them in the 1880s. But from just three venerable clubs up until the late1990s, its barren deserts have literally blossomed with lush golf courses. They are spread throughout the land – from beach resorts in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea to settings the length of the mighty Nile. The phenomenal pace of recent development has turned Egypt into one of the world’s fastest-growing golf destinations. And the calibre of architects stamping their name on courses being built and planned underlines the country’s determination to join golf’s premier league. Playing golf in Egypt is a unique experience. You can tee off on historic courses in the heart of Cairo or in the shadow of Giza’s towering pyramids, and in Cleopatra’s city, Alexandria. Or enjoy a round while staying at new resort complexes in Cairo’s suburbs. Take a break from lazing on the pristine beaches of Egypt’s White Med to pitch up to palm-fringed greens. Sink putts next to azure Below: Steven Tiley, left, with Egyptian Golf Federation chairman Ayman Hussein.
waters on the Red Sea Riviera. And send a drive soaring close to where the pharaohs of ancient Egypt lay buried. Egypt’s courses weave through desert terrain as if emerald carpets had been draped on the sands, speckled with bunkers resembling golden beads and dotted by lakes which glint like pearls.
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PETER ELLEGARD
FACTFILE
EGYPT Time difference: GMT +2 Getting there: Direct flights to Cairo are operated from London Heathrow by British Airways (www.ba.com; 0870 850 9 850), bmi (www.flybmi.com; 0870 6070 555) and Egyptair (www.egyptair.com; 020 7734 2343). Egyptair also flies from Heathrow to Sharm el Sheikh, while BA and easyJet (www.easyjet.com) fly there from London Gatwick. Charter flights operate to Sharm, Hurghada, Taba and Luxor from airports around the UK, with new services to White Med gateway Marsa Matruh from Gatwick and Manchester from May.
Getting around: Egyptair flies from Cairo to points throughout Egypt. Destinations and flight times include Luxor (60 minutes), Sharm el Sheikh (55 minutes) and Hurghada (45 minutes). Local taxis are inexpensive and plentiful in cities and resorts.
Climate: Egypt is an arid country; 96% of it is desert. Summers are hot and dry and winters warm, with little rainfall. Breezes help keep Red Sea resorts cooler, while the Mediterranean coast has a more temperate climate. VISAS: UK nationals need a tourist visa, which can be obtained from the Egyptian consulate in London (020 7235 9777; www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk) or at the airport on arrival into Egypt. They cost £15 single entry. UK nationals travelling only to Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba resorts for a maximum of 14 days do not require a visa prior to travel as a free entry stamp will be granted upon arrival. Tourist information: Contact the Egyptian State Tourist Office on 020 7493 5283 or visit www.egypt.travel
Feluccas and Nile sunset at Luxor.
tombs and Nile cruises; Alexandria and the stunning White Med coast; the fascinating deserts and oases of Egypt’s interior, with sights including Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery; and the Red Sea Riviera, where resorts offer beautiful beaches, hotels ranging from family-friendly to luxury spa retreats, shopping and nightlife, and activities galore – including world-class diving on the closest coral reef to the UK. Whether you want to play the odd round on a holiday with non-golfing partners or families, or combine great golf with exploring its amazing sights and attractions, Egypt is, quite simply, without par. Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises
Yet Egypt is very much a year-round golf destination, despite its arid climate. While golf is mostly played in the cooler months from September to mid-May, summers are less fierce and less humid than in the Gulf. Cairo’s summer day temperatures rarely exceed the mid-30s Centigrade and sea breezes temper the heat on coastal courses. Egypt is just a five-hour flight away, and there are direct scheduled flights to Cairo and Red Sea resort Sharm el Sheikh as well as charter flights to Luxor, the Red Sea and Mediterranean. With the country such good value for money, it is tipped to remain one of the top holiday destinations for Brits in 2010. And with golf cheaper than many other destinations, it can easily be included in a holiday without breaking the bank. But Egypt’s greatest allure for golfers it that it offers so much more. Choose from the history and romance of Cairo, with its iconic pyramids, the Nile and atmospheric Islamic Quarter; Luxor’s grand pharaonic ruins, royal
Aerial view of the Madinat Makadi course.
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A fresh golden age of golf is bringing a spate of new courses to Egypt’s ancient capital. The Mena House courses nestles right by the pyramids.
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he old and the new blend together to provide memorable golf in and around Egypt’s capital, Cairo. For those who enjoy playing on courses awash with history, surely no layout can offer a spectacle more majestic than the towering edifice of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, which looms high over the fairways of the Mena House Golf Club in Giza. It is one of two 9-hole golf courses built in the 1880s when Egypt was occupied by British forces still existing today. The other venerable survivor is the Gezira Sporting Club – a green oasis in the heart of the bustling metropolis of Cairo. Once a thriving centre for golf – there were at least five 18-hole grass courses and a sand course in the capital in the first half of the 20th century – they were Cairo’s only golf facilities for 40 years as the sport was all but forgotten. Over the past 12 years, a new golden age of golf has dawned. Six new golf courses have
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Island, in the Nile. The Gezira Sporting Club was originally established by the British 125 years ago on a 150-acre site created as a botanical garden for Egyptian ruler Khedive Ismail, and luxuriant vegetation highlights its origins. The club was a focal point for Cairo’s high society for many years. The course was once an 18-hole layout within a horse-racing track, but land was needed for other facilities in the 1960s and the course was reduced to its present set-up of nine fairways with double tee boxes and greens. Guests are welcome if accompanied by a member.
Pyramid-shaped tee marker at Dreamland.
• Accommodation: The historic, fivestar Cairo Marriott, a former royal palace, is a few minutes’ walk away. Other top Cairo hotels are nearby.
Mena House Golf Club 18 holes (played on 9 fairways), par 68, 5,315 yards. Opened 1889 www.oberoihotels.com
Play golf on Egypt’s most dramatic setting and you can almost touch the pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Cheops towers high above the course. Another centurion, the 9-hole Mena House course is part of the luxury and equally-historic Mena House Oberoi hotel. The course is due to undergo a much-delayed revamp, the new-look Mena House eventually featuring lakes, floodlighting for night play and automated irrigation. It will also be extended to a par 70 from its present par 68. The course has nine fairways with double tees and greens. Katameya Heights began the current golf boom.
Gezira Sporting Club 18 holes (played on 9 fairways), par 70, 5,708 yards. Opened 1882 www.geziragolf.com
Egypt’s oldest golf course is a green oasis right in the heart of Cairo, on Zamatek
Mena House Oberoi
• Accommodation: There is no on-site hotel.
Dreamland Golf & Tennis Resort 27 holes, par 72, 7,205 yards. Opened 1997 www.dreamlandgolf.com
Just 10 minutes from the Pyramids of Giza, this 27-hole facility offers superb views to the ancient structures. The best views are from the newer 9-hole addition supplementing the original course. There is no mistaking where you are; the five sets of tee markers mimic the nearby pyramids while miniature obelisks imaginatively convey the yardage and par information for each hole. The new nine follows the same theme, the opening hole being called Ramses the First. The ostensibly-open aspect of this Karl Litten design masks tight fairways separated by vast waste sand areas. Further challenges are provided by mounding and several large lakes, two of them adding drama to the 9th and 18th holes which finish in front of the Hilton Pyramids hotel, alongside which is
Katameya Heights 18 holes, par 72, 6,800 yards + 9 holes, par 35. Opened: 1997 www.katameyaheights.com
The first of Cairo’s new wave of courses, it features an 18-hole Championship Course by French architect Yves Bureau and a 9-hole layout. The main course covers hilly terrain and has some dramatic elevation changes, notably on the signature, par-5 15th. It offers sweeping views from the tees to Giza’s distant pyramids, dropping to the fairway
Dreamland Golf & Tenni s Resort
Cairo’s golf courses:
Oberoi Hotels
opened, most as part of leisure resorts or with accommodation on-site. And this year will see the opening of another pair, designed by two of golf’s superstars, as Cairo bucks the global downturn. The Allegria, a signature Greg Norman Course in West Cairo’s Sheikh Zayed City, and the Katameya Dunes courses by Sir Nick Faldo are both due to soft open this spring or early summer. Several more golf courses are planned as part of developments in coming years, too, with construction already under way on golf and real estate community New Giza which will feature two courses by Thomson Perrett & Lobb.
• Accommodation: The course is next to the luxury Mena House Oberoi hotel, which sits in 40 acres of gardens.
100 feet below. The 9-hole course is no pushover, featuring a 500-yard, par-5 hole as well as bunkers and water. Katameya has a double-ended driving range, three practice greens and a golf academy. Its elegant clubhouse features a swimming pool, lounges, bars, restaurants, a pub and billiards room with full-size snooker and pool tables. There is also a children’s centre with facilities including two pools and a nursery for mums with babies.
Hilton Pyramids hotel.
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the recently-added Indiana Jones-style golf clubhouse, complete with waterfalls, rocks and a wooden bridge. The resort is part of a 2,000-acre development encompassing the Dreampark amusement park.
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• Accommodation: The adjacent Hilton Pyramids features rooms with balconies overlooking the pool or golf course and features a gym, tennis, swim-up bar and a kid’s club with its own pool.
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The lush Mirage City course.
Mirage City Golf Club 27 holes, par 72, 7,108 yards. Opened 1999 http://golf.jwmarriottcairo.com/golf
• Accommodation: The course is set around the luxury, 428-room JW Marriott Cairo. Leisure facilities include six floodlit tennis courts and a themed water park boasting Cairo’s only beach. Some rooms even offer a beach view. Hard spikes: cactus on the Amarante Golf City course.
Amarante Golf City 18 holes, par 72, 7,200 yards. Opened 2000 www.amarantegolfcity.com
Another course in the eastern suburbs of Cairo and just 10 minutes from the city’s airport, Golf City was designed by French architect Yves Bureau. It may be less demanding than Cairo’s other 18-hole courses, but its undulating, villa-lined fairways are immaculately manicured. The signature hole is the par-4 9th, which features two lakes with decorative fountains which golfers must negotiate to reach the green. New, deeper bunkering has recently been added and the course has been lengthened.
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Katameya Dunes opens in late summer.
Katameya Dunes Golf Resort
This Peter Harradine-designed course, part of a 400-acre development which includes the JW Marriott Cairo, belies its desert origin. Numerous lakes, streams and waterfalls are set among lush fairways lined by trees and exotic plants. The signature par-3 12th is a visual delight, but a beauty with bite, while several other demanding holes might leave players calling for their mummies, not least the finishing hole. The par-4 18th finishes with a dramatic raised green and the toughest approach shot on the course. Anything right disappears into a valley and those coming up short fall back into a rock-lined stream.
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The course has a floodlit driving range, clubhouse with gym, health club, restaurants and swimming pool, and floodlit clay tennis courts. • Accommodation: A hotel is planned in the future.
Orange Lakes Golf Club 18 holes, par 71, 7,026 yards. Opened 2008 www.orangelakesgc.com
Cairo’s newest course, this design by Arthur Davis opened in November 2008 and is part of the El Ein Valley development on the Cairo to Alexandria Desert Road. It is named after the orange tree groves planted around the course and the five large,
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OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS A city which permeates all your senses, Cairo is simply captivating. Everywhere you look you will find reminders of its glorious past and rich cultural heritage. This is no city living in the past, however, with new roads, an expanding metro system and mushrooming satellite cities underlining its goal to be a modern metropolis.
Egypt Tourist Authority
The Sphinx.
However, it is the past people come to see. And one of the highlights is the venerable Egyptian Museum. Due to be rehoused in one of the satellite cities. It holds some of ancient Egypt’s greatest artefacts. Tutankhamun’s treasures take pride of place but there is much else from the time of the pharaohs to wonder at, including the Mummy Room.
is planned for the future.
The Allegria
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man-made lakes which add bite to it. The clubhouse has a terrace and restaurant. • Accommodation: A 60-room boutique hotel
18 holes, 7,470 yards. Opening 2010 www.allegriacairo.com
Cairo’s true spirit comes alive at night in the labyrinthine narrow streets of its atmospheric Khan el Khalili Cairo’s Khan el Khalili bazaar.
• Accommodation: There is no on-site hotel.
Katameya Dunes Golf Resort
Egypt Tourist Authority
18 holes, par 72, 7,445 yards + 9 holes, par 36 Opening: 2010 www.katameyadunes.net
• Accommodation: There is no on-site hotel.
Horse and cart by the Pyramids.
The Nile bisects Cairo. You can sail in one of the traditional felucca sailing boats which zigzag across the river, dodging brightly-lit tourist cruisers, or simply enjoy the scene from a river-bank hotel restaurant or bar.
This Greg Norman signature course is located west of Cairo in the new Sheikh Zayed City community development, also on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road. The course, which soft opens on May 1, 2010, will be managed by Troon Golf and marks the company’s entry into Egypt. It will include an academy.
Sir Nick Faldo’s first layout in Egypt is in association with Schmidt-Curley Design and features a championship 18-hole course plus a 9-hole par-3 course and a golf academy. A “desert oasis” styled course, it is set on duneland on the outskirts of Cairo and is due to open in late summer, 2010.
Coptic Museum, Cairo.
Troon Golf
The Allegria soft opens in May.
bazaar district, in the city’s UNESCO World Heritagelisted Islamic Quarter. Traders loudly cajole passers-by into haggling for hand-crafted items adorning the many
Egypt Tourist Authority
Just outside the city in Giza, the pyramids and the iconic Sphinx are Cairo’s top draw for visitors. Go during the day to gaze in awe at the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the ancient Wonders of the World, and its sibling structures. You can take a horse or camel ride around them and into the nearby desert. Then go back at night and see them lit up in the spectacular Sound and Light Show.
Tutankhamun’s mask, Egyptian Museum.
shopfronts. A nearby highlight is the beautiful, 1,000year-old Al-Azhar Mosque, with its graceful minarets and crenulated walls. Dominating Cairo’s skyline, the massive Citadel fortress was originally built by Saladin in the 12th century and looks out across the Islamic Quarter. Step inside to see its mosques, Jewel Palace and museums. Discover Cairo’s Coptic history with a visit to the Coptic Museum, set in a garden in the Roman-era Babylon Fort, several walls of which still survive. The 3rd or 4th century El-Muallaqa Church is Cairo’s oldest Christian church and is known as the “Hanging Church” as it is built over a Roman gate. For a day trip, head out to see the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, 30km south of Cairo. It is located at what was the necropolis for Egypt’s ancient capital, Memphis.
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EGYPT’s white Med With new beach resorts, white-sand beaches and epic history, Egypt’s northern coast is coming to the fore.
The White Med coast has over 500km of beaches.
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ewly branded as Egypt’s White Med, the country’s northern coast is the new frontier for the country’s tourism. It blends the history, mystery and romance of Alexandria – the historic city from where Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra, ruled – with over 500km of dazzling, whitesand Mediterranean beaches along which new resorts are burgeoning. New Thomson Airways charter flights from Manchester and Gatwick to Marsa Matruh, a small harbour town three hours’ drive west of Alexandria, from May will open up this growing region even more to the UK. Among new resorts between Alexandria and Marsa Matruh are Almaza and Ghazala, plus Porto Marina, close to El Alamein, where Germany’s “Desert Fox” Rommel was defeated in a decisive battle by Allied forces
Egypt Tourist Authority
Alexandria’s harbour front.
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in World War II. For golfers, too, the region is a blend of the old and new. They can play one of Egypt’s most venerable golf clubs, built by the British over 120 years ago near the city’s ancient harbour, as well as one of its newest. There are plans for more courses, including at Marsa Matruh and at the proposed Marassi master-planned resort near El Alamein. This is the land of the Nile Delta and of endless beaches, with beguiling desert oasis settlements a day trip away. The focal point is Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great and ruled over by the Ptolemies until Cleopatra took her own life after her lover, Mark Anthony, was defeated by Roman emperor Octavian. Once one of the world’s grandest cities, it boasted one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World in the form of the Pharos of Alexandria, but
earthquakes, a tsunami and invaders wrought terrible destruction. Today as Egypt’s second city, this bustling metropolis is full of historic sights and attractions, as well as more recent edifices. For golfers and beach-lovers alike, a big attraction of northern Egypt is that the climate is cooler than further south, with sea breezes moderating temperatures even more. This where you can play golf on Egypt’s White Med coast:
Alexandria Sporting Club Alexandria
18 holes, par 70, 5,960 yards. Opened 1889 www.nadisporting.com
One of Egypt’s most exclusive institutions, the Alexandria Sporting Club welcomes visiting golfers on its verdant fairways and greens. They offer a tranquil escape from the hurly burly of modern Alexandria, Egypt’s frenetic second city. The traditional English-style layout opened in 1889 and is very short by today’s standards, but with challenges in the form of small greens guarded by yawning bunkers and fairways lined by mature trees. The longest hole is the 580-yard, par-5 14th. The Alexandria Sporting Club offers other leisure pursuits and activities besides golf in this oasis of green in the centre of the city, among them horse-riding, polo, tennis, squash and swimming, while the clubhouse has a restaurant and bar. • Accommodation: There is no accommodation on-site, but there are many hotels in Alex-
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andria including historic heritage properties such as the Samalek Palace, Metropole and Windsor hotels.
Porto Marina El Alamein
18 holes (played on 9 fairways), par 68, 5,315 yards. Opened 2007 www.porto-marina.com
Alexandria and Egypt’s White Med
Alexandria’s fort.
Founded by Alexander the Great in about 331BC and ruled over by Cleopatra as the last Egyptian pharaoh, Alexandria once boasted the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. The 40-metre-high structure was the tallest on earth and stood by the harbour, but was destroyed in the Middle Ages. A 15th century fort now stands on its foundations. Surviving Greek and Roman ruins include the Catacombs of Kom al-Shuqafa and Egypt’s only Roman amphitheatre. The city was famed for the Library of Alexandria, the ancient world’s largest. It is now home to the striking, glass-roofed Bibliotheca Alexandrina library, inaugurated in 2003.
Museum. The Museum of Fine Arts contains a collection of architectural pieces, art and sculptures.
East of Alexandria The ancient city of Rosetta, 65km east of Alexandria, is famed for being where the 2,000-year-old Rosetta Stone was discovered. Now housed in the British Museum, it was covered in hieroglyphics, another Egyptian script and classical Greek, and after its discovery in 1799 helped unlock the secrets of the previously undecipherable hieroglyphics. Rosetta became the principle port on Egypt’s northern coast following Alexandria’s decline after the Ottoman conquest in the 16th century. It is noted for the Delta-style Ottoman architecture of its restored merchants’ houses.
ALL PHOTOS Egypt Tourist Authority
The first new course on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, Porto Marina is part of a resort complex with a hotel, canals and a lagoon. At just over 5,300 yards and with a par of 62, it is shorter than championship layouts but longer than executive courses – hence its description as a “Super Executive” course. The course also has a fleet of buggies. Porto Marina’s course uses salt water-tolerant Paspalum grass to conserve fresh water and is laid out on a stretch of coastal desert. Three lakes provide hazards on some holes as well as much-needed water for irrigation.
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Porto Marina
West of Alexandria The beautiful sands to the west of Alexandria entice visitors with resorts offering beaches, sun and water sports. One-time coastal village El Alamein, 60km west of the city, is now a resort destination with luxury hotels. A war museum and cemetery commemorate the battleground where Montgomery defeated Germany’s Rommel in World War II. Porto Marina driving range.
They also attract birds and other wildlife. Extensive teaching and practice facilities encompass a 300-yard floodlit driving range and a golf academy. • Accommodation: Porto Marina’s hotel is 10km away from the golf course, which is served by a shuttle bus. The hotel is located by the resort’s marina and offers water sports, tennis and horse riding. Facilities include a thalassotherapy centre.
Kom al-Shuqafa Catacombs in Alexandria.
Among former royal palaces are Montazah, built by the last Khedive of Egypt in 1892 and set in gardens used for concerts and theatre performances, and Fatma el-Zahara, now the Royal Jewellery Museum.
Marsa Matruh, 290km west of Alexandria, is a burgeoning resort with soft, white beaches, azure seas and rock formations. The Rommel Museum is here. Siwa Oasis, 300km south of Marsa Matruh in the Sahara, can be visited on a tour and includes the impressive remains of the historic Shali fortress. War museum at El Alamein.
While little of ancient Alexandria survives, relics from the period from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD chronicle the city’s heyday in the Graeco-Roman
Porto Marina
Line-up of golf buggies at Porto Marina.
Siwa Oasis.
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EGYPT’s RED SEA RIVIERA Play golf amid spectacular mountain scenery.
The Sinai
Taba Heights Golf Resort
Taba. 18 holes, par 72, 7,093 yards. Opened 2007 www.tabaheights.com
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olf first arrived on the Red Sea Riviera 12 years ago, with the first course a John Sanford design near the Sinai Peninsula’s southern tip at Sharm el Sheikh. The opening of another Sanford course at purpose-built resort Taba Heights, near the Israel border, three years ago means there are now two golf facilities at either end of the peninsula – both with its distinctive pink mountains as a backdrop. There is no shortage of things to do in the Sinai away from the fairways. If you don’t want to simply laze on the region’s wonderful beaches, you can take part in a wide range of activities and sports or go sightseeing to soak up the Sinai’s amazing history and natural sights. Sharm is one of Egypt’s top resorts and is lively by day and by night. Red Sea diving was pioneered here, and over the years the resort has developed from a haunt for divers to the all-action holiday hotspot it is today, catering to a broad spread of holidaymakers and having a strong family appeal. Taba Heights is a self-contained holiday destination which appeals to the active-minded as well as those who want to be pampered. These are the Sinai’s golf facilities:
This recent addition to Egypt’s growing stock of courses enjoys a dramatic setting at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba, looking across the Red Sea Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. It is part of the stylish new resort of Taba Heights, which sits on a 5km stretch of beach and includes hotels with striking contemporary architecture in pastel shades. The stark Sinai Mountains rise up directly behind the resort, turning a glorious crimson in the setting sun along with the distant peaks across the Gulf. Holes climb up a slope towards the mountains before dropping back to the sea. The 17th green and 18th tee nestle close to the water’s edge. Because of the elevation changes, walking is not allowed. Buggies are mandatory and are included in the green fee.
Camels and driver at Taba Heights.
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12th hole at Taba Heights.
The hardest hole on the course, the 620yard, par-5 14th, is also its longest – and one of Egypt’s longest. The course offers plenty of target golf for shot-makers, demanding approach shots to greens over water, bunkers, desert waste areas and flood canals. You may have a spectator or two as you take your final drive on the 18th – the club’s resident camels. • Accommodation: The Taba Heights resort has five upmarket hotels, offering a wide range of leisure and recreation facilities including spas. Guests also have resort-wide transportation, a marina, dine-around options and a water sports and diving centre.
Maritim Jolie Ville Golf & Resort Sharm el Sheikh. 18 holes, par 72, 6,587 yards. Opened 1998 www.maritim.com
The first golf course on Egypt’s Red Sea
Riviera, it is set on the outskirts of Sharm el Sheikh in the Sinai Peninsula and has the rose-pink Sinai Mountains as a glorious backcloth. The testing course incorporates 18 manmade lakes, 16 of them salt water, and 5,000 trees and shrubs. Golfers may also see some of its 15 migrating bird species, nine listed as endangered. Water hazards come into play on a number of the holes, including on the most challenging hole, the dogleg par-4 12th, where a lake guards the green for the approach shot into the prevailing wind. There’s a golf academy, two-hole short game area and double-ended driving range. • Accommodation: Leisure facilities at the
The Sinai One of the world’s top diving destinations, the Red Sea is the closest coral reef to the UK. Sharm el Sheikh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is one of its main diving resorts. Nearby Ras Mohamed National Park is noted for its sightings of sharks, turtles, barracuda and other big fish as well as for its spectacular coral formations. Many hotels have their own dive centres where you can learn to dive. Most diving from Sharm is on day boat excursions, although you can go on a live-aboard expedition from there to sail to less accessible reefs and wrecks. Taba Heights offers excellent diving and snorkelling, notably at Pharaoh’s Island. Pharaoh’s Island, Taba.
Monastery and Mount Sinai. The 1,500-yeard-old monastery was built around a chapel housing the biblical Burning Bush, while Mount Sinai was where Moses was given the 10 Commandments. A popular option is to climb Mount Sinai at night to witness the spectacular dawn from the top.
Egypt Tourist Authority
Natural attractions include the mountainous Abu Galum natural reserve, between Taba and Sharm, where wildlife includes Nubian ibex, hyrax and striped hyena. Among other Sinai wonders are the Coloured Canyon, named for its brightly-hued sandstone formations, the White Canyon and several oases.
Both Sharm and Taba also offer other water sports including sailing, water-skiing, kite-surfing, paragliding and board sailing.
Shoppers can buy silk and Egyptian cotton clothing, gold and silver jewellery or onyx from Na’ama Bay’s shopping mall in Sharm. For local handcrafts, try the Sharm el Sheikh Old Market, in reality a new market in Old Sharm.
On land, you can go camel riding, wadi-bashing and take four-wheel-drive tours into the desert in the Sinai as well as visit Bedouin tribe camps to take tea or coffee or to dine out under the stars.
Maritim Jolie Ville course, Sharm el Sheikh.
Parasailing at Taba Heights.
Dive boats at Sharm el Sheikh.
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You can take many day or half-day excursions from both Sharm el Sheikh and Taba Heights. They include visiting the Sinai Peninsula’s historic St Catherine’s
Taba Heights Golf Resort
Peter Ellegard
Crystal clear Red Sea waters.
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adjacent resort hotel include Egypt’s biggest water theme park. A huge, landscaped swimming complex features sea and fresh-water pools, water slides and a lazy river. It also offers tennis, a health club, a man-made beach and a dive centre. Sharm also has many other hotels, from three-star to luxury.
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At night you can hit the bars and nightclubs in Sharm. And if you want to indulge yourself, treatments with a local slant are offered by hotel spas. At the Ritz-Carlton in Sharm el Sheikh, you can try an Egyptian coffee scrub, a Pharaoh’s Bath and a spa treatment called Cleopatra’s Indulgence featuring an aromatic milk bath – but asps not included. Na’ama Bay, Sharm.
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Taba Heights Golf Resort
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The Western Red Sea Egypt’s fastest-growing golf region.
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which run through the resort – is due to get a second course at the adjacent Ancient Sands Golf Resort project. There are also plans for four courses at the fledgling resort of Sahl Hashish, which is being turned into a luxury resort with a fantasy element, featuring a sunken “lost city” with submerged ruins. Another course is on the cards for Gamsha Bay. Hurghada City, the gateway to the Western Red Sea and an established holiday destination in its own right, also has a golf facility, albeit a par-3 course. Along with the Sinai’s Sharm el Sheikh, it is the main centre for diving in the Red Sea. With golf in close proximity for the most part – all but Stella di Mare are within 35 minutes of Hurghada City – it makes a golfing holiday very much an option in this area, allowing golfers to base themselves in one resort and play at others after a short journey. The Western Red Sea is also perfect if you prefer a beach vacation with some occasional golf. And with Luxor just a four-hour journey by road, it is perfect for a two-centre beach and Nile stay.
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Madinat Makadi Golf Resort Makadi Bay. 18 holes, par 72, 7,500 yards. Opened 2008 www.madinatmakadigolf.com
The Red Sea’s newest golf course is the crown jewel in this new tourist resort village, 35km south of Hurghada City. At 7,500 yards from the back of its six sets of tees, the John Sanford layout is one of the longest in Egypt and spans a massive 350 acres of land which has a number of elevation changes. Built to USPGA standards, it features three lakes, waterfalls and a meandering stream, while five holes offer a view of the ocean and the resort. The championship course is augmented Splashing out from a bunker at Madinat Makadi.
Madinat Makadi’s par-3 course with the Jaz Makadi Golf Hotel and main course behind.
Suite at the Jaz Makadi Golf Hotel.
Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises
ith so much resort development taking place along the Red Sea’s Western coast, it is hardly surprising that much of Egypt’s golf development is also focused in the region. It now offers golfers four 18-hole courses plus a designer par-3 layout, from close to Suez at the top of the Red Sea down to Soma Bay, below the gateway city of Hurghada City. That number is set to grow as the country continues opening up new resorts and expanding existing ones down the length of this part of the Red Sea Riviera coastline. The first golf course to open on this coast was Gary Player’s Soma Bay masterpiece, The Cascades, in 1998. While the latest addition is the 7,500-yard Madinat Makadi course in the purpose-built resort village of the same name, less than half an hour from Hurghada’s airport, which opened at the end of 2008. That underlines Egypt’s golf development strategy in resort areas, with courses alongside upmarket resort hotels so that they are a complete destination. The new Jaz Makadi Golf hotel, is at the centre of Madinat Makadi resort’s golf complex, with sister properties in the resort as well as facilities including restaurants, a souk, entertainment and the beach reached by shuttles. A tourist train also links hotels and other facilities in the main part of the resort. New golf facilities are in the pipeline, too. This autumn will see the opening of the new El Ein Bay 18-hole resort course by Thomson Perrett & Lobb in El Ein, the closest beach resort to Cairo. While nearby Ain Soukhna – which already boasts the Stella di Mare resort with its 18-hole course – will gain a 9-hole layout at the Jaz Little Venice Golf Resort by the end of 2010. Meanwhile, El Gouna – known as the “Venice of the Red Sea” because of the canals
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by a par-3 executive course, golf academy, 80-bay dogleg driving range and three fulllength practice holes. • Accommodation: The five-star, 70-room Jaz Makadi Golf Hotel is next to the course and incorporates the clubhouse. One of nine hotels in the resort village, it opened in late 2008 with a private party of A-list celebrities thrown by Scary Spice, Melanie Brown, to celebrate the renewal of her wedding vows.
Stella di Mare Golf Resort PETER ELLEGARD
Ain Soukhna. 18 holes, par 72, 7,108 yards. Opened 2006 www.stelladimare.com
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Located near the top of the Gulf of Suez, Stella di Mare resort is in Ain Soukhna, the
Golf Escapes 2010
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS
The Western Red Sea Diving is one of the most popular activities in this region, with many coral reefs and wrecks to explore. Hurghada City is the Western Red Sea’s main dive resort and has numerous dive centres. There is also diving at Madinat Makadi, El Gouna, Soma Bay and other resorts. Longer trips on liveaboard dive boats operate out of Hurghada, typically Red Sea corals. spending a week sailing to more distant sites.
lapped by the crystal-clear Red Sea fronts the resort, offering an array of sport and leisure options. • Accommodation: The Golf Hotel, overlooking the practice facilities, is one of three properties forming the Stella Di Mare Resort. The pharaohnic-style Thalasso Palace is the Middle East’s largest thalassotherapy centre and offers the latest hydro self-massage equipment. You can enjoy revitalising natural mud treatments in the shallow Red Sea waters.
El Gouna Resort
Jaz Hotels, Resorts & Cruises
closest Red Sea resort to Cairo and just over an hour by road from the capital. The Links, designed by Karl Litten, offers golfers wide, rolling fairways which invite full-blooded drives but which also has strategically-placed hazards to catch errant shots. Water is a theme throughout. The course is next to the sea, lakes come into play on six holes and it has an aqua driving range as part of its golf academy. A wide stretch of private, sandy beach
Egypt Tourist Authority
You can take a day trip or sunset and barbeque cruise to one of the Red Sea’s many offshore islands. Watch out for dolphins on the way. From Hurghada City, boat trips go to islands including Giftun, a beautiful national park island, and set passengers down on a secluded,
Desert 4x4 safari.
sandy beach to spend the day lazing, swimming and snorkelling. From El Gouna, sailing boats search out coves and unspoilt islands. Tobia Island is a small, sandy island popular for tourist boat trips from Soma Bay. The vast expanses of desert behind the resorts are an action-packed adventure playground. Half-day or daytrip excursions into the desert allow you to try riding a camel, go horse riding or quad biking, take a 4x4 safari, visit a Bedouin village, smoke a traditional hookah water pipe and have a barbeque dinner under the stars. Kite-surfers by the Red Sea.
El Gouna Resort
Stella di Mare Golf Resort
You can also cross the desert to visit Luxor on a day trip from western Red Sea resorts, although you should aim to spend several days there. It takes nearly four hours each way.
Putting at Stella di Mare.
Ain Soukhna is an ideal base from which to explore the Eastern Desert and visit its historic monasteries. Just 90 minutes away, St Anthony’s was founded in 356AD and is the world’s oldest active monastery. Nearby St Paul’s Monastery is thought to date back to the 5th century. Both are grand, fortified complexes set in the Red Sea mountains. A day trip could also include a visit to the Suez Canal.
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WESTERN RED SEA RESORTS
GOLF
Egypt’s new kids on the block augment an established favourite Makadi Bay.
Hurghada City
EGYPT TOURIST AUTHORITY
The Western Red Sea’s largest and longest-established resort, Hurghada City has an extensive range of hotels appealing to a wide cross-section of holidaymakers. It has a very lively centre with plenty of nightlife and there are lots of sports and activities available along its sandy beaches. It is also one of the region’s top diving destinations.
Madinat Makadi This resort village newcomer south of Hurghada City has nine hotels. Top properties are the five-star Jaz Makadi Golf hotel, next to the new golf course, and sister five-star Jaz Makadi Star, which has a spa. There is very much a community feel to the resort. Leisure facilities are open to guests of all the hotels. The Souk Makadi is the heart of the village and has outdoor entertainment, bars, restaurants and shops. A wide beach offers safe swimming in Makadi Bay and dive boats head out from its pier. Makadi Bay.
ing and other water sports from its extensive beaches, and diving from nine dive centres – it is the closest resort to the famous Thistlegorm wreck and has many reef sites.
Steigenberger Al Dau Resort
Hurghada 9 holes, par 27, 622 yards. Opened 2006 www.steigenbergeraldau.com
Ain Soukhna Cairo’s closest beach, at less than 50 miles east, is a developing resort just south of Suez, at the top of the Red Sea. The existing golf course is being augmented by more, with Thomson, Perrett and Lobb’s El Ein Bay project due to open in autumn 2010 and the 9-hole Jaz Little Venice Golf Resort opening by the end of 2010.
Convenience is the name of the game for the par-3 Al Dau course. Just 5km from the centre of Hurghada City and 3km from its airport, it is a pitch and putt course nestling between resort accommodation units and a snaking lake on a beach overlooking the Red Sea. But that’s no reason to dismiss it. Far from being mini-golf or crazy golf, it is a serious test of your short game designed by Swiss architect Peter Harradine, who has more than 200 courses to his name around the world. Al Dau is even a member of prestigious global golf tourism association IAGTO and boasts its own clubhouse with a restaurant, bar and patio, all with Red Sea views. The course is floodlit for night play and has a lake crossed by three holes.
EGYPT TOURIST AUTHORITY
Wide, sandy beaches, good-quality hotels, the proximity of Cairo and sights including the Eastern Desert’s monasteries are part of its appeal.
Soma Bay An expanding upmarket resort on a peninsula south of Hurghada City, its exclusive La Residence des Cascades, built in the centre of The Cascades golf course, caters to golfers and spa clients. It houses the Sheraton Soma Bay spa. huge Les Thermes Marins des Cascades thalassotherapy centre. Other hotels include the adjacent pharaonic-styled Sheraton Soma Bay. Facilities include the Red Sea’s largest diving centre.
Shopping arcade in El Gouna.
EL GOUNA RESORT
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
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El Gouna Marina.
El Gouna
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EL GOUNA RESORT
The “Venice of the Red Sea”, north of Hurghada City, has over a dozen hotels, from five-star properties to boutique B&Bs, plus elegant private villas, a Mediterranean-style marina lined with restaurants and bars, a shopping centre, casino and art galleries. There’s sail-
Soma Bay EL GOUNA RESORT
Waterways line El Gouna’s fairways.
• Accommodation: The on-site Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel is a five-star property with extensive water sports and leisure facilities, and the Algotherm Thalasso & Spa centre.
Surf and turf: putting on Soma Bay’s signature 5th hole.
El Gouna Golf Club
El Gouna, 18 holes, par 72, 6,856 yards. Opened 1999 www.elgouna.com
Just 20 minutes from Hurghada City, Egypt’s own Venice is a maze of waterways, lagoons and bridges around which is set a leisure community and resort with brightlycoloured, striking architecture. The resort bears all the design hallmarks of its younger sibling, Taba Heights, which is echoed in the course’s landmark clubhouse. The course was designed by Gene Bates and Fred Couples and, in keeping with its co-creator, couples splashes of desert and large bunkers with lush fairways and greens as it winds around waterways lined by hotels and
The Cascades at Soma Bay Soma Bay. 18 holes, par 72, 6,991 yards. Opened 1998 www.somabay.com EL GOUNA RESORT
villas. The course features an aqua driving range while the clubhouse incorporates a health and fitness club and a restaurant in the tower. A second golf course, at the heart of the Ancient Sands Golf Resort, is being built behind the resort’s new marina. It will be a Karl Litten design. • Accommodation: El Gouna has 14 hotels, all connected by shuttles which also take guests to the Mediterranean-style marina in Soma Bay.
The centrepiece of the upscale Soma Bay resort community 35 minutes from Hurghada City, the Cascades championship course is a desert links masterpiece right on the Red Sea. It was designed by South African golf maestro Gary Player, who has described it as “the next Pebble Beach”. Several holes are set along the top of low cliffs pounded by waves or swell as the course carves a figure of eight through desert scrub around the Soma Bay peninsula. Waves sometimes create dramatic spray backdrops when golfers putt on the green of its signature par-3 5th hole. Another hole tempts risk-takers with a split fairway. A driving range, nine-hole par-3 course, which includes an island green, and golf academy complement the course. A second course is planned. • Accommodation:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts
Aqua range at the Steigenberger Al Dau.
the heart of the resort where there is shopping and dining. An Angsana spa is located at the Movenpick Resort.
El Gouna clubhouse.
Soma Bay has five hotels, the luxury La Residence des Cascades being surrounded by the course and housing one of the region’s largest thalassotherapy spas, Les Thermes Marins des Cascades.
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Fairways and pharaohs come together royally in Luxor.
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King Tut tees, Luxor
Egypt’s golf growth continues With at least two more courses opening this year and many more planned, Egypt’s growth as a golf destination continues apace. Sites range from the Mediterranean to Cairo and the Red Sea, and include designs by household names. Greg Norman’s signature design, The Allegria, soft opens in May at West Cairo’s Sheikh Zayed City, while the Katameya Dunes course by Sir Nick Faldo is due to open in late summer. Among other Cairo developments, construction is now under way at golf and real estate community New Giza, which will feature a course by Thomson Perrett & Lobb. Due to open in 2012, the site is set on hills with views to the pyramids. The 1,500-acre New Giza project will also include an MGM Grand Resort, opening in 2013, as well as a second hotel, hospital, medical school, university and schools, sporting club and shopping mall plus housing. More golf is planned for the Mediterranean coast, now rebranded as Egypt’s White Med, including a course at new UK charter destination Marsa Matruh. Tim Lobb, left, and Ross Perrett at the New Giza site.
On the Red Sea, a second course is planned at El Gouna. A Karl Litten design, it will be in the adjacent Ancient Sands Golf Resort project which will also include luxury hotels, a spa, lagoons, a marina and villas, townhouses and apartments. The first phase opens in 2012. At least two courses are also planned at developing resort Sahl Hasheesh.
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Luxor. 18 holes, par 72, 6,735 yards Opened 1999 www.golfluxor.com
Located on Luxor’s East Bank, 13km from its centre and 8km from the airport, Royal Valley is a course of two halves. After a front nine of generous fairways, numerous water hazards and protected greens, the back nine’s rolling fairways are narrower and feature larger waste areas. A long lake shared by the 10th and 18th fairways provides a formidable obstacle, notably on the finishing, par-5 hole. At 560 yards, it is the longest hole and finishes by the impressive Nubian-style clubhouse. Each hole has four tee positions. The King Tut tees tip the scales at 6,735 yards, while ladies and juniors tee up on Nefertity [Nefertiti] from a friendlier 5,215 yards. The evocative tee markers are reminders of this area’s rich past, being miniature busts of their pharaonic namesakes (the other tee positions are Ramsis [Ramses] II and Sphinx). Don’t forget to look up as you play. In the distance you can see the West Bank mountains bearing the valleys where the ancient kings and queens were laid to rest. Playing in such atmospheric surroundings adds a special element to a round at the Royal Valley, one that you will remember for a long time. • Accommodation: There are no hotels by the course. Among nearby Luxor hotels where you can base yourself is the four-star Iberotel Luxor, set right on Nile a short stroll from Luxor Temple. It has a floating swimming pool, on a pontoon moored on the Nile. All rooms have balconies, so you can sit back and watch hot air balloons rise above the West Bank across the river at dawn or enjoy the spectacle of a traditional feluccas tacking back and forth across the Nile at sunset without leaving your room.
PETER ELLEGARD
Royal Valley Golf Club INTO THE FUTURE
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that slow play is unheard of. In fact, chances are you won’t bump into any other golfers at all and you may even have the course to yourself. But that is a shame, because it is an undiscovered beauty best shared with golfing partners.
PETER ELLEGARD
nce the site of Thebes, Egypt’s ancient capital, Luxor and the surrounding Nile valley are so full of history you feel as though you are in the world’s largest outdoor museum. Golf, by contrast, is very much a recent arrival. Luxor’s Arthur Davis-designed golf course only opened just over 10 years ago. But you are still very much aware of the area’s incredible history. At Luxor’s Royal Valley Golf Club you can play from King Tut tees in the shadow of the temples and tombs of Egypt’s ancient ruling dynasties. Its mild winters are ideal for golf, and the course serves up golf fit for kings and queens. One of the joys of playing Royal Valley is
GOLF
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS
Luxor and the Nile Soak up over 3,000 years of history on a tour of both ancient banks of the Nile – possible in one day if you are really short of time, but better to spread out over several days. Make an early start and you will beat the hordes who arrive on tour buses from mid-morning onwards. On the East Bank, visit Karnak Temple and gaze in awe at the world’s largest temple complex, followed by the columns of the Temple of Luxor. If you are staying in the centre of Luxor you can walk to the temple. Return at
EGYPT TOURIST AUTHORITY
Luxor
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Luxor Temple.
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS
Luxor’s Royal Valley Golf Course.
night to see both. Catch the sunset and dusk at Luxor Temple, turning the sky shades of orange and pink over its illuminated columns and statues. And don’t miss the spectacular sound and light show at Karnak Temple.
Rock formations in the White Desert. EGYPT TOURIST AUTHORITY
Another early start is advised to visit the West Bank. Start at the Valley of the Kings, where Ramses the Great, Tutankhamen and many other pharaohs were buried. Marvel at the detailed carvings and painted walls of the tombs. Other beautiful tombs can be explored in the Valley of the Queens, below towering cliffs. A highlight not to miss is the terraced Temple of Hatsheput.
Spices in Luxor.
– watching it glide by as you relax in comfort. Take a day or overnight cruise north to Qena for a tour of Dendara’s Greco-Roman temple. If you have a few days to spare, cruise to Aswan, stopping off at Edfu for the Temple of Horus, Kom Ombo Temple, Aswan’s high Dam, the Temple of Philae and Abu Simbel’s temple. Soar high above Luxor’s ancient sites on a dawn balloon trip from the West Bank. Flights last up to 50 minutes.
Hot-air balloons over Luxor.
EGYPT TOURIST AUTHORITY
EGYPT TOURIST AUTHORITY
Peter Ellegard
Karnak Temple.
For a true Nile experience, board a traditional felucca craft. Sail from the East Bank to Banana Island, where you can ride a camel, or take a sunset sail. There are several options for Nile cruises, one of the best ways to enjoy the history, scenery and culture of the area
Explore the vibrant markets and souks of Luxor, Aswan and other places and take in the sights, sounds and smells permeating the air. Try your hand at haggling. A national sport in Egypt, it is always good-natured. You can also venture into the Western Desert to visit oasis communities Kharga and Dakhla, and tour the amazing rock formations of the White Desert, between Bahariya and Al-Farafra oases.
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Son Gual, Majorca
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Spain’s sunshine islands come of age for golf.
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ne of Europe’s favourite holiday haunts for over four decades, the Balearic Islands have come of age as a golf destination. With over two dozen golf courses – 24 of them on Majorca and one each on neighbouring Minorca and Ibiza – the islands’ allure for golfers is hardly surprising. It is far more than just the abundance of golf which makes the Balearics so appealing, however. It is a combination of
factors, from its glorious year-round golfing climate with over 300 days of sunshine each year to the vast array of non-golf options, including some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Green fees are excellent value, and the quality of the golf on offer is second to none. Indeed, Majorca’s spectacular Son Gual course was ranked 91st in Golf World’s Top 100 European Courses survey in 2009. While mass tourism put Majorca on the
Seafood, Ibiza style.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */R MARTINEZ
GOLF
Balearic Islands
SON GUAL
map, the product today is a far cry from the cheap and cheerful offerings of the 1960s. For those choosing to stay by the beach, the island’s resorts have become more sophisticated and hotels have upped the ante with more leisure facilities, dining options and entertainment. Alternatively, rent an apartment to give you total freedom. If you prefer your golf on tap, elegant hotels complete with spas overlook several courses. Or you can rent a villa in the quiet seclusion of the mountains,
ALL PHOTOS MARKED BALEARIC ISLANDS * ARE COURTESY OF: Government of the Balearic Islands/Conselleria de Turisme/Institut Balear del Turisme. OTHER PHOTOS CREDITED as marked.
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Balearic Islands Golf Courses Where to play golf around the Balearic Islands.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS SIEPMANN
Golf Son Parc, Minorca. See page 43.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS SIEPMANN
Golf Ibiza, Ibiza. See page 45.
Golf Santa Ponsa, Majorca. See page 36.
SIEPMANN BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS
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joining celebrities including model Claudia Schiffer and star couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones who now spend part of the year on the island. Although golf first arrived in the 1930s, the Balearics’ modern golf era began in 1964, with the opening of the Son Vida course near Majorca’s capital, Palma. By 1990 there were 10 courses on the island and by 2000 that had risen to 16. The courses include designs by Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Jose Maria Olazabal. The majority of Majorca’s golf courses are in the south-west, close to Palma. Several are sprinkled in the south-east, with a few more dotting the north-east and two located in the far north. But Majorca is so compact it is easy to stay anywhere and drive to any other part of the island for a leisurely round. From Palma to the north or north-east takes no more than an hour, and no two courses are more than 65km apart. Stay on Minorca and Ibiza and the golf courses there are even closer to hand. With all this in their favour, the Balearics are surely on course to becoming one of Europe’s favourite golfing havens.
Majorca - p34-42 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10-12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
Golf Alcanada Golf Canyamel Golf Capdepera Golf de Andratx Golf de Poniente Golf Maioris Golf Park Puntiro Golf Pollensa Golf Rotana Golf Santa Ponsa I, II, III Golf Son Gual Golf Son Muntaner Golf Son Quint Golf Son Quint Executive Golf Son Servera Golf Son Termens Golf Son Vida Marriott Golf Son Antem West Marriott Golf Son Antem East Pula Golf Real Golf de Bendinat Vall d’Or Golf
Minorca - p43-44 25.
Son Parc
Ibiza - p45-46 26.
Golf Ibiza
Son Vida is Majorca’s oldest course.
BALEARICS ISLANDS*/KLAUS SIEPMA NN
Key
FACTFILE
Balearic Islands Time difference: GMT +1 Getting there: Numerous flights by scheduled airlines, low-cost carriers and charter airlines serve Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza from airports around the UK. Flying time is about two to two and a half hours from London.
Getting around: Renting a car is the easiest way to get around the islands. Rent before you fly to ensure you get what you want, picking up the vehicle when you arrive. Majorca’s road network is very good, with all parts of the island easily accessible from Palma and resorts.
Climate: The Balearics enjoy a Mediterranean climate ideal for playing golf year-round, with mild winters, warm weather in spring and autumn and hot summers tempered by sea breezes. Tourist information: Visit
www.illesbalears.es for tourism information and www.mallorcagolfisland.com for golf information. Also visit www.spain.info/uk
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MAJORCA
The Mediterranean’s biggest golf island.
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olfers are spoilt for places to play right across Majorca. Take time to discover the Mediterranean’s largest golf island, and you will find 24 stunning courses, including designs by Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Jose Maria Olazabal, all of them within an hour’s drive of any villa or hotel on the island. Travel with golfing friends and you’ll find layouts to challenge and thrill everyone, no matter what their ability. Travel with family or non-golfing partners and you’ll soon discover what attracts millions of holidaymakers to visit Majorca year after year, including 35 Blue Flag beaches, excellent shopping, wonderful sports facilities, spectacular nightlife, world-class cuisine and inspiring local culture. Wherever you stay you will be able to enjoy courses anywhere on the island and you will probably have golf right on your doorstep.
Palma and the West
The south-west corner of Majorca is where most of the island’s golf courses are clustered.
In fact, you can find more than half the island’s 24 courses in this area, all of them within a radius of 20 miles or so. Not surprising, considering this is where you find the capital, Palma, and some of Majorca’s most popular resorts. If you want to mix golf with a spot of sunbathing or nightclubbing, you can stay right on the beach in lively resorts such as Magaluf, Palma Nova, Arenal and Santa Ponsa. Or you can spend time when not on the fairways soaking up culture and history in Palma before enjoying the city’s vibrant nightlife. Some of Majorca’s most established courses are in the west, among them its first facility, Son Vida, the first of Santa Ponsa’s three courses and Golf de Poniente which followed in the 1970s. Here, too, are some of its newest layouts, including the Golf Park Puntiro course by Nicklaus Design, the company headed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, and Son Gual – the only course on the island to make it into Golf World’s Top 100 European Courses rankings in 2009. You can play on a course which has been graced by kings, princes and presidents, tackle one of Europe’s longest holes or play at a resort where you might bump into movie star Michael Douglas. This is where you can play in the west of Majorca:
Palma Cathedral is the symbol of Majorca’s capital city.
Golf de Andratx
Andratx is in the far south-west of Majorca.
Camp de Mar 18 holes, par 72, 6,656 yards.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS SIEPMANN
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Opened 1999 Designer: Rodney Barr Before tackling this demanding, hilly parkland course overlooking the Mediterranean in the far south-west of the island, check out the practice range – you may find the likes of top model Claudia Schiffer, tennis star Boris Becker and Hollywood movie star Michael Douglas sharpening up their game at the course’s academy. It has established itself as one of Majorca’s top teaching and practice facilities. The course is close to superb beaches at Camp de Mar yet enjoys a stunning setting, cupped by wooded mountains and coastal cliffs, the beautiful layout encompassing rolling fairways and seven lakes. The stroke index one 6th hole takes no prisoners. An uphill par 5, it measures over 650 yards and
Balearic Islands*/Gaspar Monroig
finishes with a sloping green guarded by deep bunkers and a waterfall.
Standout hole is the sroke index one par-4 10th, which tests golfers with out of bounds on the right, strategically-placed bunkers and lots of water, plus a watermill. Spanish designer Pepe Gancedo describes it as one of the best par 4s he has ever played in his life. The clubhouse has been refurbished in rustic Majorcan style and offers a terrace restaurant.
Email: info@golfdeandratx.com www.golfdeandratx.com
Golf de Poniente
Calvia 18 holes, par 72, 7,032 yards.
Email: golf@ponientegolf.com www.ponientegolf.com
Puerto de Soller.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */PERE COLL
Opened 1978 Designer: John Harris Just minutes from the bustling resorts of Magaluf and Calvia and less than eight miles from Palma, this tough but fair course feels a million miles away from civilisation with its wide, pine tree-lined fairways, abundance of flowers, shrubs and wildlife, and the hilly countryside beyond. Despite the easy appearance, golfers will often find themselves among the trees courtesy of deceptive slopes on the fairways and seven lakes. The beauty of the course is best appreciated by the views from the 8th and 16th holes.
Golf Park Puntiro Palma
18 holes, par 71, 6,591 yards. Opened 2006 Designer: Nicklaus Design The first Nicklaus design in Majorca and the Balearics, Golf Park Puntiro is set on an estate of 165 acres and was laid out according to the existing topography without artificial mounding. With its lack of buildings and fairways lined by pines, wild olive trees, carob trees – some of which were replanted to add to a feeling of maturity – bushes and native grasses, the course has a very natural feel. Yet it is just minutes from Palma airport and only a short drive from the city. Because it is in a protected area, Puntiro also used recycled water, as do a number of the other Balearics courses as part of growing environmentally-friendly initiatives in the islands. The course includes a Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy with state-of-the-art equipment
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including swing analysers.
Email: reservas@golfparkmallorca.com www.golfparkmallorca.com
Real Golf de Bendinat Calvia
18 holes, par 70, 6,190 yards. Opened 1986/1995 Designer: Martin Hawtree Draped across a hilly landscape in a wooded valley less than five miles from Palma, Real Golf de Bendinat is a challenge for even the best golfers. It may be a short par 70, but don’t let that fool you. It more than makes up for that with its tight, tree-lined fairways, steep slopes, lakes and waterfalls. The course was originally laid out with nine holes in 1986, the second nine being added nine years later together with a full grid of buggy paths. A driving range was also added as part of the expansion. The clubhouse features a bar and restaurant where tapas is a favourite.
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Email: golfbendinat@terra.es www.realgolfbendinat.com
Golf Santa Ponsa Santa Ponsa
45 holes • Santa Ponsa I 18 holes, par 72, 7,156 yards. Opened 1977 Designer: Folco Nardi • Santa Ponsa II 18 holes, par 72, 6,620 yards. Opened 1991 Designer: Francisco Lopez • Santa Ponsa III 9 holes, par 30, 1,705 yards. Opened 1991 Designer: Francisco Lopez Inaugurated in 1977 and designed by Folco Nardi with help from Pepe Gancedo, Santa Ponsa I is one of three courses at Golf Santa Ponsa. One of the most popular courses in Majorca, it is also one of the most prestigious and has hosted many top championships including the Balearic Islands Open on no
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less than six occasions. Famous golfers to have swung clubs on its fairways include President Jimmy Carter, Prince Andrew and many stars from the sport and entertainment worlds. The course is long but wide, and its 10th hole is one of the longest in Europe, at 645 yards. Both the 18-hole Santa Ponsa II and 9-hole Santa Ponsa III were designed by Francisco Lopez and opened in 1991. A feature of Santa Ponsa II is that many of the holes are situated in a pine forest or among large lakes. The 18th hole finishes with an island green in the shape of Majorca. The four-star Hotel Club Golf Santa Ponsa offers 12 rooms alongside Santa Ponsa I, while the Santa Ponsa Yacht 10 minutes away has social activities and water sports.
Son Gual is ranked among Europe’s top 100 courses.
Email: golf1@habitatgolf.es www.habitatgolf.es
Golf Son Gual Palma
18 holes, par 72, 7,240 yards. Opened 2008 Designer: Thomas Himmel Less than two years after opening, Son Gual was celebrating making it into Golf World’s prestigious top 100 European courses list,
Son Gual
BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS SIEPMANN
Real Golf de Bendinat.
Santa Ponsa has three courses.
Son Gual clubhouse.
Son Gual
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coming in at 91 and making it the sole Balearics representative. Laid out in two distinct halves, with the front nine skirting the estate and the back nine in the centre, greens with subtle breaks and hollows demand pinpoint accuracy from approach shots. Former Masters winner Ian Woosnam likened them to those at Augusta National after competing in the Majorca Senior Open when the course staged it for the first time in May 2009. One of the most spectacular courses in the Mediterranean, it features more than 1,000 olive trees and 66 bunkers plus water hazards, with neighbouring fields of wild flowers and Son Gual’s own vineyards. Email: info@son-gual.com www.son-gual.com
Golf Son Muntaner Palma
18 holes, par 72, 6,941 yards. Opened 2000 Designer: Kurt Rossknecht Part of the Arabella Golf Resort, the Son Muntaner course nestles in a wooded valley between the hills of Son Vida and the capital, Palma. It is one of the most beautiful and challenging courses on Majorca and incorporates many ancient native trees, including the island’s oldest olive tree by the 15th hole. Called the “Sa Capitana” it measures over 20 feet in diameter and is reputed to over 1,000 years old. Son Muntaner includes a golf school and offers a programme of courses from beginners to advanced players. The Arabella resort has three hotels: the
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Golf Son Vida Palma
18 holes, par 71, 6,125 yards. Opened 1964 Designer: Fred Hawtree Completing the Arabella line-up, Son Vida was the course which started Majorca’s modern golf era when it opened in 1964. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious courses on the island and was totally renovated in 2001. The layout comprises a hilly front nine giving great views over the bay to Palma with a flatter back nine lined by palm, pine, almond and carob trees.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS SIEPMANN
Email: info@sonvidagolf.com www.sonvidagolf.com
Son Vida is one of four courses at Arabella.
Majorca: South Son Quint offers great views.
93-room Arabella Sheraton Golf Hotel Son Vida; the luxury 164-room Castillo Hotel Son Vida, set in a turreted 13th century building high on a hill; and the St Regis Mardavall, located by the sea and offering 133 rooms plus a spa and butler service. Email: info@sonmuntanergolf.com www.sonmuntanergolf.com
Golf Son Quint Palma
18 holes, par 72, 6,901 yards. Opened 2007 Designer: Ramon Espinosa and Kurt Rossknecht. Plus 9-hole executive course. Also part of the Arabella Golf Resort and close to sister layouts Son Vida and Son Muntaner, Son Quint is one of the newest courses on Majorca. It is an undulating course offering great views of the neighbouring bay and the city of Palma. The opening of the new 9-hole executive course at Son Quint takes Arabella to 63 holes, making it the biggest golf resort in Spain and one of the largest in Southern Europe. A short, fun course, it has been
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landscaped with native vegetation, including olive, carob and pine trees, oleanda bushes and lantana flowers as well as using typical Majorca stone walls. Email: info@sonvidagolf.com www.sonquintgolf.com
Golf Son Termens Bunyola
18 holes, par 70, 6,105. Opened 1998 Designer: Jose Rodriguez Set in a former hunting estate to the north of Palma, Son Termens is relatively short at just over 6,100 yards but it offers golfers tranquillity and stunning panoramic views over the scenic, hilly south-west Majorca countryside. The course is beautifully manicured from generous fairways dotted with olive trees to its greens, which are protected by ravines and lurking bunkers. The hacienda-style clubhouse is set on the slopes of a wooded hill and affords wonderful views over the course and surrounding area. golfsontermens@terra.es www.golfsontermens.com
For golf close to the capital and the buzzing nightlife of Majorca’s main beach resorts, the tranquil South serves up a four-course offering to whet the appetite. You can send drives soaring down fairways only minutes from Palma’s airport, yet in surroundings far from the madding crowds View of Son Termens from its clubhouse.
Golf Maioris Llucmajor
18 holes, par 72, 6,890 yards. Opened 2006 Designer: RS Group Just 20 minutes from Palma, Maioris enjoys a beautiful and typical Majorcan countryside setting. The course is laid out between native pine, olive and carob trees. The first nine is relatively flat, and chipping and putting are at a premium. After the turn the course becomes much more of a challenge, with three of its four lakes coming into play, notably on the 587-yard, par-5 10th, the stroke index one hole. The green juts into a lake after a fairly sharp right dogleg with a very narrow approach and apron. The dogleg, par-4 15th hole has a lurking sea of bunkers ready to snap up wayward drives or brave shots which come up short.
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of the capital’s street life and nearby resorts. Choose from a top layout alongside a luxury spa hotel or a hilly course with glorious vistas over the island’s south-east coast. This is the South’s four-course menu:
Email: recepcion@golfmaioris.es www.golfmaioris.es
Marriott Golf Son Antem Llucmajor
36 holes • Son Antem East 18 holes, par 72, 6,861 yards. Opened 1994 Designer: Serigolf/Francisco Segales • Son Antem West 18 holes, par 72, 6,882 yards. Opened 2001 Designer: Serigolf/Francisco Segales Also very close to Palma and just five miles from the airport, Son Antem comprises two 18-hole courses adjacent to a luxury spa hotel in lovely countryside. Both courses are by leading Spanish designer Francisco Lopez
Maioris is just 20 minutes from Palma.
Son Antem’s West course.
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Segales and have staged several championship events including the Majorca Cup. The East course is the original course and was laid out on a former hunting estate, so wildlife is plentiful. It is the more forgiving of the two courses and suits higher-handicap golfers, with relatively wide fairways, although it asks more questions as the round goes on and five lakes add to the challenge. The newer West course is a much more testing course, with tight fairways winding through native woodlands and gentle hilly terrain. It is regarded as one of the finest courses in Majorca. Son Antem’s practice facilities are also some of the island’s best and include a circular driving range that can ac-
commodate 200 players at the same time. The on-site Majorca Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort and Spa offers 150 rooms and suites, a spa and extensive leisure facilities.
Email: mhrs.pmigs.reservation@ marriott.com www.sonantemgolf.com
Vall d’Or Golf
S’Horta (Felanitx)
18 holes, par 71, 6,056 yards. Opened 1985 Designer: Bradford Benz A short course, this 25-year-old design more than makes up for that with its beautiful setting on wooded slopes and the stunning views over Majorca’s south-east coast and the Mediterranean. Golfers will find playing it a game of two halves, with the first nine comprising rolling fairways set amid with pine, olive and almond trees while the back nine offers wider and more uneven fairways which go down towards the coast and end with an uphill par 4 to a narrow, well-protected green. Email: valldorgolf@valldorgolf.com www.valldorgolf.com
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Pula was reworked by Spanish golfing genius Jose Maria Olazabal. BALEARIC ISLANDS */KLAUS SIEPMANN
Majorca: East
Golf Canyamel Capdepera
18 holes, par 73, 6,542 yards. Opened 1998 Designer: Jose Gancedo With its setting high above the north-east coast of Marjorca, Canyamel is undoubtedly one of the island’s most spectacular courses. Laid out using the natural contours of the land, the first nine holes give wonderful views over the sea to Minorca while mountain slopes provide the backdrop for the back nine. The clubhouse features permanent art exhibits and a restaurant with panoramic sea views. Email: casaclub@canyamel.com www.canyamelgolf.com
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Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot wines which are served on the patio and in the restaurant.
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A cluster of courses in the north-east of Majorca means you can enjoy a holiday staying by the beach in this gloriously-pretty part of the island and have plenty of golf right on your doorstep. The golf here spans the range from two gentle nine-hole layouts, one of them the island’s second oldest, to one of the most revered and difficult courses in Majorca, recently re-engineered by Spain’s own Jose Maria Olazabal. With stunning views from many of the region’s fairways, you’ll be hard-pushed to keep your eyes on the ball. These are the choices on offer:
Putting on high at Canyamel.
Golf Capdepera Capdepera
18 holes, par 72, 6,441 yards. Opened 1989 Designer: Dan Maples Another glorious setting welcomes golfers to this course, designed by American Dan Maples. Wide and flat fairways studded with gnarled trees give way to holes which march into the foothills of the Arta mountains, the spectacular par-3 15th being labelled as Majorca’s most exceptional hole by Mallorca Magazine. The rustic surroundings are complemented by the rustic-style clubhouse. Email: info@golfcapdepera.com www.golfcapdepera.com
Golf Rotana Manacor
9 holes, par 36, 3,078 yards This short par-3 course is a private facility for guests staying at the adjacent Hotel La Reserva Rotana. The 22-room hotel also has its own vineyard, producing Cabernet-
Email: info@reservarotana.com www.reservarotana.com
Golf Son Servera Son Servera
9 holes, par 36, 3,291 yards. Opened 1967 Designer: John Harris The second-oldest course on the island, Son Servera’s narrow fairways are lined with mature
Son Servera: Majorca’s second-oldest course.
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pines which underscore the fact that golf has been played here for over 40 years. There used to be even more trees. A major storm blew down over 2,000 of its pines almost 10 years ago. Once a members-only club, the course is now open to the public and is handy for those staying in Cala Millor and Cala Bona resorts. Email: cgss@golfsonservera.com www.golfsonservera.com
Pula Golf
Son Servera
MANUELA MUÑOZ
18 holes, par 72, 6,831 yards. Opened 1995 Designer: Jose Maria Olazabal Having opening in 1995, the prestigious Pula course was totally redesigned by top Spanish golfer and designer Jose Maria Olazabal and extended to become one of the longest and most demanding courses in Majorca. The course is surrounded by several nature parks and lies near the bay and resort of Cala Millor. Among international events it has hosted are the European Tour’s Majorca Classic and the inaugural Majorca Island Skins Game. The course is relatively flat with beautifully-manicured fairways giving wonderful views of mountains and the sea. Email: reservas@pulagolf.com www.pulagolf.com
hours. Palma Nova is equally alive with music-filled bars at night. By day, both it and Magaluf are lively beach resorts with water sports galore on offer. By contrast, Camp de Mar, near the south-west tip, is a much quieter alternative with sandy beaches and stunning scenery. There are glorious beaches all round Majorca’s coast; in fact there are more than 30 Blue Flag beaches around the island. The gently-sloping beaches in the north and north-east are particularly family-friendly, in resorts such as Alcudia, Pollensa and Cala Bona. When not on the beach or on a golf course, you can splash about with the family at Alcudia’s waterpark. Cala d’Or, in the south-east, blends beach and chic with its marina full of floating gin palaces. Away from the beaches, the centre of the island is sprinkled with towns and villages where life is unhurried. Farms, vineyards and terraced orchards dot the countryside. Mountains line the western side and there are many delights to discover here. To the north of Palma, the mountain village of Valdemossa is notable for its beautiful Royal Carthusian Monastery. Pianist and composer Frederic Chopin rented a former monk’s cell there in 1838 with his lover, writer George Sand, to escape gossip about their illicit affair in Paris and for the benefits of a warmer climate for Chopin’s ailing health. Festival costume.
Valdemossa.
EDUARDO MIRALLES
Majorca’s capital, Palma, is a cultural and historic gem which also offers fantastic nightlife, eating out and shopping. Dominating the skyline and a landmark of the city is the glorious, Gothic-styled Cathedral of Palma, which is known locally as La Seu. The huge edifice dates back to the 13th century in part, although it took nearly 400 years to complete it. Worth venturing inside to wonder at one of the world’s largest stainedglass windows, it is open to visitors every day except Sundays. Other notable buildings in Palma include the nearby Almudaina Palace which was originally built as an Arab fortress before becoming the Spanish royal family’s official Majorcan residence after the conquest of the island by King James in the 14th century. The surrounding gardens are impressive. Another mighty structure is 700-year-old Bellver Castle, which houses Palma’s History Museum. It stands 3km from the city centre on a hill, but is well served by buses. It was Europe’s first circular castle. The Arab Baths are among the few surviving reminders of Majorca’s Moorish occupation and heritage and were possibly once part of a nobleman’s house. Entry includes access Arab Baths. to the adjacent exotic gardens, which attract many different species of birds. It is in the Old City, an area full of narrow streets and tall, narrow buildings, some of which are museums and galleries. Palma has a number of festivals throughout the year as well as regular markets, selling all sorts of produce and crafts. For eating out, Palma is tapas heaven, but you will also find every type of restaurant from the fast-food variety right up to Michelin-starred cuisine temples. You can work up an appetite shopping among the boutiques along its elegant tree-lined avenues, then hit the bars and nightclubs after dark. If it is night-time action you want, however, nearby Magaluf is the centre of Majorca’s clubbing scene, with bars and clubs along The Strip pulsing until the early
PEP VICENS
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS
Boats at Cala Mandragó (Santanyí).
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Al fresco dining at Capdepera.
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Majorca: North
SPANISH TOURIST OFFICE
A glorious rocky coastline, family-friendly beaches and hidden coves, quaint towns and golf of the very highest quality. What more could anyone want from a destination? Majorca’s northern region is a perfect family holiday destination, with safe bathing beaches in spades. And with a superb 18hole course by one of the most noted golf architects in the world right on the coast
With Majorca being such a compact island, you don’t have to stay in the North to enjoy its golf either. Palma is just an hour’s drive south, so you could even stay there or in nearby beach resorts and motor up for the day to play your round. But then you would miss out on being able to enjoy the area’s other attractions at your leisure. These are the North’s twin peaks of golf delight:
Golf Alcanada Alcudia
18 holes, par 72, 7,053 yards. Opened 2003 Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr Undoubtedly one of the stars of Majorca’s portfolio of golf courses, this masterpiece by one of the game’s great designers graces an exquisite part of coastline on a peninsula in the island’s far north. Coastline near Alcudia. Fairways lined by olive, pine and oak trees run down from wooded slopes right to the very edge of the sea, with the white lighthouse on the offshore island of Alcanada – the golf club’s symbol – just beyond. In true RTJ style, the course features challenging greens with hidden breaks and difficult but fair tee shots. It also offers golfers sweeping views of Alcudia Bay from almost every hole, and after your round you can continue soaking as well as a 9-hole layout also crafted and up the view while having a meal and drink maintained to top levels, the area is just right on the clubhouse terrace. for a golfing dad to take off for a few hours on Email: info@golf-alcanada.com the fairways. www.golf-alcanada.com
Pollensa: a 9-hole course offering top quality.
Golf Pollensa
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Pollensa
9 holes, par 35, 2,815 yards. Opened 1986 Designer: Jose Gancedo Originally opened in 1986, this 9-hole layout underwent a complete renovation programme to bring it up to the highest standards 10 years ago. The course has two lakes and lots of indigenous vegetation including pine trees and gnarled olive trees. In keeping with the drive by Majorca’s courses to become more eco-friendly, Pollensa uses recycled and purified water for irrigation. The course offers panoramic views over the Tramuntana mountains. Facilities at the course include a driving range, short game practice area and a golf school. Email: rec@golfpollensa.com www.golfpollensa.com
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Drive with a view at Alcanada.
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MINORCA
Splash out of sand traps or crash out on stunning sandy beaches – the choice is yours.
O
ffering just one course, Minorca is more likely to be somewhere golfers will take a sun, sand and sea holiday with some occasional golf thrown in rather than a golfing holiday. But with the layout bearing the stamp of top designer and former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas, players are assured of championship quality and a course they will want to play more than once during their vacation. Son Parc is perfect for those who want to combine chilling out on the island’s superb sandy beaches with the chance to tackle its beautiful fairways. You won’t even mind finding the sand in its bunkers. The course lies on the rocky northern coast of Minorca just a few hundred yards from Son Parc beach, one of the island’s best, and is also very close to the pretty, horseshoe-shaped beach of neighbouring resort Arenal d’en Castell. Both are very good for small children as they are protected from both surf and currents and have shallow waters with gently-sloping sands. The two
Minorca has 75 beaches. Balearic Islands*/Luis Real
Putting practice at Son Parc.
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charming port town of Ciutadella, the former capital, is 45 minutes away in the opposite direction, on the west coast.
GOLF
them up to the same standard. Although a short par 69, Son Parc suits golfers from beginner to experienced. It is located very close to the award-winning Son Parc beach on Minorca’s north coast and is bounded by wooded hills and a protected wet zone with a rich variety of bird life. You may also come across some unusual birds during your round – a flock of peacocks, which have taken up residence just behind the third hole. The course is very eco-friendly, incorporating natural features such as rocks and native flora in the design and using only rainwater and treated water for irrigation.
Golf Son Parc
ESCAPES
Son Parc
18 holes, par 69, 5,653 yards. Opened 2006 Designer: Dave Thomas Originally a 9-hole course, work to extend it began in 2003 and it opened as a full 18hole layout in August 2006 with the new holes designed by four-time British Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas, architect of many courses around the world. Thomas has also renovated the original nine holes to bring
beaches also have plenty of water sports. If you prefer somewhere livelier, Son Parc is only about half an hour’s drive away from the bigger resorts on the south side of the island. Or you could stay in the north and head off to the bars and tavernas of the capital, Mahon, a similar distance from Son Parc. The
Email: info@golfsonparc.com www.golfsonparc.com
Minorca boasts 75 beaches of beautiful golden sands. There are fabulous beaches dotted all round the coastline, from sheltered bays tucked among rocks and cliffs to the expansive sweep of Son Bou, Minorca’s longest, on the south coast. The island is quieter than Majorca and Ibiza, and its uncrowded beaches of sugar-soft sand are ideal for small children, making the island a good choice for families. You can go snorkelling off the rocks adjacent to some beaches and enjoy aqua action with water sports at many beaches around the coast. One of the best places to go windsurfing is Cala Tirant, just 15 minutes by car from the Golf Son Parc course. The island’s two main cities – capital Mahon and
III of Aragon after he conquered the island in 1287, as well as defence towers built to protect its harbour, the town hall – built over a Moorish citadel – and the elegant Can Salort building with its graceful interior. The resort of Son Bou has an early Christian basilica. There are also many vestiges of Minorca’s ancient history, with prehistoric towers, temples and tombs found all round the island. Minorca is known for its festivals, particularly those involving horses, which play a major role in its culture. You will find dressage shows where riders in traditional dress show off their skills and exciting spectacles involve riders jousting with lances and jaleo – horses rearing up on their hind legs. You can watch them during the three-day Saint Joan Festival each June in Ciutadella. Food is also part of the social fabric in Minorca. Mayonnaise originated on the island, named after Mahon by the French. Seafood is one of the island’s
Typical Minorcan countryside.
former capital Ciutadella – are full of history. The island has been occupied by the Romans, Arabs, British and French quite apart from being under Spanish rule at various times in between. Mahon has one of the world’s largest and deepest natural harbours, which has made it strategically important through the ages. The Fortress of Isabel II guarding the entrance is a fine example of 19th century military architecture. Ciutadella’s notable buildings include its cathedral, built on the site of a Moorish mosque by King Alfonso
Jousting.
Minorca has many prehistoric remains.
Balearic Islands*/Gaspar Monroig
Balearic Islands*/Eduard Miralles
Whitewashed village.
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specialities. Find a harbourside restaurant in the city to try its signature dish of caldetera de langosta, a slowcooked lobster casserole, or Minorca’s own style of paella, called arroz marinera.
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Lobster casserole.
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Formentera flora.
The 18-hole Golf Ibiza course.
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Ibiza and Formentera
Hitting the clubs in Ibiza takes on a different meaning for golfers.
G
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Whitewashed church, Ibiza. Caption
BALEARIC ISLANDS*/R MARTINEZ
olf may not be what most people mean when they say they are going clubbing on Ibiza, but the nightclub capital of the Balearics does offer the chance for visitors to take to the fairways as well as the dance floors. The 27-hole Golf Ibiza club is a world away from the pulsing beats of the island’s resorts, set in a beautiful part of the south coast and next to the master-planned Roca Llisa housing development built in the early 1970s. It incorporates nine holes of an original 18 which were on the site. If you do choose to hit the clubs at Golf Ibiza rather than the ones in Ibiza Town and San Antonio, you are far less likely to wake up the next morning with a pounding headache and hangover.
Beach on Formentera.
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ESCAPES Golf Ibiza
Santa Eulalia, Ibiza
18 holes, par 72, 6,652 yards. Plus 9 holes. Opened 1992 Designer: Ibiza I (18 holes): Pepin Rivero,
Fred Hawtree and Dave Thomas; Ibiza II (9 holes) Fernando Cavestany and Dave Thomas Although a private club, visitors are welcome to play. It has two courses: the newer 18-hole Ibiza I layout by Pepin Rivero, Fred Hawtree and Dave Thomas which opened in 1992 and a much easier and more compact 9-hole layout more suited to beginners. Designed by Fernando Cavestany, it was formerly part of the Roca Llisa Golf Club which no longer exists and opened in 1972. They are set in a pretty valley by the rugged south coast about five miles from Ibiza’s capital, Ibiza Town, and half way between the towns of Jesus
and Santa Eulalia. The 18-hole course is a challenging layout with tree-lined fairways and water coming into play on several holes courtesy of streams and a couple of ponds. Special reduced green fees are offered to children (under15) and juniors (under 21) when playing with an adult. Rental clubs are available so you don’t have to lug your own set on holiday. You can also rent buggies, trolleys and electric trolleys. Facilities include a practice area and driving range, while the clubhouse has a restaurant and snack bar.
Email: info@golfIbiza.com www.golfIbiza.com
OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS
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Escape from it all on Ibiza’s quiet beaches.
latest sounds from some of the world’s top DJs. Formentera is just 12 miles to the south of Ibiza and can be visited on a day trip or be used as a holiday base, as regular ferries link both islands. It is small, at only 12 or so miles from east to west, but it has some of Spain’s longest and least crowded beaches, the most notable being the threemile-long Playa de Migjorn. The best way to explore the Knee-deep in frogs. island is by bike.
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Golf Escapes 2010
Muñoz
Traditional dress, Ibiza.
Cycing on Formetera.
BALEARIC ISLANDS */ Manuela
BALEARIC ISLANDS * / Antonio Garrido
Ibiza Town.
dotted with farms and tiny communities of whitewashed homes clustered around churches where age-old customs remain strong and where you can still see locals wearing traditional long black dresses. Much of Ibiza has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for the biodiversity of its flora both above and below the water (the dense prairies of endemic Posidonia seagrass supports a rich diversity of marine life) as well as for its cultural and historical treasures. Among them are the Phoenician ruins of Sa Caleta and the fortified 16th century old quarter of Ibiza Town, standing high on a hill overlooking the harbour. Ibiza is a foodie’s heaven, with more than 2,000 bars and restaurants where you can try local fare, seafood unsurprisingly being
BALEARIC ISLANDS * / MANFRED
Ibiza is famous as the clubbing capital of the Balearics. But there is far more to the Balearics’ third-largest island than the nightlife. There are beautiful beaches all round the coast, and you can find quiet little coves light years away from the dazzling lights and pounding beats of its clubs. The island is a patchwork of olive and almond groves with mountains and coastal cliffs swathed in pine woodland – hence why it and neighbouring Formentera were called the Islands of Pine Trees by early visiting sailors. The interior is also
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the most popular menu item. Santa Eulalia has become the island’s gourmet capital and is packed with eateries serving up fine food. Ibiza is very much a family holiday island and there are family-friendly resorts with plenty of activities for youngsters particularly down its east coast. But if you want to party the night away, nowhere else does it better and each summer night spots in Ibiza Town and San Antonio attract large numbers of clubbers to hear the
BALEARIC ISLANDS */MANUELA MUÑOZ
Ibiza countryside.
Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa*****
QUINTESSENTIAL FUSION OF GOLF AND BEACH
Enjoy “Golf Sensations” with: · 2 night stay and breakfast in a beautiful sea view room at Don Carlos. · Welcome surprise amenities in vour room. · 2 complimentary green fees. One at the Santa Maria Golf Course and the other to choose from: La Quinta, Río Real, Santa María, Los Naranjos, La Cala or El Chaparral. Booking of tee-off time recommended. · Welcome drink and free entrance to Casino Nueva Andalucia.
Exclusive offer available for 2 nights from
311.90€
(price per person, VAT included)
Make your reservation by phone or e-mail, indicating PQGOLF ESCAPES, and enjoy reduced Green Fee rates: (+34) 952 76 88 00 · dcreservas@expogrupo.com
Indulge yourself in Marbella’s sunshine and play at any of the 60 golf courses at “La Costa del Sol”. Don Carlos services for golf lovers: · Exclusive and personalized services with our Golf Assistant. · Golf Clinics at selected golf courses, with detailed information and special rates. · Free accommodation for golf Pros with groups of 8 or more players. · Golf Wellness Massage. · Transfer services to your selected golf course (upon request). · Golf Club storage. · GPS at your disposal with directions to all golf courses.
Offer available until 31st December 2010. *Please, consult prices for superior rooms, special meals, extra nights or for reservations between May and October 2010.
Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa***** · Crta. Cádiz, km 192,5 · 29604, Marbella, Spain. www.doncarlosresort.com
M A L AY S I A
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MALAYSIA
Glenmarie Golf & Country Club
GOLF
Glenmarie Golf & Country Club.
A truly spectacular Asian gem.
F
or golfers wanting top quality golf in exotic and diverse surroundings, Malaysia offers a truly Asian golfing paradise. It has more than 200 courses – many designed by such notable names as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Greg Norman – in locations ranging from tropical resort islands Penang and Langkawi to the suburbs of capital Kuala Lumpur and other cities, the
mountains of the Genting Highlands and the rainforests of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo. The arrival of low-cost carrier Air Asia X on the London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur route in March 2009 has made Malaysia and its golf courses more accessible than ever before. Its daily flights augment the double-daily service by flag carrier Malaysia Airlines. MAS flies on to numerous domestic points as well as other Asian destinations and Australia and New Zealand, allowing a stay in Malaysia to be incorporated into a multicentre holiday. Malaysia gained international acclaim when it was named Asia and Australasia Golf Destination of the Year in the 2008 IAGTO Awards – the golf tourism industry’s Oscars. But it was an “overnight” success long in the making. Ever since 1994, the country has hosted the World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship (WAITGC), an annual event organised by Tourism Malaysia aimed at introducing the country as a premier golfing
destination in South East Asia to overseas golfers. Each year the tournament brings together some 900 amateur golfers from countries around the world. The tournament is competed for by teams of three and consists of six rounds, played on courses throughout the country from March to September, with the grand final being held in November. The WAITGC showcases some of Malaysia’s best golf courses and golf hotels. These are the venues for the 2010 World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship:
Selangor, Central Malaysia l Round 1 (March 8-11)
Kotai Permai Golf & Country Club (www.kotapermai.com.my); Glenmarie Golf & Country Club (www.glenmarie.com.my)
Just 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Glenmarie Golf & Country Club has two 18-hole courses – the Valley Course and Garden Course – which contrast
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SHANGRI-LA HOTELS AND RESORTS
Aerial view of Rasa Ria Resort’s Dalit Bay course.
Robert Trent Jones Jr’s testing Bukit Jambul course, on Penang island.
Buki Jambul Country Club
in style and landscape. The Garden Course is set among a rich variety of palm trees and other flora interspersed by lakes. It has undergone total renovation of its greens plus other changes to bunkers, tee boxes and fairways, making it more challenging. Kota Permai, by Ross Watson, enjoys a natural setting amidst wildlife-rich waterways and mature trees which belies its location in the middle of the Kota Kemuning township. Since opening in 1998, it has hosted many prestigious tournaments. It held the Volvo Masters of Malaysia event for several years, and twice more when the tournament became the Asian Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia. It also held the Maybank Malaysian Open, a joint Asian and European Tour event, in 2008. • Accommodation: Holiday Inn Glenmarie, Selangor (www.holidayinn.co.uk)
Sabah, Malaysian Borneo l Round 2 (April 5-8)
Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club (www.suteraharbour.com); Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club (www.dalitbaygolf.com.my, www.shangri-la.com)
Sutera Harbour Resort, with 27 holes by Graham Marsh, offers three 18-hole combinations of beautifully-landscaped golf in undulating terrain with numerous waterways providing a challenge for amateurs and professionals alike. Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club is laced with wetlands and lakes and bounded by two rivers and the South China Sea. Water comes into play on most holes. The course is adjacent to the luxury Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, which has a spa with hydrotherapy treatments to help ease golfers’ aching muscles. • Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu (www.kinabalu. regency.hyatt.com)
Penang, West Coast l Round 3 (May 3-6)
FACTFILE
MALAYSIA Time difference: GMT +8 Getting there: Direct flights to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, take about 12 hours and are operated by Malaysian Airlines (0870 607 9090; www. malaysiaairlineseurope.com) from London Heathrow, and by Air Asia X (0845 605 3333; www.airasia.com) from London Stansted.
Getting around: Flights from Kuala Lumpur go to many points in Malaysia including Penang (45 minutes), Langkawi (1hr) and Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah (2hrs 30). Fly-drive holidays are also possible with self-drive rental cars.
Climate: Malaysia has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 21-32°C. Tropical rain can occur at any time, but typically lasts no more than an hour. The heaviest rains are usually from November to March. Tourist information: Tourism Malaysia, 57 Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DU; 020 7930 7932; email info@tourism-malaysia.co.uk; www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my.
Sutera Harbour Resort
Bukit Jawi Golf Resort (www. bjcc.com.my); Bukit Jambul Country Club (www.bjgr.com.my)
Sutera Harbour has numerous water hazards.
On the holiday island of Penang in northern Peninsula Malaysia, Robert Trent Jones Jr’s relatively short but challenging Bukit Jambul
Golf Escapes 2010
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M A L AY S I A
the wor ld’s g r e at e s t
Bukit Jawi lies on the mainland, opposite resort island Penang.
GOLF
ESCAPES
Bukit Jawi Golf Resort
Johor, Southern Malaysia
Country Club course opened 25 years ago and hosted the Malaysian Open in 1992. It occupies what was once rocky, hilltop jungle, allowing for dramatic elevation changes and giving stunning panoramic island views. Bukit Jawi Golf Resort is a 36-hole complex on the mainland opposite Penang Island. Laid out over 315 acres of relatively flat terrain and lush vegetation, it was formerly an oil palm plantation. Today the oil palms add visual interest to the courses as well as providing hazards for golfers.
l Round 5 (August 2-5)
Ponderosa Golf & Country Club (www.ponderosagolf.com); Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort (www.tpgr.com)
Newly remodelled by Ronald Fream, the Ponderosa’s 18-hole course compensates for its relative short layout with well-placed bunkers and water hazards plus tricky, rollercoaster greens. It lies 15 minutes from Johor Bahru city, close to the Johor-Singapore Causeway. Its Mediteranean-style clubhouse has an Olympic-sized pool. Tanjong Puteri serves up three 18-holes courses in a resort 45 minutes from the Singapore causeway. Carved from the rolling hills of former oil palm plantations, the courses were designed by Max Wexler and Akira Mamiya with one floodlit for night play.
Gunung Raya Golf Resort
Accommodation: Traders Hotel, Penang (www.shangri-la.com)
• Accommodation: Mutiara Hotel, Johor Bahru (www.mutiarahotels.com)
Putrajaya/Kuala Lumpur, Central Malaysia l Round 6 (September 27-30)
Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort (www. berjayaclubs.com/jalil); Kota Permai Golf & Country Club (www.kotapermai.com.my)
Bukit Jalil is just 15 minutes from Kuala Lumpur and 30 minutes from its international airport, in the Klang Valley. Another Max Wexler design, it covers 165 acres dotted with bungalows with facilities including a two-tier floodlit driving range. Kota Permai again features as a host course in this round. • Accommodation: Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur (www.concordehotelsresorts.com)
The final will be held in Pahang or Malacca, from November 2-4. Both regions offer excellent golf. A’Famosa Golf Resort in Malacca has 27 holes by Ross Watson, the
Mountain backdrop at Gunung Raya.
Langkawi, West Coast l Round 4 (June 21-24)
Close to the Thai border, tropical paradise island Langkawi boasts The Golf Club Datai Bay, carved out of dense jungle and with several holes giving jaw-dropping views over the Andaman Sea. Wildlife including monkeys, iguanas and sea eagles can be seen from the course, which is close to celebrated Langkawi hotels The Datai and The Andaman. The Gunung Raya Golf Resort course nestles in the foothills of the majestic Gunung Raya (Raya Mountain) – Langkawi’s highest mountain, which soars almost 2,800 feet. Designed by Australian architect Max Wexler, it covers 300 acres of scenic terrain formerly rubber plantation land. • Accommodation: Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi (www.meritus-hotels.com)
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PONdEROSA GCC
Gunung Raya Golf Resort (www.golfgr.com.my); The Golf Club Datai Bay (www.dataigolf.com)
Ponderosa is close to the Singapore causeway.
Kota Permai hosts two rounds of the World Amateur Inter-Team event.
Other courses
The Mines.
The Mines Resort & Golf Club is situated next to a lake near the capital which was once the world’s largest open-cast tin mine. The Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course hosted the 1999 World Cup. Other golf courses around Kuala Lumpur include the Tropicana Golf & Country Club, by Graham Marsh, the Kuala Lumpur Golf & County Club with two courses just 10 minutes from the city centre and the 27-hole Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, known as GSAAS. In the western state of Perak, the Damai Laut course by Ronald Fream is right on the coast, facing the Straits of Malacca, with some holes right by the lapping sea. Close to Singapore in Johor, Horizon Hills is an 18-hole design by Australian Ross Watson set on 200 acres with a palatial clubhouse. Also in Johor, The Legends Golf & Country Resort brings together three of golf’s legends. A Jack Nicklaus 18-hole layout which opened in 1997 was supplemented by the opening of a nine-hole course by Arnold Palmer in April, 2009. A third course, designed by Gary Player, is now in the planning stages. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Borneo Golf & Country Club, in Sabah, is a former cashew nut plantation set on 200 acres alongside a lagoon. The Karambunai Resorts Golf Club
has three beachfront holes with Sabah’s Mt Kinabalu as the backdrop. And you can play golf on the mountain’s lower slopes at the Mt Kinabalu Golf Club, almost 5,000 feet high. Still on Borneo, neighbouring Sarawak combines sea, mountains and jungle at Arnold Palmer-designed Damai Golf & Country Club, on the Damai Peninsula. The signature, par-3 17th is almost surrounded by the South China Sea and is known as Sarawak’s “Pebble Beach” hole. The Hornbill Golf & Jungle Club, 45 minutes from Sarawak provincial capital Kuching, is laid out on a highland plateau more than 3,000 feet up.
Value
Golf in Malaysia is also extremely good value, with green fees averaging less than £50, and as little as £25 – a bargain compared to many popular golf destinations. Fairways are far
less crowded, too, and service levels are high everywhere you go, from the golf clubs to hotels, shops and restaurants. Malaysia’s closeness to the equator means golf can be played year round in weather which changes little from season to season. There are heavy, tropical rain showers. But golfers only need wait an hour or two for the sun to return, allowing them to carry on with their round. Several UK tour operators feature Malaysia as a golf destination. Besides golf, it has many other attractions and activities for visitors – sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur, great shopping, lively nightlife, wonderful food, exquisite beaches, coral-rich tropical seas, forest-clad mountains, tropical rainforest and jungle, rich local culture, fine dining and much more. For a golf holiday with a difference, Malaysia offers a truly breathtaking and unsurpassed experience.
OFF COURSE ATTRACTIONS
Tourism Malaysia
JOHN & JEANNINE HENEB RY
Malaysia has many other top-drawer courses. They include former Malaysian Open host the Saujana Golf & Country Club, just half an hour from KL, with its adjacent luxury resort, The Saujana. It features two Ronald Fream courses.
Kota Permai GCC
Crocs nine living up to its name at the par-4 7th where a pit just beyond the island green has live crocodiles in it. Also in Malacca is Ayer Keroh Country Club, which offers 27 holes carved out of jungle. Among Pahang’s courses are the Astana Golf & Country Club, near Kuantan, and two in the Genting Highlands. At 3,100 feet up, the pretty Ronald Fream-designed Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Club course cuts through ancient forest and offers golfers an escape from the heat and humidity of lower courses, allowing them to play in cool, crisp air amidst clouds. The Bukit Tinggi Golf & Country Club is only slightly lower, at 2,500 feet.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s modern, cosmopolitan capital, pulses with energy by day and night. The Petronas Twin Towers are its most iconic sight. You can’t go to the top of them, but you can visit the top of the 1,381foot Menara Kuala Lumpur communications tower – aka KL Tower – for stunning views of the twin towers and city, and to dine in its revolving restaurant. The colonial district includes the grandiose Moorish-styled KL Railway Station and Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with its Big Ben-style clock tower. Less than an hour from KL are the dramatic Batu Caves, housing Hindu shrines. The capital is a bargain-hunter’s dream. Shoppers should hit Central Market and the 500store Sungei Wang Plaza, the new shopping mall Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and many others at Bukit Bintang, by day then haggle for bargains Petronas Towers in Chinatown’s night in Kuala Lumpur. market.
The Genting Highlands and Cameron Highlands offer a chance to experience cooler weather in forested mountains away from the heat and humidity of the lowlands. Picturesque Penang island has a rich cultural heritage, and its Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple is the largest in South-East Asia. Try the island’s famous cuisine, especially its hawker fare. Langkawi island is noted for its glorious beaches and clear waters. Attractions there include Pula Paya Marine Park. The East Coast also offers pristine beaches, crystal waters and diving. On the island of Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak offer rainforests, mountains and spectacular flora and fauna, including the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia. In Sarawak, Kunming highlights include its waterfront and Cat Museum. The Sarawak Cultural Centre showcases Borneo’s indigenous ethnic groups; you can also take a longboat trip to visit and stay in Iban longhouses. Orang-utans are the real stars on Borneo, with a rehabilitation centre near Kuching and the famous Sepilok sanctuary in Sabah. Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort has its own nature reserve with a number of baby orangutans, and feeding time is a must to watch. You can also go horse-riding along the beach. South-East Asia’s highest mountaint, Mt Kinabalu, is the focal point of Kinabalu National Park.
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THAILAND
the wor ld’s g r e at e s t
GOLF
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THAILAND
Amazing Thailand is also amazing value.
T
Clear waters at Rayong near Pattaya.
Tourism Authority of Thailand
FACTFILE
THAILAND Time difference: GMT +7 Getting there: Airlines flying to Thailand from the UK include Thai Airways. Flights take 11 hours and 20 minutes.
Getting around: Thai Airways has an extensive domestic route network, serving 13 destinations within Thailand from Bangkok. The Star Alliance Airpass covers from three to 10 coupons, with prices from US$199 for three flights and US$65 for each subsequent flight, excluding taxes.
Climate: November to March is the best time to visit Thailand, although golf can be played any time of the year. Tourist information: Tourism Authority of Thailand: call 0870 900 2007 or visit www.tourismthailand.co.uk
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hotels and resorts Thailand has always offered fantastic value for money. Not only is it relatively cheap to get there, thanks to the number of airlines flying there and greatvalue packages to the destination, but also it’s very affordable when you arrive. True to its “Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value” slogan, Thailand really does deliver amazing value – on accommodation, eating out, shopping, spa treatments, getting around and day-today holiday essentials. But just because Thailand is affordable doesn’t mean you have to compromise on choice or quality. Thailand offers amazing value in its hospitality and friendly welcome, in its countrywide high standards of accommodation, and in the high quality of its goods and services – locally produced, one-of-a-kind pieces that
Wat Pho Buddha, Bangkok
Tourism Authority of Thaila nd
hailand’s fabulous beaches, exotic culture and gracious, friendly people have made the destination a firm favourite among holidaying Britons. From the incredible buzz of Bangkok with its grand temples, lively markets, cuttingedge bars and restaurants, designer shopping and vibrant street life, to the lush and tranquil north of the country and the string of paradise islands in the south, Thailand really does offer a holiday experience for everyone. Thanks to its renowned service and quality
would cost a fortune back home… always with a free smile thrown in. The price differential between a good hotel and one of exceptional quality in Thailand is relatively small, putting amazing-value luxury within the reach of most. For the price of a three-star in Europe you are effectively “upgraded” to a four or five-star hotel, which typically comes with fantastic swimming pools, spas, multiple dining options, acres of garden and direct beach-front access as well as children’s clubs and activities on tap. As for holiday options, variety is Thailand’s forte. Cities, scenery, temples, culture and festivals, history, adventure, beaches, pampering, diving and trekking – not to mention fantastic golf, underlined when Thailand was named Emerging Golf Destination of the Year for 2006 in the golf industry’s Oscars, the IAGTO Awards. Thailand has it all. There’s something to suit all tastes, needs and desires and it’s within reach of your budget.
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Sunset temple scene.
Golf in Thailand
Elephant trekking near Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai – “Jewel of the North”
Drift along on a bamboo raft at sunset, visit the legendary Golden Triangle, see the jungle
is known as Thailand’s cultural capital. The rolling hills, forested mountains and patchwork of paddy fields that comprise the Ping River Valley lend the destination a mystical quality not to be missed. If you’d like to be beach-bound within a couple of hours of passing passport control at Bangkok airport, and don’t want the added expense of an internal flight, Pattaya is an accessible resort within one hour’s drive of the city.
: Martyn Goodacre
Pattaya: a beach within easy reach
The closest major resort to Bangkok, Pattaya has a great party scene and is one of the liveliest and best-value resorts in Thailand. If you’re looking for affordable family accommodation plus great nightlife, beaches, water sports and a wide range of activities, Pattaya has all of this and more. It now boasts some of the cleanest sea in Parasols and smile in Chiang Mai. Thailand, as well as a beautified beach and new promenade. Private-sector investment has brought with it state-of-the-art movie atop a majestic elephant, meet hill tribespeople, visit the serene temples of age-old theatres and high-adrenaline go-kart rally kingdoms and enjoy traditional Thai massage sites, while Pattaya’s myriad golf courses offer some of the most competitive green fees in – just some of the diversions that await in South East Asia. Thailand’s north. There’s no danger of anyone getting bored Located 500 miles north of Bangkok – or hungry – here. As well as white-knuckle (flying time is around an hour) on the banks theme park rides, crocodile and tiger farms, of the Ping River, enchanting Chiang Mai night markets and a wealth of familiar fastChiang Mai’s Lanna style food outlets for fussy Rachamankha Hotel. little eaters, there’s even the chance to swim with dolphins at the Sanctuary of Truth, at Rachvate Cape. Water sports are centred around two main beaches, Pattaya itself – a two-mile stretch of sand – and Jomtien, a quieter beach resort with cafes and beach bars.
With the emergence of Thailand as one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world naturally there came a demand for golf and since the early 1990s, many top quality and championship standard courses have been completed. There are now several hundred golf courses spread around the country and Thailand is set to become a major golfing holiday destination.
Pattaya
On Thailand’s south-eastern seaboard, Pattaya is recognised as the premier golf resort in Asia and there are more than 20 golf clubs within easy reach of this bustling beach city. There are courses by designers such as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr, Pete Dye, Ronald Fream, Sir Nick Faldo and Desmond Muirhead to name but a few. Pattaya offers a superb year-round climate, quality golf and excellent value.
Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort.
Chiang Mai
Also known as the “Rose of the North”, Chiang Mai is fast becoming the second most popular golfing destination apart from being Thailand’s second city. There are 12 courses in the northern region, all in great shape, with their own character and well designed to take advantage of the stunning mountain scenery. Golf in Chiang Mai is superb value for money, and with a cooler and less humid climate than the beach resorts, it’s a great choice for a golfing holiday.
Caddies at Chiangmai Highlands.
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THAILAND
the wor ld’s g r e at e s t
GOLF
ESCAPES
GOLF HOLIDAYS IN THAILAND
Book with the experts – Coco Golf.
E
stablished in Thailand over 16 years ago, Coco Golf are the experts in taking care of arrangements for discerning golfers. Thailand is still relatively new as an international golfing destination, but by offering great value on top golf venues in a selection of resorts, a superb climate and the friendliest people you are likely to meet, it’s becoming more and more popular. Apart from their signature escorted tours, Coco Golf can arrange a golfing holiday anywhere in Thailand, including three to five-star accommodation, for couples, fourballs, groups, societies and golf clubs. Their network covers all of Thailand and you will get the same professional “hands on” service wherever you go. Coco Golf will be pleased to supply a quotation for any personal itineraries. Treat yourself, book a holiday in a golfer’s paradise, Thailand – the land of smiles.
Join the tour
Coco Golf are well known for their friendly fully escorted golf tours, a great way to
Pattaya’s Siam Country Club.
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experience Thailand and at the high service levels that Coco Golf achieve. Here are some examples of tours in 2010 and 2011:
Festival of Golf 2010
This tour is now in its 17th consecutive year and is very popular. It features 12 nights in Pattaya beginning November 2 at a choice of five hotels, six rounds of golf on selected courses, welcome and farewell dinners plus prize giving – priced from £566 twin share.
More people are discovering Thailand’s fairways.
Chiang Mai Challenge 2010
A new tour based in Chiang Mai, this begins on November 14 for 12 nights with six rounds of golf on selected courses, welcome and farewell dinners plus prize giving – priced from £626 twin share.
January Tour 2011
This tour begins in Pattaya for seven nights, then goes on to Khao Yai (7th best ozone in the world) and finishes in Bangkok, for a total 13 nights and six rounds of golf. Welcome and farewell dinners plus prize
giving – priced from £720 twin share.
Bejumo Tour 2011 (beach, jungle
and mountain) This tour is over 14 nights from January 30, 2011, with a great itinerary that includes Hua Hin, River Kwai and Chiang Mai. There are six rounds of golf included and a special overnight on a floating teak-wood hotel on the River Kwai – priced from £880 twin share.
Thai Airways – Smooth as Silk
Thai Airways International, Thailand’s national carrier, is known for its warm welcome and hospitable in-flight service. Thai offers two daily departures from London Heathrow non-stop to Bangkok, aboard Boeing 747 400 aircraft, with seamless connections to destinations throughout Thailand, South-East Asia, Indo-China and on to Australia and New Zealand. Royal First class passengers can pre-select their main course menu while Royal Executive class guests enjoy a superb selection from an international and oriental menu. Thai’s frequent flyer programme, Royal Orchid Plus, allows passengers to earn miles travelling in all classes. Points can also be earned and redeemed on any of the other airline members of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. With a generous 34-inch seat pitch in economy, lie-flat beds in business and the ultimate travel experience in first-class, you can be certain the flight will be “Smooth as Silk”. Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort, Chiang Mai.
Golden Triangle Tour 2011
A very popular trip for the golfing adventurer covering Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, it features 12 nights in the north of Thailand, six rounds of golf on selected courses, welcome and farewell dinners plus prize giving – priced from £668 twin share.
Five-star luxury
In the 16 years that Coco Golf has been organising golfing holidays in Thailand they have accumulated a portfolio of some of the very best hotels Thailand has to offer. Coco Golf can organise a bespoke holiday for golfers and non golfers alike to any destination in Thailand to the very highest service level, with the assistance of their experienced English speaking guides and utilising their own VIP transport. For a very special Five Star Thailand experience contact Coco Golf to arrange a personal detailed itinerary.
Great value packages Coco Golf has a selection of great value golf holiday packages for 2010-2011 in Pattaya and Chiang Mai over the next 12 months:
Gold Package
• Return transfers between airports and hotels • Seven nights with a choice of hotel in Pattaya, including breakfast • Four rounds of midweek golf on Gold Courses in Pattaya, including transfer, booked tee-time and caddie Priced from: £421 for two golfers; £366 for four golfers.
Platinum Package
• Return transfers between airports and hotels • Seven nights with a choice of hotel in Pattaya, including breakfast • Four rounds of midweek golf on Platinum Courses in Pattaya, including transfer, booked tee-timed and caddie Priced from: £532 for two golfers; £477 for four golfers.
Diamond Package
Pattaya accommodation includes Woodlands Suites.
• Return transfers between airports and hotels • Seven nights with a choice of hotel in Chiang Mai including breakfast • Four rounds of midweek golf in Chiang Mai, including transfer, booked tee-time and caddie Priced from: £403 for two golfers; £366 for four golfers. All above packages show prices per person in twin share accommodation.
Thai Airways cabin crew.
Conditions: Prices are per person and based on single or twin shared accommodation as stated. Holidays are subject to availability and only include ground arrangements; flights are extra. Domestic and international flights can be organised. Coco Golf reserves the right to substitute golf courses for another of a similar standard if the conditions require. Prices are fixed in Thai baht; sterling equivalent is given for guideline only and are worked on the daily rate issued by www.xe.com at the time of printing.
COCO GOLF
www.cocogolf.net
l For information, call 0207 193 3355 or please email info@cocogolf.net l For the latest golf packages and tours in Thailand, visit: www.cocogolf.co.uk
Golf Escapes 2010
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UA E – A bu Dh a bi a n d Du b a i
the wor ld’s g r e at e s t
GOLF
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
New openings are helping Abu Dhabi establish itself as a golf hotspot along with UAE neighbour Dubai.
I
The Els Club Dubai
Frank Gehry, who is also designing The Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi, which is being built nearby. Other elements of the development include the Louvre Abu Dhabi, other cultural establishments and several luxury resort hotels. The Saadiyat course is just the first of two massive golf openings this year. This summer will see the debut of the Yas Links course by Californian designer Kyle Phillips, the man behind St Andrews’ celebrated Kingsbarns. It forms part of the Yas Island project – another multi-billion dollar development featuring the Formula 1 circuit which hosted the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November, eight hotels including futuristic The Yas Hotel which spans part of the race track, a luxury yacht marina and a Ferrari theme park
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The Els Club Dubai is a recent addition to the UAE’s golf scene.
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club has just opened in Abu Dhabi.
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
n recent years, Dubai has established itself as one of golf’s most high-profile destinations. The emirate underlined its position on the world’s golfing scene in 2009 by hosting the Dubai World Championship on the new Greg Normandesigned Earth Course as the climax of the Race to Dubai, the renamed European Order of Merit. That gave Dubai two prestigious events at either end of the season, with the Dubai Desert Classic being held on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course – the course that first began the Gulf golf boom in 1988 – as part of the European Tour’s Desert Swing and won in a dramatic play-off against Lee Westwood by Miguel Angel Jimenez in February. But now United Arab Emirates neighbour Abu Dhabi is starting to make its mark on the golf scene in just as spectacular fashion. It hosts one of the other two Desert Swing events, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, at what has up to now been its sole 18-hole course – the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, its majestic clubhouse styled like a falcon with its wings outstretched. Within days of this year’s championship, the soft opening of the Gulf’s first beachfront course, the Gary Player-designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Club course, took place. The Troon Golf-managed course is the first phase of multi-billion dollar luxury leisure and cultural development Saadiyat Island, and will even have a designer-label clubhouse with a creation by world-famous architect
also due to open later this year. Abu Dhabi may have been relatively slower to develop its golf and other facilities compared with Dubai, but with vast oil deposits underpinning its wealth it has also been affected far less by the global economic downturn. According to the Abu Dhabi Tourism
Dubai Creek & Yacht was one of Dubai’s first courses. Dubai Golf
Authority, there are plans for another six more courses linked to major developments. Among them is another course on Saadiyat Island, by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Desert city Al Ain also gains its first 18-hole course this spring with the extension of an existing 9-hole layout. Dubai’s economy has undoubtedly been hit by the global crisis, resulting in delays or cancellation of major capital projects, among them Tiger Woods’ first-ever design, Al Ruwaya Golf Course, which was originally scheduled for September 2009 but which has been put back to an unspecified date. However, tourism chiefs are championing the fact that with prices for green fees and
hotels having come down, Dubai is now much more affordable. And with its golf portfolio spanning courses from established stalwarts such as the Emirates Golf Club and the Dubai Creek & Yacht Club to recent additions such as The Els Club Dubai in the Dubai Sports City development and the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, it has enough great golf to make golfers want to keep going back. Now with Abu Dhabi becoming a major golf destination in its own right, and even tiny emirate neighbour Ras Al Khaimah weighing in with its own course now, the eyes of the world’s golfers will be on the UAE ever more in the future.
FACTFILE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Dubai and Abu Dhabi Time difference: GMT +4 Getting there: Airlines flying direct to Dubai
include Emirates (0844 800 2777; www.emirates.com), Virgin Atlantic (0844 209 7777; www.virgin-atlantic. com), and British Airways (0844 493 0 787, www. ba.com). Etihad (0800 731 9384; www.eithadairways. com) flies to United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, 90 miles away, as do British Airways and BMI (0844 8484 888; www.flybmi.com).
Getting around: Local taxis are the best option Abu Dhabi’s Yas Links course is due to open this summer.
and charge by the km.
Climate: Courses in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are open all year. However, the main golfing season runs from October through to May, with November to April being the most pleasant time to play.
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
GOLF PACKAGES: A number of UK tour operators offer golf holidays in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Tee times at any of Dubai’s courses can be arranged by Dubai Golf’s Central Reservations (www.dubaigolf.com; tel: 00 971 4 380 1234; Email: booking@dubaigolf.com).
Tourist information: For more information
about tourism in Dubai, visit www.dubaitourism.ae. For Abu Dhabi information, go to www.visitabudhabi.ae.
Golf Escapes 2010
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D U B A I G O L F, D U B A I
Aerial view of the Emirates Golf Club course with the Dubai skyline beyond.
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Night golf on floodlit par-3 course.
The Dubai Creek Clubhouse.
association with Thomas Bjorn in 2005. A new front nine as well as remodelled tees, greens and topography on the back nine, provides an even greater challenge for all levels of golfer. The 6th hole even incorporates a constructed tee located on stilts 10 metres into the Creek.
Emirates Golf Club
Dubai’s two original golf clubs continue to set the standard in the region.
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ubai Golf, with its world-class golf courses and luxurious clubhouses, harbours some of the most spectacular locations for golf, events and entertainment in the Gulf. With the signature sails of its magnificent clubhouse set dramatically against the Dubai skyline, the true spirit of Arabian hospitality can be found at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, a lush oasis of tranquillity nestled alongside the hustle and bustle of city life and the lapping waters of Dubai Creek. Meanwhile, Emirates Golf Club, home of the Dubai Desert Classic, features an imposing clubhouse designed to represent an encampment of Arab tents and which boasts a superb fine-dining restaurant, several bars and lounges and a splendid pool area. The marina at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Situated in the heart of the city on the shores of the Creek, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is the only golf resort in the region incorporating an 18-hole championship golf course, extensive golf academy facilities, floodlit par-3 course, six restaurants and bars, a stateof-the-art gymnasium and tropical leisure swimming pool, the 225-bedroom Park Hyatt Dubai, a 121-berth marina, the Yacht Club and the golf clubhouse. The par 71 golf course is a true golfer’s paradise that rolls 6,967 undulating yards along well-groomed fairways lined with date and coconut palms, attractive water hazards and shrubbery that lend a distinctively-tropical air. Originally designed by Karl Litten when it opened in 1993, the course was then redesigned by European Golf Design in
Emirates Golf Club, host of the PGA European Tour-sanctioned Dubai Desert Classic won in 2009 by Rory McIlroy, was the first all-grass championship golf course in the Middle East when it opened in 1988. Taking pride in its 36 holes of world-class golf, the club sports two of the city’s finest, must-see courses; the par 72 Majlis course and the par 73 Faldo course. Both courses embrace the natural rolling desert terrain for a serious test of golf, while the signature clubhouse, in the shape of Bedouin tents, remains the most eye-catching in the region. Sculptured around tall desert dunes, the Majlis takes its name from the Arabic word for meeting place. It was named one of the 100 Best Courses Outside the USA in 2009 by Golf Digest, and recently voted Best Golf Course in the Middle East by Golf Digest Middle East. A prominent feature on the course is the majlis positioned between the 8th and 9th holes. The Majlis has developed a worthy reputation as a testing layout for even the best golfers. This ‘desert miracle’ features hundreds of indigenous species of flora and fauna, beautifully complemented by meandering fairways and 7 fresh and saltwater lakes. The Majlis plays host to both the annual Dubai Desert Classic and the Dubai Ladies Masters tournaments. Redesigned by golf legend Nick Faldo, The Faldo course combines a stunning visual appearance with the nuances and challenges of any championship course in just the right measure. Faldo’s trademark tees and bunkers have combined with the naturally-rugged terrain to create a unique golfing experience. Emirates Golf Club also offers two driving ranges within the golf academy and the awardwinning Le Classique restaurant, revered as one of the best French restaurants in Dubai. Book tee times online at www.dubaigolf.com or contact Dubai Golf Central Reservations on Tel: +9714 380 1234 or email golfbooking@dubaigolf.com.
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The Els Club, Dubai T
Ernie’s Dubai masterpiece has set the benchmark for quality golf and service.
The Els Club boasts immaculate fairways and greens.
Golf Escapes 2010
he Els Club, which is located in Dubai Sports City, serves up a first-class golfing experience combined with five-star service and notable prestige. Those who appreciate life’s finest pleasures will embrace this true sporting gem, the creation of Open Championship and US Open winner Ernie Els. To underline its quality, the course has been named Best New International Course by Links Magazine, was a finalist in the International Courses category for the 2008 Golf Inc Development of the Year contest, won Best Golf Course in Dubai in the CNBC Arabian Property Awards and also won Best New Facility of the Year for Troon Golf.
The course is a classic, links-style layout set on desert slopes with native vegetation.
Desert waste area on the 16th hole.
The Els Club’s Mediterraneanstyle clubhouse.
Golf course
Stretching 7,538 yards with four sets of tees, The Els Club has set a new benchmark for golf in Dubai since April 2008. The course offers players a challenging round accompanied by all the essential facilities that extend beyond the immaculate fairways and greens. Set on undulating slopes of native desert vegetation, it is a links-style layout with a traditional classic design.
The Big Easy
The Big Easy is a relaxed but refined eatery serving wholesome, freshly-prepared dishes with a South African pedigree inspired by Ernie Els and his signature restaurant in Stellenbosch. It combines the freshest ingredients where diners can enjoy the best aged cuts of steak, innovative salads and appetisers along with probably the best hamburger in town! The Big Easy is the perfect spot for easy business lunches, family meals and cosy dinners. Complemented by an expansive selection of new and old world wines, this is the perfect retreat located in the new Els Clubhouse, Dubai Sports City.
Butch Harmon School of Golf
The Els Club incorporates the Butch Harmon School of Golf, which provides golfers with the ultimate educational experience. The tuition takes advantage of each golfer’s own unique technique and adapts Harmon’s teaching philosophies to enable each to receive the most from their instruction.
Dubai Sports City
Dubai Sports City is the world’s only integrated sports city. Set on 50 million square feet within the Dubailand development, it will feature world-class sporting facilities, including three state-of-the-art stadia and a variety of world-renowned sports academies. In addition to the sporting facilities, Dubai Sports City will boast residential and commercial developments, shopping, international schools, medical facilities, hotels and entertainment venues. The Els Club is set within the Victory Heights exclusive golf course villa community.
The Troon Golf experience
It is not just one quality, but many which make The Els Club stand out – from the
pristine condition of its course to personalised customer service and how the club is operated, with creativity, energy, enthusiasm and attention to detail. This combination of championship golf and luxury hospitality, known around the world as the Troon Golf Experience, will undoubtedly establish The Els Club as Dubai’s premier luxury golf destination.
Westin Dubai Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina
The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina is the flagship Westin property in the UAE and is the preferred hotel partner for The Els Club. Located alongside a private stretch of Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach, the resort has 294 spacious rooms and suites. It also offers guests a spa and health club, five swimming pools, a water sports centre, sailing academy, marina and three themed restaurants.
FACTFILE
The Els Club Dubai Sports City, Dubai Tel: +971 4 425 1010 golf@elsclubdubai.com www.elsclubdubai.com
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Abu dhabi GOLF CLUB
Teeing up by Abu Dhabi’s iconic “falcon” clubhouse.
Abu Dhabi’s home of golf is an oasis of tranquillity carved out of the desert.
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s Abu Dhabi continues its impressive expansion in golf the plans at Abu Dhabi Golf Club progress in a similar fashion. Regarded as the home of golf in Abu Dhabi and a must-play, the host venue of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship has become a firm favourite amongst the world’s elite golfers with the layout and condition continually impressing and challenging. The 27-hole facility, managed by Troon Golf, has created an enviable reputation as not only one of Peter Harradine’s finest designs, but also as one of golf’s most remarkable achievements. Carved out of the desert, the course exudes a mature look and
1795 RED
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feel, extraordinary for a layout coming up to celebrating only its 10th year of play. This maturity can be attributed to strategic planning, with planting initiatives commencing as far back as 1992. The course itself meanders its way through the undulating desert terrain, amidst palm and ornamental trees, shrubs and seven saltwater lakes. The lush, green oasis boasts some of the finest golfing conditions anywhere in the world and sits under the watchful eye of the iconic clubhouse. The Falcon-shaped structure has become as recognisable a landmark in golf as the Bedouin tents of its neighbouring emirate. Perfectly complementing the Championship
Course is the 3,229-yard Garden Course. An altogether more forgiving test, it is ideal for golfers of all levels and is just another compelling feature of this critically-acclaimed golf club. The 7,440-yard par 72 Championship Course spans 162 hectares and is situated just 10 minutes from both the international airport and downtown Abu Dhabi. There is an array of hotel options nearby, including the newly-opened Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, as well as the always-impressive Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, that provide ideal stops for those on their golfing travels. Alongside an array of awards, the course can lay claim to being part of a select group
Water guards the 7th green at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
FACTFILE
Abu Dhabi Golf Club Abu Dhabi Golf Club PO Box 51234, Sas Al Nakhl, Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel: +971 2 558 8990 Fax: +971 2 558 5005 www.adgolfclub.com
of courses to have hosted a European Tour event for five consecutive years. It is further testament to the level the course has reached as one of the top venues in the world of golf and Abu Dhabi’s commitment to becoming a global golf entity. With refurbishment plans already in place and progressing, the golf club will surpass the lofty expectations accustomed in the Middle East and will only improve still more.
Abu Dhabi Golf Club remains proud of its heritage in the Emirates and will always be regarded as the key mover in the development of Abu Dhabi as a top tourism destination. As more and more people visit the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, the emirate is expected to flourish even further. Right: Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2010 winner Martin Kaymer.
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S A A D I YAT B E A C H G O L F C L U B - A P L A C E T O B R E AT H E
Nearly all golf courses feature bunkers. Ours brings you an appointment with miles of beautiful
beach...
“Saadiyat Breeze” – Par 3, 236 Yards
Welcome to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, home to the Arabian Gulf’s only beachfront course, designed by golfing legend Gary Player. This captivating destination is poised to become one of the world’s truly great courses. Be among the first to play at this enchanting location. To book, call us on +971 2 557 8000 or visit www.sbgolfclub.ae
www.sbgolfclub.ae ABU DHABI
S a a d i yat B e a c h G o l f C lu b , Ab u D h a b i
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Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
t the heart of Abu Dhabi’s development as a top tourism destination is Saadiyat Island. Located just 700 metres off the coastline of the UAE capital, the island development will become one of Abu Dhabi’s flagship attractions. Grand plans include structures such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and The Guggenheim, designed by renowned architects Jean Nouvel and Frank Gehry respectively. The “first masterpiece” to open on the island, however, is Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. Open from March, the Gary Player-designed golf course is already grabbing attention once more to the ever-blossoming emirate. The golf course is the Arabian Gulf’s first and only beachfront golf course and offers dramatic panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf, with parts of the course virtually on the beach, off which dolphins can often be seen. Championship in every aspect, the golf course offers an array of teeing options, from the most ruthless to the most forgiving. A feature of the course is the rich array of colours that contrast yet blend together. The crystal-clear waters of the Gulf combined with the pristine, white sands of the natural beaches act as the most scenic of backdrops against the lush green of the course and bunkers of white and red sand. The altogether natural look and feel is testament to the effort put into maintaining an environmentallysensitive outlook, via some stringent ecofriendly guidelines upheld by the team at TDIC (Tourism Development & Investment Company), Troon Golf and Black Knight design.
Sea view.
The Arabian Gulf’s first and only beachfront course.
Bunkers abound at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.
They include protecting turtle nesting areas. Gary Player, together with the team from TDIC and Troon Golf, has created a unique blend of traditional and contemporary. It will even feature a clubhouse designed by Gehry, styled after The Guggenheim. Player’s flair for design is evident throughout. Undulating and twisting holes meander through the desert surrounds and down to the water’s edge to what culminates in a challenging and quite sensational test of golf. The par-4 10th, named the Mousetrap, is just one of the many feature holes on a course of individually-named holes, each unique in character. Tempting the players to let loose off the tee, the slightest deviation from dead centre brings the deepest and most menacing of bunkers into play – more severe than any you may find even on the Old Course at St Andrews. The prevailing winds also demand golfers creatively plot their way round the 317-acre course.
The opening of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club sees Abu Dhabi make a significant stride in its growth as a global golf destination and positions it as a key attraction in the emirate’s tourism plans. With a development as bold as Saadiyat Island, the intention is clear: develop a destination that is simply out of this world – and in Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, that vision is well on its way. FACTFILE
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club l Gary Player Design championship course managed by Troon Golf. l Open from March 2010 l Location: Saadiyat Island, just seven minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, 20 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport and 50 minutes from Dubai. l Tees: Player (7,784yds), Gold (7,268yds), Blue (6,733yds), White (5,992yds), Red (5,290yds) l Clubhouse will feature a design by top architect Frank Gehry. Tel: +971 2 557 8000 Fax: +971 2 557 8001 www.sbgolfclub.ae
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YAS ISLAND, Abu dhabi
The region’s first links course joins the world’s newest Formula 1 circuit on this spectacular leisure island.
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ith the imminent opening of Yas Links Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s Yas Island is set to become one of the most unique golfing destinations anywhere. A sporting, leisure, commercial and residential development by Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, Aldar Properties, Yas Island already boasts the Yas Marina Circuit – where the inaugural Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was staged last November. Just 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, 20 minutes from the main island of Abu Dhabi and 50 minutes from Dubai, Yas Island is located off the north-east side of Abu Dhabi’s mainland. It encompasses 25 square kilometres, measuring 7.5km long by 6.5km wide and featuring over 32km of waterfront. The first phase of development, including seven hotels, the 143-berth Yas Marina and the Yas Marina Circuit, was completed in time for the grand prix. The 5.5km circuit, designed by Hermann Tilke, incorporates a grandstand with 50,000 covered seats – a first for any F1 circuit – and the longest straight in Formula 1. The futuristic Yas Hotel straddles the track, allowing guests to experience racing cars hurtling under a bridge and between the two sections of the hotel. Later this year, Yas Island will also be home to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Ferrari theme park and the largest indoor theme park. It will offer more than 20 rides and attractions including the world’s fastest rollercoaster, travelling at speeds exceeding 200kmh and emulating the sensation of being in a Ferrari F1 racing car, and racing simulators similar to those used by the Ferrari racing team. Meanwhile, the race circuit will feature a driving school and a Drag Racing Centre. For shoppers, the Yas Mall will be at the centre of the island and will include famous brands from around the world. Future phases include the Yas Island Water Park and Warner Bros Theme Park.
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
The first links course in the Middle East, Yas Links Abu Dhabi is an 18-hole championship
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Yas Marina and futuristic The Yas Hotel.
Light fantastic – LED-covered glass panes light up The Yas Hotel.
Eight holes play along the coastline.
FACTFILE
YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI Opening summer 2010 18-holes, par 72, 7,450 yards 9-holes, par-3 academy course Golf academy, floodlit driving range, short game practice area Tel: +971 2 696 4660 www.yaslinks.com
the yas hotel 499 rooms and suites, spa, gym, marina Tel: +971 2 656 0000 www.TheYasHotel.com
course on the western shore of Yas Island. The 7,450-yard, par-72 course is the work of renowned California designer Kyle Phillips, whose designs include the celebrated Kingsbarn course at St Andrews and The Grove, near London. The Andalucia clubhouse features a sports bar, fine-dining restaurant, men’s and ladies’ locker rooms with steam rooms, a pro shop, outdoor pool and croquet lawn. It offers stunning coastal views, as do all 18 holes of the championship course. The golf academy offers floodlit facilities comprising practice grounds for members
and guests, a nine-hole par 3 golf course, dedicated short game practice area, six shaded hitting bays and two indoor swing studios. Rolling hills and seashore green locations are features of the Yas Links course, eight holes of which play along the coastline. New mangrove plantations lining the adjacent shore incorporate 130,000 plants.
Hotels
The Yas Hotel is the flagship property of seven hotels which opened ahead of the F1 race with a total of 2,260 guest rooms.
The Staybridge Suites, shown left, and Crowne Plaza on the right.
The Radisson Blu Hotel.
yas MARINA & YACHT CLUB 143 berths ranging in size from 10 metres to 70 metres in length and visitor berthing of up to 150 metres Tel: 800 MARINAS/+971 50 220 0275 www.aldarmarinas.com
Offering 499 rooms, it is a striking feature of the race circuit with its curved Gridshell comprising over 5,000 panes of glass lit by an LED system allowing it to display different colours. Two buildings – one in Yas Marina and the other on the race circuit – are linked by a bridge incorporating an executive mezzanine level and top nightclub Rush. The other hotels – four of which overlook the course with the other two opposite – are: • Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island (428 rooms) • Staybridge Suites Abu Dhabi Yas Island (165 rooms) • Yas Island Rotana Abu Dhabi (308 rooms) • Centro Yas Island Abu Dhabi (259 rooms) • Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi Yas Island (397 rooms) • Park Inn Abu Dhabi Yas Island (204 rooms)
The Majlis 8th hole.
Yas Links’ Mediterranean-style clubhouse.
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Alabama Department of Tourism/Jeff Greenberg
Robert Trent Jones Trail course Cambrian Ridge.
touring holiday combining golf with sightseeing or other activities. You can go hiking, biking, rock-climbing, fishing, bird watching and indulge in water sports. History abounds, including the birthplace of America’s Civil Rights Movement. Few states have a stronger music heritage, too. Country music legend Hank Williams and singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet called Alabama home sweet home and Muscle Shoals is home to one of music’s most famous recording studios. With so much choice, it is best to see Alabama in bite-sized chunks. So here are three suggested itineraries to give you a flavour of its golf and other delights:
ALABAMA
Tour 1: Southern comfort
Pensacola – Gulf Shores – Mobile – Greenville – Dothan – Pensacola
Take a fly-drive tour of Alabama’s courses and discover a real Southern welcome.
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better. The golf is year-round, green fees are amazing value, many courses are alongside or near top-quality resort hotels – and the welcome from its friendly people is legendary. You haven’t sampled true Southern hospitality until you have been to Alabama. Nestling between Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, the state has become one of the USA’s top golf destinations over the past 15 or so years. That is largely down to its celebrated Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – a network of affordable, quality golf resorts from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee border. The trail comprises 468 holes on 26 courses by the late, great Robert Trent Jones Sr at 11 sites. But the RTJ Trail is just a part of Alabama’s golfing fare. There are over 300 courses throughout the state, including layouts by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Robert von Hagge and Jerry Pate. Alabama is now gaining recognition among British golfers. And with many Brits familiar with hitting the road to discover the US, the state makes a great option for a
Starting and ending across the border in north-west Florida, this loop takes in some of the best of the Gulf Coast and southern part of Alabama. Tear yourself away from the sugar-white
Alabama Department of Tourism
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ancy a few rounds of golf on some of America’s best courses, with attractions such as music, great food, cultural heritage and a landscape ranging from whitesand beaches and coastal marshes to forestclad mountains to tempt you when you take a break from the fairways? If that sounds like golfing nirvana, it gets
Cheaha Wilderness High Falls.
Sand aplenty at Kiva Dunes.
Alabama Department of Tourism
Arnold Palmer’s Cypress Bends course is one of two by the great man at Craft Farms.
to Dothan, close to the Florida and Georgia borders, where RTJ Trail member Highland Oaks features a monster 700-yard hole on its Marshwood course, one of two 18-hole layouts there.
Glenlakes has 27 holes.
The 27-hole TimberCreek and Peninsula courses are both by Earl Stone, the Peninsula next to a wildlife preserve and featuring 30 lakes. Glenlakes Golf Club, by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin, features the linksstyle Dunes back nine and two other nines. Take the Interstate 65 north-east to Greenville for 36-hole Cambrian Ridge, another RTJ Trail member. It was featured in the 2003 Microsoft Golf game. Then head
Music, from his birthplace in Mount Olive. History comes to life at Fort Morgan, site of the Mobile Bay Civil War battle. Gulf Shores beach.
Off-course attractions
PETER ELLEGARD
The Gulf Coast has 32 miles of pristine, white-sand beaches and wildlife areas full of flora and fauna. Go on a dolphin-watching cruise from Gulf Shores or take a fishing trip from Dauphin Island, and enjoy fresh seafood in restaurants in Mobile and on the coast. Dine and listen to live music on the coastal waterway in Gulf Shores at Lu Lu’s restaurant, owned by singer Jimmy Buffet’s sister, Lucy. You can also celebrate the state’s cuisine at events including the annual National Shrimp Fest on Gulf Shores beach, held over four days in October, when more than 200,000 people come to sample the area’s seafood delicacies, shop at craft stalls and hear live music. Follow the Hank Williams Trail, celebrating Alabama’s King of Country
FACTFILE
ALABAMA Time difference: GMT -6 Getting there: Fly direct to Atlanta and rent a car or take connecting flights via Eastern US gateways to Pensacola in Florida as well as Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.
Getting around: Car rental is widely available. Atlanta is about 150 miles from Birmingham, about a two and a half hour drive. From Pensacola to Gulf Shores or Mobile takes about an hour.
PETER ELLEGARD
Alabama Department of Tourism
sandy beaches at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to tee it up on nine golf courses by the coast. There are two RTJ Trail facilities by the Gulf. Lakewood Golf Club, at Point Clear, offers 36 holes. Originally built in 1947 and remodelled in 2000, its two 18-hole courses are only available to guests at the on-site Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa and it features fairways lined by 200year-old oaks. Magnolia Grove, near Mobile, has 54 holes. Its Crossings and Falls courses are carved out of dense hardwood and pine stands. Craft Farms features 36 holes by golf legend Arnold Palmer. Of other coastal courses, Jerry Patedesigned Kiva Dunes winds through sand dunes, lakes and natural wildlife areas in an exclusive resort right by the beach.
Climate: Alabama has long, hot and humid summers, with highs in July reaching 33°C. Winters are mild, January highs averaging 10°C. The Gulf Coast is warmer but wetter than the rest of the state, while the northeast is generally cooler. Tourist information: Contact the Alabama Shrimp Fest.
Department of Tourism, on 020 8339 6122, or visit www.alabama.travel.
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PETER ELLEGARD
The Judge course at Capitol Hill, on the RTJ Trail.
Tour 2: Metropolitan marvels Atlanta – Auburn – Montgomery – Birmingham – Atlanta
Alabama Department of Tourism
The RTJ Trail’s Grand National resort has 54 holes.
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Alabama State Capitol building.
events leading up to hisnassassination in Thracia Cliffs caption here Peter. 1968 at the Civil Rights Memorial Centre in downtown and follow a trail from Selma to Montgomery which links key sights and museums. This region also has eight state parks and many lakes and rivers where you can go canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Birmingham offers lots of spectator sports, shopping, nightlife and museums, including the world’s largest motorcycle collection, at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Besides Oak Mountain State Park’s golf course, there is horse-riding as well as biking and hiking trails through nearly 10,000 acres.
Off-course attractions
Alabama capital Montgomery is where Martin Luther King launched the Civil Rights Movement. Trace the momentous
Gone fishing.
m Alabama Department of Touris
Co-designed by legendary Byron Nelson, Cottonwood Golf Club’s Montgomery National opened in 1977 and is just six miles south-east of the centre of the state capital. The parkland-style municipal Lagoon Park course is also close to the city. Heading north-west less than 20 minutes from Montgomery brings you to Capitol Hill, another RTJ Trail resort with three championship 18-hole courses. The Judge course has 14 holes next to the Alabama River, its 1st tee standing 200 feet above the fairway and overlooking the river. The linksstyle Senator course features over 160 pot bunkers and the Legislator has six holes set in a cypress swamp.
Accommodation is on-site at Capitol Hill at the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Centre. From Capitol Hill it is 85 miles to another RTJ resort, Ross Bridge, 12 miles south of Birmingham. It has just one 18-hole course, but what a course it is. At a whisker under 8,200 yards from the championship tees, Ross Bridge is the Trail’s longest course and features a spectacular 80ft waterfall between the 9th and 18th greens. The luxury Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa is adjacent. Just two miles away, sister RTJ site Oxmoor Valley is a former slate mine with two 18-hole courses. The par-4 18th hole of the Valley course, dubbed The Assassin, rises to a dramatic finish by the clubhouse. Oak Mountain State Park, part of the state park golf network, is also close by and offers 18 holes. FarmLinks Golf Club in Sylacauga, a 90minute drive east and close to the Talladega National Forest, is a challenging course with stunning views over wooded hills from its elevated tees. They even provide binoculars by one tee box. The 7,400-yard course is part of a family-owned estate featuring a working farm and acts as a “living laboratory” test base for different grasses, with residential course maintenance and grass management programmes run for golf superintendents. From there, Atlanta is less than three hours away.
Alabama Department of Tourism
Fly direct to Atlanta and take in great golf close to Alabama’s capital, Montgomery, and its largest city, Birmingham. From Atlanta, hit Interstate 85 to Auburn, a drive of around 100 miles. Stop off at nearby Grand National, another RTJ resort in the quaint, historic town of Opelika. Its three 18-hole courses sit alongside 600-acre Lake Saugahatchee, with 32 holes by the lake’s shoreline. You can stay on-site at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel and Conference Centre at Grand National, which was renovated in 2006.
FarmLinks is a “living laboratory” for different grasses - and a top course.
Tour 3: Mountain magic
Atlanta – Anniston – Huntsville – Florence – Atlanta
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail The vision of one man – David Bonner, the chief executive of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the pension fund for state workers – the Robert Trent Jones Trail was the world’s largest-ever golf course construction project when it was first begun back in the early 1900s.
Off-course attractions
Fame Recording Studio established Muscle Shoals as one of the epicentres for the music industry from the early 1960s. Among stars to record at Fame were the Osmonds and Aretha Franklin. It is now on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. Witness the Mountain region’s spectacular autumn foliage in October and November. You can follow a fall colour trail scenic drive along the Natchez Trace, which runs for 33 miles in the state’s north-west. Huntsville boasts the world’s largest space attraction, the US Space and Rocket Centre. The mountains also offer unspoilt nature and outdoor activities galore, including rock climbing, hiking, biking and caving.
It now comprises 26 courses at 11 locations, throughout the state. From the most southerly facility and newest Trail member, Lakewood Golf Club, near Gulf Coast city Mobile, to The Shoals, in Alabama’s far north-west, is more than 375 miles. But they are easy to get to. All are alongside interstates – America’s motorways – or federal highways and directions to each one are marked by green highway signs. Five of the sites have three 18-hole courses and another five have two courses. You can stay on or near several of them, as the Trail incorporates a collection of Marriott and Renaissance luxury resort hotels. There are also hotels in downtown Mobile and Montgomery, including Mobile’s historic Battle House hotel, built in 1852 and reopened in 2007 following restoration.
Huntsville’s US Space and Rocket Centre. Alabama Department of Tourism
After flying into Atlanta, drive down Interstate 20 to Anniston for a detour to Silver Lakes, a journey of just over two hours. Another RTJ Trail site, it is also on the edge of the Talladega National Forest, and comprises three championship nines – Mindbreaker, Heartbreaker and Backbreaker – plus a par-3 short course. The Backbreaker’s elevated tees offer great views over the Appalachian foothills. Heartbreaker is rated by many as the Trail’s most difficult course. Heading towards Alabama’s northern border with Tennessee, stop off in Decatur to play the municipal Point Mallard course, which opened in 2004, before going on to Huntsville for RTJ Trail member Hampton Cove. Its three 18-hole layouts include the River course. Laid out on former soybean fields, it is the only Robert Trent Jones course without a single bunker. The Highland course was renovated in 2008 to turn it back to its original design as a Scottish links-style course, with rolling fairways and long grass rough. The signature par-4 5th has an old mule barn alongside, adding to its picturesque appeal. Venturing west to Florence, close to the Tennessee and Mississippi borders, brings you to The Shoals, the most northerly resort on the RTJ Trail. It has two courses alongside the Tennessee River, the links-style Fighting Joe course measuring a gruelling 8,092
yards from the tips. Its 18th green overlooks Wilson Lake on the river. Then head back to Atlanta for the flight home via a stop just south of Birmingham to play RTJ Trail neighbours Ross Bridge and Oxmoor Valley.
The courses remain true to the original principle of affordability. Green fees at most of the courses are just $45 for eight months of the year, and less then $65 in high season. Even the most expensive courses – Lakewood and Ross Bridge – top out at $125 and $136 respectively, still a steal compared with top venues elsewhere. More information: Visit the Robert Trent Jones Trail website, on www.rtjgolf.com
The Cotton Creek course at Craft Farms. Craft Farms Golf Resort
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ARGENTINA South America’s golf capital.
Arelauquen Golf & Country Club in Bariloche, Patagonia.
ALL PHOTOS ARgentina Secretariat of Tourism
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rgentina is known for tango and gastronomy as well as for its diverse landscapes. It has also been a golf destination for over a century. Argentina’s people are passionate about golf; hardly surprising, then, that there are 300 golf courses throughout the country. They are in every kind of terrain, from its beguiling capital, Buenos Aires, to deserts, mountains and even the most southernmost city of the world, Ushuaia. The Argentina Open Golf Championship celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2005, making it one of the oldest national tournaments in the world. Argentine golfers such as Roberto de Vicenzo, Eduardo Romero and Angel Cabrera have also flown the country’s flag around the world, encouraging locals to take up the sport. Today over 100,000 local amateurs play golf, and Argentina is hosting the 2010 World Amateur Team Championships in November, at the Olivos and Buenos Aires golf clubs.
Argentina has 300 golf courses.
Courses range from classical British to modern American-style designs, and famous architects who have left their stamp include Alister Mackenzie, Jack Nicklaus and Robert von Hagge. Golf can also be played all year,
Llao llao is one of the top courses in Patagonia.
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thanks to the country’s excellent climate. Buenos Aires ranks as the number one South American golf destination. Host of golf’s World Cup in 2000, this sophisticated city has as much to offer on the green as it does culturally. Most courses are located in the suburbs and range from elite, venerable clubs such as Hurlingham or the Jockey Club to more modern courses located around the beautiful “Paris of South America”. These include Buenos Aires Golf Club, where the World Cup was staged with victory going to Tiger Woods and David Duval, as well as Pilar Golf Club and Highland Golf Club. But the passion for golf is evident throughout Argentina. An hour’s drive from Buenos Aires not only offers the experience of the
Courses span every kind of setting.
and Brazil, is less than a two-hour flight from Buenos Aires. A large new development has already begun near the falls and promises to be one of the hottest designer locations for golf very soon.
OFF COURSE ATTRACTIONS intensely-competitive matches in front of passionate fans. Beyond the capital are world-class sights, from Patagonia and the Andes mountains to Iguazu Falls, a chain of waterfalls along the Iguazu River which includes nearly 300 falls with heights of up to 70 metres. Other cities include Mar del Plata, boasting many beaches and lively nightlife, including its famous casino. Mendoza is South America’s wine capital.
Iguazu Falls.
Tango in Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires is a sensual and cosmopolitan Latin American city founded by ancestors mainly from Italy, Spain and France, and is a glorious blend of all of its immigrant and indigenous cultures. Argentina is known for its premium quality meat, and diners will find great steaks and the finest gastronomy in Buenos Aires. Exceptional nightlife takes in tango shows, cabaret, theatre, clubs and concerts. For sports lovers, Argentina’s many world-class football and polo teams play at weekends in PA R Salta
AG UA Y
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Along the Atlantic Coast are two vibrant cities with excellent golf. Mar del Plata offers two championship venues at Los Acantilados (the Cliffs) Golf Club Mar del Plata, and Mar del Plata, in Playa Grande. Slightly closer to Buenos Aires, Pinamar is home to the relaxing Pinamar Links and the beautiful Carilo Golf Club, with fairways surrounded by dense pine forest and wilderness. The north has several courses among its hills and ravines. They include the 50-yearold Salta Polo Club course, five minutes from downtown Salta, and several around Tucuman, including El Siambon Country Club and Las Hortensias Golf Club as well as Tucuman’s traditional Jockey Club layout. Mendoza, a two-hour flight from Buenos Aires in the foothills of the Andes mountains, close to the Chilean border, is Argentina’s wine country. The Mendoza Golf Club is situated near its famous vineyards and bodegas. The cost of travel within Argentina is more affordable than ever, and with its warm and friendly people renowned for their welcome to visitors, now is the perfect opportunity to experience the country, its culture – and its golf.
Glacier in Patagonia.
Andes mountains
Pampas (the country) and the Argentine Gaucho (the typical Argentine cowboy) but the serene atmosphere and fantastic, well-kept golf courses. And for travellers with more time to spare, there are several other options around the country. Patagonia is a few hours’ flight from the capital but feels a world away – with the wonders of glaciers, the Andes mountains, lakes and forests, and the Tierra del Fuego and the city of Ushuaia. The finest courses are located in San Carlos de Bariloche at Llao Llao Golf Club and Arelauquen Golf Club, offering challenging layouts overlooking breathtaking scenery. One of the most beautiful journeys is the three-hour scenic drive from San Carlos de Bariloche to the city of San Martin de Los Andes on the Camino de 7 Lagos (the Way of the Seven Lakes), where the Chapelco Golf and Resort has the first golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, along with his son Jack Nicklaus II, in South America. A one-hour flight north-west from Buenos Aires is the intriguing provincial capital city of Cordoba – filled with colonial history and beautiful architecture set on rolling hills with spectacular natural vistas. Thirty courses are close to the city, the home of Eduardo Romero and Angel Cabrera and where the oldest university in South America was founded by Jesuits in 1613. For challenging layouts amid natural beauty, the Cordoba Golf Club in Villa Allende vies with the nearby La Cumbre Golf Club, Ascochinga Golf Club and El Potrerillo de Larreta. Iguazu Falls, on the border with Paraguay
Cordoba
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ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires Mar del Plata
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Perito Moreno Glaciers Ushuaia
FACTFILE
ARGENTINA Time difference: GMT -3 Getting there: Direct flights are operated from London to the capital, Buenos Aires, by British Airways (0844 493 0 787; www.ba.com) from London Heathrow and take about 13 hours. Getting around: Flights from Buenos Aires serve cities throughout Argentina.
Climate: Golf can be played all year. Buenos Aires and adjacent provinces are mild, with the north-west sub-tropical and plateau areas arid. The Santa Rosa Storm’s rains at the end of August herald spring. Seasons are opposite to the UK’s. The Jockey Club in Buenos Aires.
Teeing off in Villa Allende.
Tourist information:
Visit www.argentina.travel.
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JA M A ICA
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JAMAICA
The biggest little island in the world packs many surprises.
J
amaica is an island of secrets. Everybody knows that it has beautiful sandy beaches, that you will hear reggae music blasting out from wound-down car windows, and that you can party into the night. But not everybody knows that you can be punted down a river on a bamboo raft, drifting in the shade of giant mango and breadfruit trees, freewheel a mountain bike down a lush hillside, ride a horse across a deserted beach, or visit the homes of Ian Fleming and Noel Coward.
Golf
Jamaica continues to head the leader board of golf destinations in the Caribbean. The 12 picturesque courses encircle the island
like a necklace, providing a test challenging enough to make even the best golfer put on his game face.
Jamaica
The biggest little island in the world packs many surprises. The island boasts several championship courses, such as Montego Bay’s mountain-to-sea Half Moon Golf Club – host to the annual Jamaica Open in October – plus Tryall Club, White Witch Golf Course and Cinnamon Hill Golf Club. Jamaica is also home to the western hemisphere’s oldest golf course, Manchester Golf Club, in Mandeville. Balmy year-round temperatures and layouts designed by renowned architects including Robert Trent
Jones Sr and Robert von Hagge translate into great golf. Caddies, a dying art form today in many places, use their expert local knowledge to give advice and provide clever commentary. They may even carry the golf bags on their heads.
Places
Jamaica offers much more than its beautiful beaches and clear blue seas. At all points of the compass, there are so many special places to discover! There’s the contrasting East with the tranquillity of Port Antonio and the
Chilling out in the Jamaican sun.
ALL PHOTOS JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD
Montego Bay’s craft market.
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Romantic setting for Negril’s Rockhouse Hotel.
White Witch course, Montego Bay.
FACTFILE
JAMAICA Time difference: GMT -5 Getting there: Montego Bay and Kingston are
vibrant bustle of the Kingston – brimming with sights, sounds and rich aromas. Or casual Negril in the West – famous for unique sunsets while sipping rum cocktails at Ricks Café. And from hedonistic Montego Bay to magical Ocho Rios, the North summons everyone to come out and play. With water sports to waterfalls and more. Or if you fancy life off the beaten track, visit the less travelled South. It’s Jamaica’s diamond in the rough, home to crocodiles, Treasure Beach and mouth-watering seafood.
Culture
Having such a friendly, multicultural population makes Jamaica a country rich in customs and traditions. Steeped in a history of pioneers, pirates and a strong British heritage, it’s a country with huge passions including cricket, dominoes and carnival. Jamaicans love to dance; it’s an integral part of everyday life. They believe it’s best to leave your inhibitions at the door, and let the music set you free. So much will surprise you in a culture as vibrant as its art, as unique as each sunset and as diverse as its people. No wonder it’s known as “the biggest little island in the world”!
Food
Jamaica is one of the most special places on earth. But to appreciate a holiday here you really do need to immerse yourself in the culture. Jamaicans love their food, and no matter what your tastes, from gourmet
served from London Gatwick by both Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) and British Airways (www.ba.com), as well as by Thomas Cook, Thomson and First Choice. Montego Bay is served from Birmingham by Thomson and First Choice. Montego Bay is served from Manchester by Thomson, First Choice and Thomas Cook. Flight time is 8-9 hours.
Getting around: Renting a car is the best way to explore Jamaica’s 17,000km of roads. There are locations at major resorts, in cities and at airports. Driving is on the left.
Climate: Jamaica enjoys a tropical climate with year-round humidity and average temperatures up to 32ºC. Rain can occur at any time but the two rainy seasons are May-June and September-November. Tourist information: Contact the Jamaica Tourist Board, on 0207 225 9090 or email mail@visitjamaica.uk.com; www.visitjamaica.uk.com.
dining to grandma’s kitchen, you’ll never leave hungry. No trip would be complete without jerk chicken, saltfish or ackee – a fruit that, surprisingly, tastes like scrambled egg. Or be tempted by one of the local drinks – Rum and Ting, Red Stripe or Ice Cold Jelly, a deliciously frozen coconut milk. Everything in Jamaica seems just that little bit sweeter, from its West Indian pumpkin to the many types of juicy mangoes. And, just a little more flavourful. Maybe it’s the sun. Maybe it’s that touch of love Jamaicans put into everything. Once you’re there you’ll discover Jamaica’s secret – it’s the secret of a life lived fully in an island as diverse as its people. Once you go, you know
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CA PE K A LI A K R A , BULGA RI A
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CAPE KALIAKRA
A new project on Bulgaria’s north-east coast is set to compete with Europe’s finest golf destinations.
Evocative ruins atop Cape Kaliakra’s cliffs recall its colourful history.
S
ince emerging from Socialism in 1989, Bulgaria has been developing as a tourist destination and has plenty to offer, from the ski resorts of the Balkan mountains to the long, beach-lined coasts of the Black Sea. Now golf can also be added to that list. The north-east coast’s capital, Varna, is Bulgaria’s third-largest city and is situated on Varna Bay. It has a long sandy coastline and offers both the latest facilities and ancient history. But it is best known for its boutique
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shops and nightlife; you can find clubs with international DJs performing or Bulgarian Chalga music clubs with their unique blend of folk and modern electronic music. Cape Kaliakra, 25 miles north of Varna, is the Black Sea coast area chosen for golf development – and it could not offer golfers a more stunning setting. A headland rich in history, beauty and culture, the cape consists of limestone rocks rising high out of the sea. The beauty of Cape Kaliakra is said to be the main reason why Queen Marie of Romania had a royal residence and world-famous botanical gardens (home to one of Europe’s largest cactus collections) built at Balchik in 1926. Nearby is the dramatic landscape setting for Bulgaria’s Signature Golf Coast development. Golf is a new sport for Bulgaria, a country known more for its football, volleyball and wrestling. Designers such as Gary Player and Ian Woosnam have found the north-east coast an ideal canvas to weave their magic. The Cape Kaliakra Signature Golf Coast comprises three top-drawer golf resorts and three signature golf courses, situated side by side on the Black Sea coast. With a marina, private airfield and five-star hotels it is quickly gaining a reputation as a golf destination.
Mussel Bay in Kavarna.
“This is probably Europe’s last undeveloped coastline and when you add to that three of Europe’s finest golf courses, an area steeped in history and outstanding natural beauty, you have a product that is going to challenge the traditional destinations,” comments Bulgarian Golf Association secretary general Seth Underwood. The award-winning BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas Resort was the first project to open there, in May 2008. The golf course was also the first of two Cape Kaliakra projects designed by legendary golfer and designer Gary Player.
Gary Player’s BlackSeaRama was the first championship signature course in Bulgaria.
BlackSeaRama was the first championship signature golf course in Bulgaria, the 18-hole, par 72 layout measuring 7,270 yards. The magnificent classical golf course has been created on flat terrain perched high on the cliffs offering endless sea views to Cape Galata. The stiff sea breeze adds to its challenge. The design reflects the region’s history, and ancient ruins can be seen around the fairways. A replica ancient theatre in front of the clubhouse frames the panoramic view of the sea. The project has adopted a natural and ecological approach, with vineyards planted Bell Tower at BlackSeaRama.
alongside fairways and one of its four lakes stocked with fish. The residential complex set around the Bell Tower comprises 28 detached or semidetached villas, a pool, bistro and a shop, with the sport centre close by. Deluxe private
FACTFILE
CAPE KALIAKRA, BULGARIA Time difference: GMT +2 Getting there: Varna is the gateway airport for Cape Kaliakra. Charter flights operate to Varna from several UK airports. Flight time is just over 3 hours.
Getting around: Car rental is good value in Bulgaria and major companies as well as small local firms rent vehicles in Varna.
Climate: Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast enjoys mild winters and hot, dry summers, with pleasantly warm weather in spring and autumn. Floral displays at Balchik botanical gardens.
Tourist information: For more information about Cape Kaliakra, visit www.capekaliakra.com
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CA PE K A LI A K R A , BULGA RI A
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BlackSeaRama clubhouse.
villas provide the ultimate relaxing retreat, combining privacy and space. The Lighthouse Golf Resort & Spa opened in September 2008. Its course was designed by former European Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam. Nestled on a cliff overlooking the Black Sea’s clear waters, golf does not get any more breathtaking than here. Challenging, yet generous, the 6,790yards, par 71 Lighthouse Golf Course offers beginners as well as the experienced player a
The challenging Lighthouse course was designed by Ian Woosnam.
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Villa on the Lighthouse course.
chance to test their skills, with some of the best and most challenging greens in Europe. The classic clubhouse is one of the resort’s main features with its beautiful interior and large balconies overlooking the 1st and 18th holes. The Lighthouse is the area’s biggest project. The five-star Osiris Hotel, a central landmark of the resort, is set for completion
in 2011. The Lighthouse Resort has been designed around five main hamlets, and facilities will eventually include a spa, casino, tennis courts, aqua park, private beach, shops, and villas and apartments all with high-speed internet access. Thracian Cliffs is the latest golf project, and is the most spectacular yet undertaken in Bulgaria.
Thracian Cliffs enjoys a stunning cliff-top setting.
Dubbed the “Pebble Beach of Europe”, the course forms the core of the development and was designed prior to real estate components, allowing its creator, Gary Player, to craft
18 stunning holes directly along the cliffs overlooking the Black Sea. Opening during 2010, the cliff setting, challenging fairways and sea breeze make this a golfers’ dream. The Thracian Cliffs resort is completed by the luxury Chedi Hotel, Villas and Marina, all built around the cliffs with glorious vistas of the Black Sea coast. Bulgaria may lack golfing history, but it offers charm, a rich ancient history and value for money. And with its golf developments and spectacular scenery, Cape Kaliakra has huge potential to be a significant player in Europe’s golf tourism industry.
Thracian Cliffs resort.
OFF COURSE ATTRACTIONS Bulgaria is one of the oldest documented wineproducing regions in the world, with evidence showing its existence 6,500 years ago. The north-east coast is one of Bulgaria’s most famous vine-growing areas and produces good white and red wines from the Varna and Russe wineries. Bulgaria also has high-quality beer. Its breweries produce award-winning brews. At less than one euro each, they are also excellent value. Shumen, a city in north-east Bulgaria, is a major producer and its Shumensko beer can be widely found around the area. Bulgaria is called the “Land of the Roses” as it produces 85% of the world’s rose oil used in many perfumes. The Rose Valley, a region just south of the Balkan Mountains and the eastern coast, is famous for its rose growing industry and the sweet scent can be smelt at festivals in May and June. The ancient fortress of Tirisis stands guard atop
Cape Kaliakra’s inaccessible cliffs. According to legends, the fortress was guarding the treasuries of Lyzimah, successor of Alexander the Great. Today there are many visible remains of ancient settlements. The Kaliakra cape was declared a protected area in 1941and is home to rare species of sea and bird life. Nearby Durankulak Lake is another protected area, with more than 250 rare species – covering fish, reptiles, amphibians, marsh birds and plants, many of them included among endangered wildlife in the Red Book of Bulgaria. On an island in the lake is an archaeological park known as the “Bulgarian Troy”. Its stone architectural complex is the oldest monumental structure in Europe, with a temple dating back 7,000 years. Human occupation of the region encompasses seven civilisations – Golden Prehistoric, Thracian, Roman, Hellenic, Byzantium, Islamic and Bulgarian. All of them had settlements in the area.
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Czech R epublic
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Czech Republic
Konopiste’s Radecky course and chateau-style clubhouse.
From Prague to West Bohemia and beyond, the heart of Europe beats with great golf, architecture, history and culture in the “Golf Republic”.
T
he Czech map is abundant with beautiful UNESCO World Heritage cities, underlining historical landmarks and events which have become renowned getaway destinations synonymous with Caption charm, character, fun and relaxation. Golf grass seeds have taken root and matured in spa towns for over 100 years, testimony to a long standing tradition and golf history. And today, Prague and other
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Lying at the centre of the Czech Republic, the capital, Prague, is a delight. It is often portrayed with the Vltava River meandering through its heart, running under the remarkable Charles Bridge along which pedestrians walk from Old Town Square towards Prague Castle, perched atop the skyline. Full of historic and cultural highlights, museums and beautiful small cobblestone streets, it
is also a great place to relax, shop or enjoy the restaurants, bars and excellent nightlife.
Golf breaks just 90 minutes from London
A long weekend golf getaway or a week’s holiday is just a 90-minute flight from London. The Prague area has more than 10 attractive 18-hole courses reachable in just 30 to 60 minutes from the heart of the city. The following courses and resorts are recommended as the most popular and established in the region. Various combinations are available. Most visitors prefer to be based in the centre of Prague to discover the city and be shuttled Prague Old Town Square.
Czech Tourism
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Czech regions are witnessing golf fever from April to October as world-class courses have burgeoned all over the country. With its incredible value for money – an evening meal costs £10 or less and half a litre of beer is £1 – and limitless cultural possibilities, golfing visitors to the Czech Republic can combine memorable golf and sightseeing options and activities, pampered by top-quality service levels in a well-developed infrastructure. Meals, drinks, theatre, opera, shopping, nightlife, brewery and winery tours, outdoors, wellness and spa facilities… you name it, you’ll find it all at world-class standards.
FACTFILE
Czech Republic Time difference: GMT +1 Getting there: Prague is served from 12 UK airports by: British Airways (www.ba.com), Czech Airlines (www.czechairlines.co.uk), EasyJet (www. easyjet.com), Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com), Jet2 (www.jet2.com), Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com) and Bmibaby (www.bmibaby.com).
Getting around: Good roads make for easy driving, and both car rental and private transfers are excellent value. Use public transport in the cities.
Climate: Golf can be played from April to October; summers are warm and long. Golf packages: Several UK tour operators offer golfing holidays. Packages and tailor-made tours can also be booked through Czech-based travel company Abante Golf (www.abante-golf.co.uk).
Tourist information: Call the Czech Tourist Authority on 0207 631 0427 or visit www.czechtourism.com
for their round. Alternatively, those who have already explored Prague or who desire minimal commuting time can choose to stay directly at the resorts and enjoy more golf and downtime.
The Prague area’s “golf kings”
Karlstejn Golf Resort, an imposing and demanding 27-hole championship resort, is the icon of the Czech golf world and bears the crown as undisputed Czech golf king with the majestic 14th century Karlstejn castle as a backdrop. This excellent course hosted the European PGA Tour in 1997 and the Czech Open on numerous occasions. Three challenging nines with wide but tricky greens along with several lakes and a hilly profile make the course an unforgettable experience. The clubhouse has superb facilities for both golfers and non-golfers. Konopiste Golf Resort is the largest golf resort in the Czech Republic. This elegant
Karlstejn golf course and castle.
golf resort located 40km south-east of Prague opened its first 18 holes in 2002. Konopiste now offers two high standard 18-hole courses: Radecky and d’Este. Pleasing for all skill levels, the courses are cut sympathetically into the rolling hillside and surrounding forests. There is a 9-hole public course as well as large practice facilities including a grass driving range. The superbly-refurbished manor house chateau clubhouse also provides an excellent hotel and conference facilities. The resort is a unique golf complex and a must play in the Prague area.
Contenders as heir to the throne
Beroun Golf Resort opened in May 2009 and offers great services both for golfers and nongolfers. The golf course is beautifully nestled Beroun opened in May 2009.
Konopiste d’Este course.
in a slightly-hilly, natural setting surrounded by mixed forests, ponds and large lone trees. Designed by famous Canadian golf architect Les Furber, it features 18 championship holes but is designed for all golfer levels in mind. Each hole is original and the course offers many breathtaking views over Beroun town and the valley. There is accommodation on site, in nine double rooms. The Albatross Golf Resort, near Prague, is easily and quickly accessible from Prague’s airport. An 18-hole, par 72 layout, it was built with a vision to create the best golf WHERE TO STAY AND PLAY
Golf courses
www.karlstejn-golf.cz www.gcko.cz www.golfberoun.cz www.albatross.cz www.davidcarter.cz
Karlstejn Konopiste Beroun Albatross David Carter Golf Academy
Hotels
Atos Hotel Prague Perla Hotel Prague Kempinski Hotel Prague Grandhotel Pupp Karlovy Vary
www.hotelatos.cz www.perlahotel.cz www.kempinski.com www.pupp.cz
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Czech R epublic
course in the Czech Republic. This privately and meticulously-built gem unveils a grand design with a picture-postcard finishing hole bound with red rock-edged lakes. It also boasts a modern, full-service practice facility. The clubhouse hosts a reception area, lockers, pro shop, a restaurant and bar, conference rooms and an extensive terrace overlooking a large putting green.
Golf academy led by World Cup winner
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Only 20 minutes from the centre of Prague, the top-class golf academy at Albatross Golf David Carter. Resort is headed by Englishman David Carter. After 15 years on the European Tour, he decided to open his own school and pass on his experience to golf enthusiasts of all ages. The academy is staffed by fluent English speakers and equipped with the latest technology used for golf training; it provides individual as well as group lessons, lessons for kids or course management lessons. Personal supervision by David Carter is a guarantee of the highest-quality tuition. Lessons cost from £27-£60 for 55 minutes.
Nine holes with David Carter – 280 euros (1-3 players); golf lesson (2 hours) with David Carter – a 260 euros (2-4 players) and 320 euros (5-10 players).
Prague Royal Golf Triangle
A proposed new golf circuit combines the Karlstejn, Beroun and Albatross resorts, both for their excellent quality and for their close proximity to Prague’s centre and airport. Golfers can be based in Beroun Golf Resort Hotel and enjoy the relaxation facilities, short commutes to the courses and still be within 30 minutes of Prague’s highlights. Because of the handy location, golfers can also squeeze in another round on arrival or departure day.
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Perla Hotel.
Albatross Golf Resort.
Prague hotels
Relax after your round and stroll around the city to find a great restaurant or pub from a selection of hotels in Prague which offer a homecoming welcome for golfers. Accommodation ranges from economy
Czech Republic – the Golf Republic! A place where you can play golf and relax With over 80 golf courses, the Czech Republic offers a unique combination of historical sites and natural beauty. It doesn´t have to be just about golf. You can visit mineral spas, see cultural events and there’s always great food! For more information please visit our website: www.czechtourism.com Experience your own Czech golf story!
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Czech Tourist Office, 13 Harley Street, London, W1G 9QG, www.czechtourism.co.uk Golf Escapes 2010
which to discover the region’s history and tradition of golf and its wonderful courses. When you walk through the hotel, which dates back to 1701, you experience a special and unique atmosphere. Even today, you can hear echoes of all the noble tea parties and meetings of the most important personalities over the centuries. The hotel offers 228 luxuriously-furnished rooms with en-suite bathroom, satellite TV and pay-TV, radio, direct-dial telephone, mini-bar and safe. Facilities include two restaurants, a lobby bar, cafe, spa treatments and meeting facilities. Combining Prague and Karlovy Vary, with the region’s spas and the country’s oldest courses, has become very popular for short golfing breaks or week-long holidays, both for the variety of cityscapes visitors can enjoy as well as the great golf on offer in both areas.
Grandhotel Pupp.
known as Marienbad), which hosted the European Tour events in 1995 and 1996, and Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). With less traffic on fairways, you can enjoy having courses almost to yourself.
Grandhotel Pupp – gateway to West Bohemia’s golf Both the Grandhotel Pupp and the spa town of Karlovy Vary make an excellent base from hotels including the centrally-located Atos Hotel Prague, to luxury properties such as the new Kempinski Hotel Prague, close to the Old Town Square. If you prefer first-class accommodation, the Perla Hotel Prague is a perfect option. This recently-renovated design hotel in the very heart of Prague opened in summer 2007, just steps away from Wenceslas Square, the Old Town Square and all the other major sights. It offers air-conditioned rooms with high-level comfort and security as well as first-class fitness and sauna facilities. Wi-fi wireless internet connection is available free of charge. Drinks and refreshments are served all day long in the inviting café bar Perla on the first floor.
Karlovy Vary course.
West Bohemia
West Bohemia extends west from Prague to the south-west German boarder. The region is famous for its beautiful countryside, the healing hot springs and famous wellness centre in Karlovy Vary and beer-brewing in Plzen, home of Pilsner Urquell Beer. Visit historic castles, museums, quality restaurants and bars and enjoy the exciting nightlife. Wellness and spa treatments are perfect for soothing aching muscles after a round and the region is generous for golfers with more than five striking courses, among them the country’s oldest in Marianske Lazne (also
GOLF PACKAGES
Prague long weekend
Karlovy Vary long weekend
• Budget: £349 Three nights at the three-star Atos Hotel, Prague, with three rounds of golf • Mid-price: £399 Three nights at the four-star Perla Hotel, Prague, with three rounds of golf • Premier: £599 Three nights at the five-star Kempinski Hotel, Prague, with three rounds of golf Packages include daily breakfast and golf on Prague area courses (Karlstejn, Beroun, Albatross), meet and greet on arrival, airport and golf transfers and all local taxes
• Option 1: £499 Three nights at the four-star Grandhotel Pupp, Karlovy Vary, with three rounds of golf in the Karlovy Vary area
Prague week holiday • Budget: £549 Six nights at the Atos Hotel with five rounds of golf • Mid-price: £649 Six nights at the Perla Hotel and five rounds of golf • Premier: £949 Six nights at the Kempinski Hotel with five rounds of golf Packages include daily breakfast and golf on Prague area courses (Karlstejn, Beroun, Albatross, Konopiste Radecky, Konopiste d´Este), meet and greet on arrival, airport and golf transfers and all local taxes
Konopiste golf break • £399 Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Konopiste Golf Resort, 45 minutes by car from Prague, and three rounds of golf at Konopiste including buggies Package includes meet and greet on arrival, airport and golf transfers and all local taxes
• Option 2: £599 Three nights five-star stay at the Grandhotel Pupp with three rounds of golf in the Karlovy Vary area Packages include daily breakfast, meet and greet on arrival, airport and golf transfers and all local taxes
The best of Prague and Karlovy Vary • Option 1: £799 Three nights, four star, at the Grandhotel Pupp, Karlovy Vary, and three nights at the Perla Hotel, Prague, (total six nights) with five rounds of golf in the Prague and Karlovy Vary area • Option 2: £999 Three nights’ five-star accommodation the Grandhotel Pupp and three nights at the Kempinski Hotel, Prague, (total six nights) with five rounds of golf in the Prague and Karlovy Vary area Packages include daily breakfast, meet and greet on arrival, airport and golf transfers and all local taxes
All packages are calculated for a party of four golfers in 2010 with a Sunday arrival. Non-Sunday arrival is subject to £30 supplement. Price is per person sharing a twin room. Discounts for groups of 12+ golfers on request. Assistance with booking flights is provided on request.
For latest offers, tailor-made golf and free golf brochure: ABANTE Golf, Czech Golf specialist since 2001 www.abante-golf.co.uk, www.czech-republic-golf.com Email: info@abante-golf.co.uk Tel: 020 8133 4366, or outside the UK +420 604 281 334
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I TA LY
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ITALY
With eight of Europe’s top 100 courses and nearly 300 spread across the country, Italy has truly arrived on the golf scene.
DE AGOSTINI PICTURE LIBRARY/ Fototeca ENIT
Pisa.
Fototeca ENIT
T
hings are on the move in Italy – and they’re all heading in the right direction. If golfers were asked which country presently boasts the world team champions of golf and the top amateur in the game, few would probably say Italy, but that is exactly the case. The Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo, beat European heavyweights Sweden and Ireland to clinch the Omega World Cup at Mission Hills in China in November while 16-year-old Matteo Manassero announced himself to the world at Turnberry last summer on his way to finishing tied for 13th
ents needed for the perfect golfing break or holiday. With its mixture of excellent gastronomy and fine wines, spas, history, culture, beaches and, of course, football, combining with some of the best courses to be found anywhere on the continent, Italy has it all. And the great thing is, no-one knows about it Florence. … yet! There are around 260 courses in the country but they have less than 100,000 affiliated golf club members. Italian courses are not facilities; they are clubs where people for whom the game is part of the social fabric of life meet for a round and a good lunch. So, while getting a tee time at other more popular destinations in Europe can become a bun-fight, there is no such problem in Italy. To emphasise Italy’s arrival as a golf des-
tination to be reckoned with, Golf World’s survey of the top 100 European courses in 2009 included no less than eight courses in Italy, with Villa D’Este ranked 29th, Royal Park 34th, Biella le Betulle 37th, Castelconturbia 43rd, Bogogno 53rd, Le Querce 56th, Milano 59th and Pevero-Costa Smeralda at 74th. But few Italian venues are well known internationally. For example, how many of
Fototeca ENIT
at The Open Championship. You can expect to hear plenty more of the trio over the next 12 months and it’s easy to see why they have fallen in love with the game when you look at their golfing roots. To put it simply, Italy has all the ingredi-
Ponte Vecchio, Florence.
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Mountain backdrop for Castelconturbia.
Palazzo Arzaga, Lake Garda.
Bogogno is close to the Alps.
Turin
Venice
Milan
Florence
Rome
Y AL
IT
Turin’s Royal Park.
Naples
SARDINIA
the estimated 60 million tourists that flock to Venice each year know about the fast greens and well-kept fairways that lie secluded among pine trees and dunes at the southern tip of the Lido? There is excellent golf to be played in Sardinia, among the olive presses and vineyards of the Tuscan hills and against a white back-
Biella le Betulle.
Cagliari Palermo
SICILY
drop of Alpine peaks in Italy’s Lake District. And did you know that on the outskirts of Rome at Castelgandolfo, you can even play in the crater of an extinct volcano with the Pope’s summer residence overlooking you in case you’re in need of some divine intervention. From the great cities of the north in Lombardy and Piedmont to Florence, Rome and then down south to the region of Puglia and the beautiful island of Sicily, you are rarely far from a good course, and with 19 airports in the UK now operating regular flights to all over Italy, the country has never been so accessible. Italy has arrived as a golf destination. So what are you waiting for?
FACTFILE
ITALY Time difference: GMT +1 Getting there: Flights by a range of scheduled and low-cost airlines serve destinations throughout Italy from 19 UK airports. Some popular resort areas also have charter flights in summer. Another option, if you prefer not to pay excess baggage for your golf clubs, is to take your car across the English Channel by ferry or Eurotunnel and drive down.
Getting around: Italy is made for discovering by car, with good main highways and delightful smaller roads make for easy driving, and car rental is excellent value. Use public transport in the cities.
Climate: Golf can be played year-round, thanks to mild winters other than in mountain areas, and a wonderful Mediterranean-influenced climate. GOLF PACKAGES: Several UK tour operators offer golfing holidays in different regions of Italy.
Tourist information: Call the Italian State Tourist Board on 020 7399 3550-3557 or visit www.italiantouristboard.co.uk
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Italy – where to play Send your drives soaring down fairways from courses in the foothills of the Alps to the island of Sardinia.
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ith nearly 300 courses, many attached to great clubhouses and hotels serving up superb Italian cuisine, plus its Mediterranean climate allowing year-round golf, Italy has all the ingredients for a perfect golfing holiday. As Italian Tourist Board UK director Valerio Scoyni puts it: “This is not a homogenised golf product. You know you are in Italy because they have such expression, mannerisms and culture. It makes all the difference when it comes to relaxing after your round of golf. “Italy has all the potential for a great golfing destination. We think the UK golfing break groups should wake up to Italy in terms of a golfing trip because value is good when it comes to green fees and the hotels and cuisine are good value too.” These are some of the areas and courses you can play:
Milano Golf Club.
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TUSCANY
Golf Club Poggio Dei Medici
Tuscany provides a perfect setting for golf.
Golf Club Montecatini
Set amidst the Tuscan hills and the Appennino mountains sits this resort, formed from a 16th century villa and with a superb 18-hole golf course surrounding it, home to the Italian Ladies Open for five years. The surroundings buildings at the villa are beautiful and the course no less so, with excellent tees and greens and a recently-renovated clubhouse which exudes luxury and quality.
This is a real haven for golfers who take their game seriously because with nine rooms available in the attached building to the clubhouse, golf comes first. Originally an olive grove estate belonging to an old Tuscan family, the course while not long, serves up an excellent example of Italian golf. Sit at the cosy spike bar and you feel you are Italian. The clubhouse even has a fitness centre and swimming pool.
www.unahotels.it
www.montecatinigolf.com
Palazzo Arzaga’s 15th century mansion hotel.
Toscana Golf Club
Situated just outside the town of Gavorrano, this resort is perfect for groups. The tasteful chalet-style apartments at Hotel Il Pelagone, perched on various hillsides around the course are comfortable and enjoy great views. The course itself rolls through an old olive grove and water plays a prominent part on several holes. The resort also boasts three swimming pools, tennis courts, sauna, steam room and its own private beach a few miles away. The main restaurant, Le Cerretelle, has won numerous awards for its cuisine. www.pelagone.com
Argentario Golf Club
A beautifully-designed golf course which makes use of artificial lakes, olive and cork trees and botanical trails, it is set on a peninsula on the southern Tuscan coast on the way to Rome. The recently-completed hotel is very exclusive, but ideal for a “get away from it all” break, particularly with golf. www.argentariogolfresortspa.it
LAKE GARDA
Palazzo Arzaga Golf Club
Both the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus course and the Gary Player 9-hole course are superb examples of their course design work. Nicklaus provides golfers with wide open fairways but tight approach shots are needed to protected greens. The Player course favours tighter tee shots with less trouble around the greens although with great bunkering. The courses are augmented by accommodation in a 15th century mansion which will make you feel like the lords and ladies that originally stayed there during that era. www.palazzoarzaga.com
Paradiso Del Garda Golf Club Opened in 2004, this course situated less than 2km away from Peschiera and by the
shores of Lake Garda, is destined to become a firm favourite for the UK golfer. It features undulating fairways, plenty of water and imaginative greens as well as excellent practice facilities. The course is not easy, with plenty of water to play around. The older buildings on the estate have been sympathetically restored into hotel accommodation, which is very familyorientated besides catering to golfers. www.parchotels.it Paradiso Del Garda Golf Club.
LOMBARDY
Milano Golf Club
Established in 1928 and 20km north of Milan, this club is recognised as one of the most prestigious in Italy and was one of the Golf World survey’s top 100 courses in Europe. It features 27 holes on a general flat landscape which makes for a measured and relaxed round of golf. The mainly parkland layout has a distinct English feel to it, similar to some of the great Surrey courses with thick woods that can punish.
Villa d’Este, Montofarno
A woodland gem that has fallen off the pro Tour circuit because because it is too short. Set on the Como hills, among pines, chestnut and birch trees, it is a delight to play. The course has six par 3s, but they are all quite long and plenty of elevation changes keep you on your toes. www.golfvilladeste.com
www.golfclubmilano.it
ITALY’S OTHER TOP 100 COURSES
Le Querce, San Martino
Translated into English as “The Oaks”, you’d expect to see a few oaks on site – and you’d not be disappointed. Set in 60 hectares of beautiful parkland countryside to the north of Rome, this is a pleasure to play. One year after it opened in 1990, the club hosted the World Cup. www.golfclublequerce.it
Bogogno, Novara
Another gem from the prolific portfolio of Robert von Hagge, this is a spectacular course. Full of carries over lakes and treacherous bunkers, it is reminiscent of a links design with humps and hollows all over the place, but the inland hazards of trees and streams are also on hand. Set close to the Alps, it has crisp mountain air.
Villa D’Este.
Pevero-Costa Smeralda Sardinia
Holiday golf at its exquisite best, with a demanding course combined with stunning views of the Mediterranean. The vivid greenery alongside white bunkers and blue sky assaults the senses, but beware of the Mistral wind – it can ruin good scorecards. www.golfclubpevero.it
www.circologolfbogogno.com
Castelconturbia, Novara
There are 27 holes here, but it’s the Blue and Yellow that make up the Italian Open 18. Large, white bunkers shaped like giant jigsaw pieces protect the fairways and the greens are generally very large with extremely subtle breaks. www.castelconturbia.it
Autumn colours at Royal Park.
Royal Park, Turin
The course winds through dense woods of birch and beech, but the trees are not the only hazards on this site in the Alpine foothills. Peaks and troughs, ponds and streams and even the odd rocky outcrop makes this a fun, but demanding test.
The original course was laid out in 1971 amid the mature trees of the Mandria Nature Park. The club is in the process of opening a new 18, but until that beds in, it is the Robert Trent Jones Sr design that takes centre stage. Close to the Alps, the club is named after the ancient hunting reserve that existed on the site.
www.golfclubbiella.it
www.iroveri.it
Biella le Betulle, Magnano
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E M I L I A R O M A G N A , I TA LY
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EMILIA ROMAGNA
Combine golf with history, beaches, spas, gastronomy and motoring heaven in the heart of Italy.
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taly’s northern Emilia Romagna region is an area rich in culture, architecture, gastronomy, history, beauty and beaches – with the added attraction of around 20 golf courses. Besides being Italy’s top golf destination, excellent roads make it perfect to rent a car and explore, visiting places such as the motor museums of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Ducati, historic architecture in Rimini, Ravenna and Bologna, spa towns and, nearby, the cities of Florence, Venice and Milan. Rooftops of historic Bologna.
Le Fonti is near Bologna.
Easy to get to, there are scheduled flights from London, Liverpool and Bristol into the region’s four international airports plus flights
at Cervia, Milano Marittima, Cesenatico, Rimini and Riccione. And for those who want to savour food and spas, there’s Salsomaggiore, Riolo and Castel San Pietro. The region offers two golf courses with 27 holes (Cervia and Modena), 12 courses with 18 holes and five 9-hole courses – with hotels close to all of them. Emilia Romagna Golf is the only group of golf courses and hotels in Italy that offers British golfers tee times, hotel bookings, transfers, rental car and various extra golf activities from a single point of sales and at reduced prices. Green fees are sold at the same discounted prices for midweek and Take in 11 golf courses near the Adriatic coast.
Shop for food and wine.
from several UK airports into Milan and Pisa/ Florence, which are within an hour’s drive. The main cities to visit in Emilia Romagna for history are Bologna, Parma, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Ravenna and Piacenza. You can find glorious Mediterranean beaches
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weekends and cover all courses in the region; for 2010, they cost 48 euros (£44). With seven-night packages including bed and breakfast accommodation and five green fees starting from 555 euros (£495) for three-star hotels, 600 euros (£540) for fourstar hotels and 910 euros (£820) for five-star hotels, it makes the region excellent value for a golf holiday. The new 2010 Emilia Romagna Golf brochure for 2010 features all the region’s golf courses and its 28 golf hotels. A Golf Courses Road Map also helps golfers to easily reach the courses. Three possible itineraries can combine golf and other activities:
Cervia and Rimini, the Adriatic Coast area
This circuit offers golf with the sea and beaches, amusement parks, history, spas and San Marino. There are 11 golf courses within an hour’s drive: the 27-hole Adriatic Golf Club Cervia; 18 holes at CUS Ferrara, Riolo Country Club, and Rimini, Le Fonti, Bologna and Molino del Pero golf clubs; with nine holes at four other clubs. Besides golf, you can relax on the beaches of the Adriatic Coast, where amusement and Caption here Peter. theme parks offer fun for the family. Enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage
Site Byzantine mosaics and monuments of Ravenna among other treasures in the area, visit the Republic of San Marino and take in the spectacular views, take in the spa town of Riolo and visit the fortress and medieval hamlet of Brisighella.
Bologna and Modena, the area of the Cities of Art
KEY
1. Adriatic Golf Club Cervia – 27 holes 2. Rimini-Verucchio Golf Club – 18 holes 3. Riviera Golf Resort – 9 holes 4. Golf Club I Fiordalisi – 9 holes 5. Golf Club “Le Cicogne” Faenza – 9 holes 6. Golf Club La Torre – 18 holes 7. CUS Ferrara Golf – 18 holes 8. Golf Club Le Fonti – 18 holes 9. Golf Club Casalunga – 9 holes 10. Golf Club Bologna – 18 holes 11. Molino del Pero Golf Club – 18 holes 12. Modena Golf & Country Club – 27 holes 13. San Valentino Golf Club – 18 holes 14. Matilde di Canossa Golf – 18 holes 15. Golf Club La Rocca – 18 holes 16. Salsomaggiore Golf & Country Club – 18 holes 17. Croara Country Club – 18 holes 18. Golf Club Castello La Bastardina – 9 holes 19. Golf Club Castell’Arquato – 18 holes
Play golf at Bologna, Modena and Le Fonti, go to auto heaven, take in a winery and visit Bologna city. This area offers 13 courses all within an hour’s drive. There are 27 holes at Cervia and Modena Golf & Country Club; 18 holes at Bologna, Le Fonti, CUS Ferrara, Riolo, Molino del Pero, San Valentino, Matilde di Canossa and Rimini golf clubs; plus nine holes at three clubs. In Bologna, you can walk along its 40km of porticoes, go shopping, have a coffee at an outdoor cafe on Piazza Maggiore and climb to the Basilica of San Luca. Visit the Ferrari, Ducati and Lamborghini museums and the official Ferrari shop in Maranello, near Modena, then visit a winery or a balsamic vinegar producer near Modena or savour the wines and visit the Sforza
FACTFILE
EMILIA ROMAGNA, ITALY For information, hotel bookings, tee times and tourist packages: Emilia Romagna Golf c/o Cervia Turismo Via Evangelisti 4 48015 Cervia, Ravenna, Italy Tel: +39 544 916280/72424 Fax: +39 544 972911 Email: info@emiliaromagnagolf.com www.emiliaromagnagolf.com For information and tourist packages on the Adriatic Coast: www.adriacoast.com For information and tourist packages on Spa centres: www.emiliaromagnaterme.it For information and tourist packages on the Cities of Art: www.cittadarte.emilia-romagna.it For information and tourist packages on the Appennines: www.appenninoeverde.org
Fortress in Dozza. Walk around the narrow medieval streets of Ferrara, the capital city of bicycles.
Parma and Salsomaggiore – Gastronomy and Spa Area Explore Ferrara’s sights on foot or by bike.
Play golf and enjoy spas, classical music, gastronomy and castles in this area. An hour’s drive takes in the 27-hole Modena course, 18 holes at La Rocca, Matilde di Canossa, Salsomaggiore, Castell’Arquato, Croara and San Valentino golf clubs, with nine holes at La Bastardina. Explore the wonderful architecture and museums of Parma, visiting Giuseppe Verdi’s birthplace and take in classical music at Parma’s Regio Theatre. Savour a typically medieval meal in the castles of the former Duchies of Parma and Piacenza. Soak in the baths of Salsomaggiore and Tabiano spa towns. Then bag bargains at the Fidenza Village Outlet shops. Enjoy a soak in a spa pool.
Pars and supercars are on offer at Modena.
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O p e n G o l f C lu b , F r a n c e The Moliets course by Robert Trent Jones, near Biarritz.
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ESCAPES
OPEN GOLF club
The leading golf destinations in France.
O
Northern France: Le Touquet and Hardelot. Together they comprise one of Europe’s finest integrated golf resorts and the top French golf destination for British golfers. What else could golfers wish for? Paris: from Versailles (Golf des Yvelines) to Chantilly (Château de Raray), a taste of French history. Biarritz: the leading golf destination in France. Courses of character in a beautiful environment in the traditions of the Basque Country. Provence: courses where the blend of scents, nature and sunshine create a unique ambiance. Côte d’Azur: around the Nice and Cannes area on the French Riviera, golfers have the choice of top-quality golf courses and chateau accommodation at OpioValbonne and la Grande Bastide resorts. Dordogne: good golf, wine and gourmet food. Welcome to France! Born in 1987, Open Golf Club now represents more than 30 golf courses throughout France, most with associated accommodation. These include designs by architects including Robert Trent Jones Sr (Moliets), Pete Dye and PB Dye (Barbaroux), Robert Fream (Golf d’Arcangues) and Harry Colt (Hardelot’s La Mer). Wherever you choose to play and stay you will find exceptional golf courses Le Touquet’s La Mer course. and exquisite hotels.
pen Golf Club – Hotel Golf Resorts brings together upmarket golf and golf resorts in France to offer top quality courses open to all golfers and with good value. Open Golf Club hotels, golf courses and resorts are very attractive for both short breaks and golfing holidays. From Northern France to the Côte d’Azur, they are located in a number of prominent tourist areas famous for their natural, cultural and historic heritage, with more set to join the collection. Golf clubs are internationally renowned and adapted to all levels of play. Underlining their quality, four of the Open Golf Club courses were listed in Golf World’s Top 100 courses in Continental Europe in 2009. They were: Seignosse (ranked at 41), Le Touquet (La Mer course, 47th), Hardelot (Les Pins course, 83rd) and Moliets (90th). This makes Open Golf Club France’s number one golf consortium. Open Golf Club offers hotels, golf clubs and resorts in all major touristic areas in France:
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Chateau de Raray.
Chateau des Vigiers.
FACTFILE
Open Golf Club – Hotel Golf Resorts For golfing societies information, special offers, enquiries and bookings, contact: Nigel Jibson. Tel: 07956 863358 Email: njibson@opengolfclub.com www.opengolfclub.com
ST EN DR EOL , FR A NCE The St Endreol course is just half an hour from chic St Tropez.
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GOLF
ESCAPES
LES DOMAINES DE SAINT ENDREOL GOLF & SPA RESORT A peaceful Provencal escape.
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estling between Provence and the French Riviera, Les Domaines de Saint Endréol Golf & Spa Resort offers a first class residential hotel with new Prestige rooms next to the Spa. Guests have a choice between massages, saunas, Turkish bath, fitness, Power Plate® and more in The resort offers first class accommodation.
St Endreol is set in typical Provence landscape.
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the 2000-square-metre spa. Situated in a landscape typical of Provence, the resort’s many-faceted 18-hole golf course offers players extraordinary scenery as it hugs the seductive curves of the land. Pine trees offer welcome shade, while mountains form a beguiling backdrop. Shots from the elevated 13th tee drop down onto a green surrounded by a river which runs alongside the course. The Michel Gayon course measures over 6,800 yards from the back tees and is both technically challenging and varied. But it suits beginners as much as experienced players. Course management and thoughtful play are required for a round to be fondly remembered, however. Views of the course can be enjoyed from the resort’s restaurant, Le Palayson, which serves fine traditional French cuisine, including local Provencal specialities. Whether you play golf, relax at the spa
or sample the fine cuisine, everything on offer at St Endreol is about enjoyment. It provides a peaceful escape, yet is within easy reach. In just half an hour you can be in Cannes or Saint Tropez. FACTFILE
Les Domaines de Saint Endreol Golf & Spa La Motte en Provence, France For reservations or further information: Tel: 00 33 494 51 89 80 Fax: 00 33 494 51 89 81 Email: reservation@st-endreol.com Web: www.st-endreol.com
B R I T TA N Y F E R R I E S
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ESCAPES
BRITTANY FERRIES
Chateau des Ormes golf course, in northern Brittany.
Play the uncrowded, great value golf courses of Western France.
F
rance is a world apart from the UK, yet just a short hop across the Channel. Courses tend to be uncrowded, especially in Western France. With its outstanding cuisine, wine, cheeses and unique ambience, the après-golf is part of what makes a golf break in France so memorable and so much fun.
ALL PHOTOS BRITTANY FERRIES
FACTFILE
BRITTANY FERRIES Golf course information, a great hotel selection and ferry timetables can be found at the website www.brittanyferries.co.uk/golf and reservations can be made on 0871 244 0808 or by email at golfdesk@brittanyferries.com.
Getting there is very much part of the holiday with Brittany Ferries, and you can make the most of your time by crossing the Channel overnight. Luxury cruise-ferries, offering en-suite cabins, fine French restaurants and stylish bars, provide a uniquely relaxing way of travelling. As a French company, it knows France better than perhaps any other tour operator and has negotiated some great rates at hotels and courses. Taking your own car means that you can take both your golf bag and your own trolley without hidden baggage costs, and with the reassurance that your clubs won’t get lost!
No.1 for Golf Breaks in France & Spain
Whether you are a couple or a group, the Brittany Ferries golf desk, staffed by keen golfers with a wealth of local knowledge, can advise not only on courses, but also on restaurants and the sights you shouldn’t miss. They can even book a tailor-made package at no extra cost. Bretagne entering St Malo.
Unbeatable value inclusive breaks Take your car and enjoy one of our great value golf breaks in France or northern Spain. Choose from over 80 wonderfully uncrowded courses and a selection of hand-picked hotels. And with a relaxing cruise to take GOLF BREAKS you there, you’ll arrive refreshed and ready to IN FRANCE play the best golf of your life!
FROM
£123
*
*Includes return ferry travel based on minimum 4 per car, 1 night hotel accommodation and golf. Valid until 26 March 2010.
Our specialist Golf Desk will arrange everything for you - all you have to do is pack your clubs and go!
For a brochure or our latest offers
brittanyferries.com/golf 0871 244 1406
FrenchGolfHolidays HP.indd 1
15/2/10 16:59:32
Formule Golf has developped the Pass for those who have passion for Golf and freedom. All year round, the Pass is the best option to play on 16 beautiful courses, with no restrictions and very attractive prices ! Welcome to a world where your pleasure just matters.
- RCS Paris B 337 934 483 - CrĂŠdit photo : D.Truffaut - 96295
BY SEA : Roscoff, St Malo, Ouistreham. BY AIR : Dinard, Nantes, Nice, Lorient, La Rochelle, Rodez.
Play more, Pay less on the Formule Golf planet !
For more information: www.formule-golf.com contact@formule-golf.com / 0033 (0)2 40 12 55 95
Belek, Turkey
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GOLF
ESCAPES
BELEK, TURKEY
Belek’s star quality shows as four of the best make it into Europe’s top 100.
I
Gloria Golf Club
f any proof were needed of Belek’s maturity as a golf destination, it must surely be the fact that four of its courses made it onto Golf World’s Top 100 European Courses in 2009. The definitive ranking of the best in Europe, Belek’s success in it is all the more remarkable because it represents nearly 30% of its total of 14 courses, and all are within a few minutes of each other. That is more than several countries with long-established golf history, yet the first fairways on this southernmost coast of Turkey did not open until 1994. Belek’s four Top 100 courses were: Antalya
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Belek now has 14 courses.
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Golf Club’s David Jones-designed PGA Sultan course, a new entry in the listing and ranked at number 60; Perry Dye’s new LykiaLinks layout, at 63; the Cornelia Golf Club’s Prince course, by Sir Nick Faldo, at 72; and another new creation at 93, the Carya heathland course by Peter Thomson, Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb. Set in an area which forms part of the “Turkish Riviera” and less than 20 miles from the main regional gateway of Antalya, the purpose-built resort of Belek has quickly made a name for itself not only as one of Europe’s fastest-growing golf hotspots but also one of its best. That was underlined by it being named Europe’s Golf Destination of the Year for 2008 in the golf industry’s prestigious annual IAGTO Awards. In less than 15 years Belek went from having no golf at all to possessing 11 clubs offering 279 holes on 14 courses. More than half its new facilities have opened within the last three years, in a building phase kicked off by the 27-hole Cornelia Golf Club. It was followed by PGA Design Consulting’s 18hole Sueno Golf Club and the 18-hole Kaya Eagles Golf Club by Irish designer David Jones, who co-designed Belek’s first course,
the National, as well as the top-rated Sultan track atAntalya Golf Club. The latest courses to open feature the handiwork of 2010 Europe Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, design guru Pete Dye’s son, Perry, and multiple Open Championship winner-turned-architect Peter Thomson. Monty’s Papillon Golf Resort course was designed in association with European Golf Design, and opened in October 2008. The following month saw the arrival of Belek’s first links course, the classical-styled LykiaLinksGolf by Perry Dye, and Thomson, Perrett and Lobb’s Carya Golf Club course, echoing traditional British heathland layouts. There is more world-class golf to come, too. Belek Golf Club, a design by two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, is due to open in 2011 and will be managed by Troon Golf – marking its first managed facility in Turkey. The project will also include a hotel, spa and beach club. Besides its world-class golf venues, Belek also offers a stunning array of luxury four and five-star resort hotels offering high standards of service and accommodation in very close proximity to each other, many with extensive spa facilities in addition to other leisure
Antalya Golf Club
LykiaGroup
The Taurus mountains rise behind Antalya Golf Club.
FACTFILE
TURKEY Time difference: GMT +2 Getting there: Pegasus Airlines (0845 084
8980; www.flypgs.com) has launched direct flights for summer 2010 to Antalya from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. Cyprus Turkish Airlines (020 7930 4851; www.kthy.net), British Airways (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com) and Onur Air (+90 212 663 23 00; www.onurair.com.tr) also operate direct flights to Antalya while Turkish Airlines (020 7766 9300; www.thy.com) flies there via Istanbul. Charter flights to Antalya are operated by several airlines including Thomas Cook (www.flythomascook.com), Thomson Airways (www.flights.thomson.co.uk), First Choice (www.flights.firstchoice.co.uk) and Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk).
LykiaLinks is one of four Belek courses ranked in Europe’s top 100.
Papillon Golf Club’s Montgomerie course.
Getting around: Local buses and taxis are inexpensive. Air-conditioned car hire costs from around £25 a day.
Climate: Belek enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. July and August are the hottest months. April to June and September to November are the best months, climate-wise, for golfers. GOLF PACKAGES: Tour operators include Alternative Travel & Holidays (020 7923 3230; www.turkishgolf.com). A full list is available from the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office. See below. European Golf Design
activities such as water sports and tennis. Belek’s popularity with holidaymakers is growing in leaps and bounds. Its excellent climate is a major attraction, as are its beautiful sandy beaches. With shopping on its doorstep, the nightlife of Antalya just half an hour away and numerous natural and historic attractions within easy reach, there is plenty to keep golfers and their families occupied
Tourist information: For more information on Turkey, please call 020 7839 7778 or visit www.gototurkey.co.uk
beyond Belek, too. And as Turkey is outside the Eurozone, value for money is another major factor in its favour, both in terms of green fees substantially cheaper than other Med golfing hotspots and the general cost of living. After performing strongly in 2009, Turkey is once again tipped to be one of the star destinations for UK holidaymakers this year.
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Pegasus is operating direct flights to Antalya this summer.
GOLF
ESCAPES individual and group lessons with PGA professionals are also available. Pegasus Airlines has launched direct flights to Antalya for summer 2010 from three UK airports in addition to its year-round flights via Istanbul. With British Airways, Cyprus Turkish Airlines and Onur Air also operating direct scheduled services, several charter carriers also flying direct and Turkish Airlines serving it via Istanbul, Antalya is easier than ever to get to. With such an incentive on top of all its great golf courses, golfers heading for Belek in 2010 will be in for some real Turkish delight.
by boulders, pot bunkers and a challenging design all testing your golfing mettle. For those who like to measure a course’s playability by its USGA slope rating, the PGA’s Sultan comes in at a spine-tingling 142 off the back tees, and still a difficult 135 off the yellows. Hence its limit for men with a handicap of 24 or better and 28 or below for women. Course facilities include an airy clubhouse with a restaurant, bar, pro shop, locker and storage rooms. Buggies, electric and manual trolleys and clubs are available for hire. Both
Belek’s courses There are two 18-hole courses – The Pasha and the PGA Sultan – both of which offer challenges for all standards of golfer, in a beautiful setting. The Sultan is the more challenging of the two and was designed with the discerning golfer in mind. Both courses were constructed by European Golf Design, under the supervision of design consultant and Senior Tour professional, David Jones. The Pasha is an 18-hole golf course of 6,267 yards, and par 72. It may not be long, but its fairways weave through native woodland with tricky doglegs and lurking lakes. Don’t expect a walk in the woods. Its big brother, the PGA Sultan, is an 18hole course measuring 7,083 yards in length, with a par of 71. It has been carved through once-swampy land and features fairways lined by eucalyptus and pine trees with lakes edged
Antalya Golf Club
Antalya Golf Club
Antalya Golf Club’s PGA Sultan.
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Golf Escapes 2010
Antalya Golf Club
Antalya Golf Club
PGA Sultan and Antalya Golf Club clubhouse.
The Pasha is no walk in the woods.
LykiaLinksGolf Antalya
Opened to critical acclaim, the LykiaLinks course is the first true links in the Eastern Mediterranean. Even designer Perry Dye is thrilled with the result, saying: “LykiaLinks is one of the best courses I have ever designed. Golfers will find that nothing has been left out. LykiaLinks turned out to be even better than my expectations.” Part of the LykiaWorld & LykiaLinksGolf Antalya golf hotel and resort complex, the course offers commanding views of the sea and nearby mountain peaks. Four holes along the Mediterranean are set among coastal sand dunes, with the 18th having a stadium-style finish. The undulating greens are fast and are guarded by an assortment of pot bunkers, which demand low punch-and-run shots as on traditional links layouts. Coupled with large waste areas, the course is a challenge for accomplished golfers but still allows higher-handicap players to have fun. Other facilities include a 9-hole academy course, 40-bay driving range, two
LykiaGroup
LykiaLinks is the Eastern Mediterranean’s first true links.
Cornelia Golf Resort
Cornelia Golf Club
Forming part of the Cornelia De Luxe Resort and designed by six times major championship winner, Sir Nick Faldo, the first 18 holes of the 27 hole Faldo Championship Golf Course opened in November 2006, with the Tiberius and Sempronia 9-hole layouts, followed by the remaining 9-hole loop, Gaius, in June 2007. Together, they form three 18-hole combinations called Prince, Queen and King, giving lengths of around 7,000 yards in each case. Although open for a short while, Cornelia has already earned plaudits as one of
Cornelia opened in 2006.
practice putting greens, a clubhouse with pro shop and other amenities, and rental clubs, trolleys and buggies. OFF COURSE ATTRACTIONS
Belek beach.
Gloria Hotels & Resorts
A classic, English-style heathland course reminiscent of Wentworth and Sunningdale has been created at Carya Golf Club by largest Mediterranean city. It is typical of Turkey, a thriving modern city with a historic heart in the centre of Kaleici, within the old city walls. There is plenty of history in the area including the ruins of the ancient Pamphylian city of Perge, the Roman amphitheatre at Aspendos which is used for open-air concerts, and no shortage of natural beauty such as the magnificent Manavgat waterfalls nearby. For more information about Belek, visit www.belektourismcenter.org.
Aspendos amphitheatre.
Peter Ellegard
Belek is just 40 minutes’ drive from Antalya’s international airport, making for a quick and easy transfer. The resort is set along a long, sandy beach which backs onto a forest of pine and eucalyptus trees, at the foot of the snow-capped Antalya’s historic Taurus Mountains. Kaleici area. Belek has won awards for environmentally-friendly development and there are many rare species of plant and wildlife, including Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtles, indigenous to the area. Accommodation is mostly in resorts of four and five-star standard, with facilities including sporting and other activities, spa treatments and entertainment. Many hotels also cater for children with kids clubs and other facilities. Non-
Carya Golf Club
Turkish Culture and Tourism Office
Turkish Culture and Tourism Office
Belek and area
the best new courses in Europe, underlined by the Prince course being rated at 72 in Europe’s Top 100 by Golf World in 2009. Set among umbrella pines with a ridge of sand dunes running through its heart, this challenging course offers a tone and quality only found at the finest golf resorts in the world. Facilities include the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, the first in Turkey and featuring programmes for all levels of golfer with state-of-the-art game improvement facilities. The club also offers a large clubhouse and extensive practice areas including a multi-bay driving range. Buggies, trolleys, electric trolleys and clubs are available for hire.
golfers, or those who just want a day away from the greens, will find plenty to explore in the surrounding area. Antalya itself, the ancient city of Attaleia, is Turkey’s
Antalya’s harbour.
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the wor ld’s g r e at e s t
Carya was ranked 93rd in Europe.
GOLF
ESCAPES
Carya Golf Club
Carya Golf Club
set around a large lake, in the midst of pine forest. A par 35 course, it can be played from two different tee positions and is 3,075 yards from the white tees. Gloria New is a tree-lined, parkland styled course with a hint of seaside, thanks to its undulations. It measures 6,760 yards, and is par 72. The New Clubhouse was specially designed for the Gloria Golf Resort, with comfortable restaurant, bar, golfers’ lounge and large pro-shop and locker room. The fully-stocked pro shop has PGA professionals on site. The driving range has two floors with 48 bays plus 30 bays with grass tees. Practice facilities also include a large putting green, pitching green and practice bunker. There are buggies and rental Callaway golf clubs.
Classic English heathland-style golf at Carya.
five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson and partners Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb. Although only opened in November 2008, the course has gained recognition by being placed at 93 in Golf World’s Top 100 European Courses in 2009. Carya is laid out on undulating sand hills just 200 yards from the Mediterranean. It measures almost 7,200 yards and runs through mature pine and eucalyptus forest. The course’s distinctive heathland appearance is down to the use of heather to enhance its classic design. While it grows naturally on the site, a unique cultivation project was set up to propagate a specially-selected variety in glasshouses and an outdoor heather nursery. The heather was then mixed with fescue grasses and positioned on bunker tops
and banking, with almost one million sprigs planted around the course. Also on site is a clubhouse with restaurant and pool area, extensive practice facilities and an academy featuring training holes and teaching studios with video analysis equipment.
Gloria Golf Club
A total of 45 holes, all designed by French golf architect Michel Gayon, are situated amidst pine forests at the foot of the Taurus Mountains. Gloria Old is considered a Gayon classic, with deep bunkers and no less than seven lakes, providing a challenge at all levels. Gloria Old was host to the PGA European Turkish Senior Open in 1998, 2000 and 2001. It is 6,760 yards long, and par 72. The 9-hole Gloria Verde golf course is
Papillon Golf Club
The Papillon Golf Club’s Montgomerie course is set in 257 acres of sandy seaside ridges and pine and eucalyptus forest. Colin Montgomerie teamed up with European Golf Design for this project, his first design in the Mediterranean. Measuring 7,021 yards and playing to a par of 72, the course features eight lakes and over 17 acres of bunkering including waste bunkers. The fairways are challenging and undulating but give plenty of strategic options. The course serves up a par-5 for an opener – there are two in the first four holes – and finishes in the same vein, with the 510-yard 18th finishing in front of the clubhouse and guarded by a large bunker, stream and lake. Complementing the course is a 9-hole, par27 academy course, a golf academy, a luxury
The Gloria Old course.
Golf Escapes 2010
Kaya Eagles Golf Club
Gloria Golf Club
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Kaya Eagles.
Monty’s Papillon course. European Golf Design
hotel and 40 villas. Golf facilities also include a double-ended driving range with 25 bays at each end, practice putting, chipping and pitching greens, a pro shop and rental clubs.
Kaya Eagles Golf Club
Several holes run down to a lake, created from a dammed-off section of river. The course offers excellent playing conditions and beautiful
Robinson Golf Club – Nobilis
Open since 1998, this course was designed by internationally -renowned architect Dave Thomas. This par-72 championship standard course, which measures 6,943 yards, is shaped from a beautiful natural pine forest and positioned alongside Belek’s Acısu River.
Robinson Golf Club – Nobilis.
Golf Escapes 2010
Peter Ellegard
Opened in November 2007, Kaya Eagles was designed by David Jones and is laid out amid a woodland of pine, eucalyptus and olive trees with eight lakes creating lots of water hazards to avoid. The long, doubledogleg, par-5 5th is sandwiched between the course’s toughest par-4 holes, the 3rd and 17th. All three require approach shots over a stream to reach the respective greens. Set out on a compact site, Kaya Eagles has been designed as a par-71 resort course which is playable by all levels of golfer. It measures 6,438 yards and has features four sets of tees. While not a monster course, it requires
plenty of guile to play with some dramatic, risk and reward short holes. Facilities include a driving range with seven covered bays and putting green. The clubhouse features a pro shop, restaurant, bar and changing rooms, and there are buggies, trolleys and clubs available to rent.
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Belek, Turkey
National Golf Club
loops of nine holes, which can be combined as three different 18s. They are called the TAT, the International and the Belek. From the championship white tees the TAT and Belek measure 6,759 yards; the TAT and the International measure 6,962 yards; and the Belek and the International measure 6,813 yards. All combinations are par 72. There is also a 9-hole academy course and practice facilities include a driving range with two chipping and putting greens.
Sueno Golf Club
Belek’s first course was the National.
views of the Taurus Mountains, and despite being dotted with pretend Roman ruins in the form of collapsed columns and arches this is a very serious test of golf. It also has a stylish Romanesque clubhouse with a good restaurant and a pro shop.
National Golf Club
The first of Belek’s courses, it opened in late 1994 and was also the first in Turkey to be developed according to European PGA standards. The National was designed by Ryder Cup player David Feherty and Seniors Tour player David Jones, and was voted one of the top 40 European golf courses by Golf World within six years of opening. Feherty has incorporated aspects of the best courses he has competed on in the world, and has ensured that no two holes are similar. The 18-hole course is 7,002 yards long with a par of 72. Practice facilities comprise a 40-bay driving range and two chipping and putting greens. The National Golf Academy has a very pretty 1,692-yard, par-29 course including comprehensive instruction facility which caters for all golfers, from the scratch player to the complete beginner. Clubhouse facilities include a restaurant, bar, boutique, terrace, locker and storage rooms and a pro-shop. Buggies, rental trolleys, woods and irons are available for hire, and PGA professionals are on hand for individual and group lessons.
TAT International Golf Club
Set between the sweeping Besgoz River and the Mediterranean, the Tat International offers golfers not only top-class facilities, but stunning views in a magnificent setting. The 13-acre course has been designed by reputed English course architects Hawtree as three
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ESCAPES
Created by PGA Design Consulting, this opened in late 2008 and features two courses – the Dunes resort course and the longer, narrower and much tougher Pines course. The two courses feature a total of 20 lakes and 128 bunkers. Island greens and waste bunkers are notable features, the par-4 18th on Dunes being the course’s signature hole for its spectacular island green, set in a lake directly in front of the clubhouse. The Sueno golf academy is run under the coordination of a German PGA pro.
TAT International has three nines.
GOLF COURSES IN BELEK
Carya Golf Club
CORNELIA DELUXE RESORT
GLORIA GOLF RESORT
Opened: November 2008 Designer: Peter Thomson 18 holes, 7,186 yards, par 72 Tel: +90 242 725 63 20 Email: info@caryagolf.com www.caryagolf.com
Opened: 2006/2007 Designer: Sir Nick Faldo 27 holes – Tiberius/Sempronia: 18 holes, 6,970 yards, par 72 Gaius: 9 holes, 3,479 yards, par 36 Tel: +90 242 710 16 00 Email: alisahin@corneliaresort.com www.corneliagolfresort.com
Opened: 1995/2001/2005 Designer: Michel Gayon 45 holes – Old: 18 holes, 6,760 yards, par 72 Verde: 9 holes, 3,075 yards, par 35 New: 18 holes, 6,823 yards, par 72 Tel: +90 242 710 06 00 Email: info@gloria.com.tr www.gloriagolf.com
LYKIALINKSGOLF Opened: November 2008 Designer: Perry Dye 18 holes, 7,573 yards, par 72 (plus 9-hole academy course) Tel: +90 242 754 43 43 Email: lykia@lykiaworld.com www.lykiaworldantalya.com
LykiaGroup
PAPILLON GOLD CLUB
Antalya Golf Club clubhouse.
Opened: November 2007 Designer: David Jones 18 holes, 6,438 yards, par 71 Tel: +90 242 725 59 28 Email: golf@kayatourism.com.tr www.kayatourism.com.tr
SUENO GOLF CLUB Opened: November 2007 Designers: PGA Design Consulting 36 holes – Pines: 18 holes, 7,013 yards, par 72 Dunes: 18 holes, 6,171 yards, par 72 Tel: +90 242 710 30 00 Email: info@sueno.com.tr www.sueno.com.tr
Antalya Golf Club
KAYA EAGLES GOLF CLUB
ANTALYA GOLF CLUB
PGA Sultan.
Opened: October 2008 Designer: Colin Montgomerie 18 holes, 7,021 yards, par 72 (plus 9-hole academy course) Tel: +90 242 710 09 00 Email: montgomerie@papillonhotels.net www.themontgomerieturkey.com
TAT INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB Opened: 1997 Designer: Hawtree 27 holes – The International: 9 holes, 3,508 yards, par 36 The TAT: 9 holes, 3,454 yards, par 36 The Belek: 9 holes, 3,305 yards, par 36 Academy course: 9 holes Tel: +90 242 725 53 03 Email: info@tatgolf.com www.tatgolf.com.tr
Antalya Golf Club
Peter Ellegard
LykiaLinks.
Opened: 2002/2003 Designer: European Golf Design 36 holes – The Pasha: 18 holes, 6,267 yards, par 72 PGA Sultan: 18 holes, 7,083 yards, par 71 Tel: +90 242 725 5970 Email: belek@sirene.com.tr www.antalyagolfclub.com.tr
NATIONAL GOLF CLUB Opened: 1994 Designers: David Feherty & David Jones Championship Course: 18 holes, 7,002 yards, par 72 Academy Course: 9 holes, 1,692 yards, par 29 Tel: +90 242 725 4620 Email: info@nationalturkey.com www.nationalturkey.com
Pool at Gloria Golf Resort.
ROBINSON GOLF CLUB - NOBILIS Gloria Hotels & Resorts
Gloria Golf Club
Gloria New is one of three courses at Gloria Golf Club.
Opened: 1998 Designer: Dave Thomas 18 holes, 6,943 yards, par 72 Tel: +90 242 715 19 87 Email: golf.nobilis@robinson.de www.robinson.com.tr
Golf Escapes 2010
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Unlimited Golf Summer Specials
es o 8g
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Sueno Hotels Golf Belek 5*, Turkey
S
ueno Hotels Golf Belek is the only hotel in Turkey with two 18 hole golf courses that you can simply walk out of the hotel and play without the need for a transfer. Modern design and attention to detail in the furnishing and layout have resulted in a first class golf property that can offer everything a golfer needs without having to leave the resort. The panoramic views of the golf course are stunning with the 9th, 18th, 27th and 36th greens all located directly in front of the hotel. Sueno is primarily a golf hotel but the beautiful Belek beach is a 10 minute stroll from the property. This modern luxury five star hotel enjoys a wealth of facilities both for golfers and for non golfers. The lobby and reception area (with its bar) is very bright and welcoming and the hotel terrace provides the perfect place to relax and unwind as you watch your fellow golfers tackle the island greens…
Sueno Golf Club – 36 holes, Turkey
S
ueno Dunes is popular with golfers of mixed abilities. The clever use of the natural sand dunes has created a very interesting layout with some spectacular views. Although the course is set amongst a backdrop of pine trees, it’s much more open than the Pines course. The sand ridges that run through the course provide a links feel to the layout. Sueno Pines is the longer and more difficult of the Sueno courses; at 6434 metres it’s a real test from the back tees. Accuracy off the tee is the key to a good score on the Pines course with heavily tree lined fairways being the main feature of the course; add to this some well positioned bunkers and a few lakes (including a huge water hazard surrounding the 18th island green) and we have one of the best courses in Turkey! O U R FA N TA S T I C PA C K A G E P R I C E S . . . 01 June – 30 June 2010
01 August – 15 September 2010
01 July – 31 July 2010
All-inclusive supplement - per week
£465.00 £515.00
£535.00 £150.00
Please note: Prices are per person (a transfer supplement of £10.00 per person applies for 2 people). Flights not included – please enquire for flight prices to Antalya. Prices based on an exchange rate of £1.00 = `1.14 (correct at time of going to press). Prices may go down or up according to exchange rate fluctuations but will not change after deposits paid. Extra nights, room upgrades and single room supplements available on request. Other dates and golf packages in the hotel available on request (but unlimited golf only applies on the above dates). All packages booked with Golf Escapes Ltd are financially protected.
O U R PA C K A G E S I N C L U D E . . . ● 7 nights accommodation in a twin room in Sueno Hotels Golf Belek ● Half Board (breakfast and evening meal) ● 7 days of unlimited golf on the two on-site Championship golf courses (Sueno Pines & Sueno Dunes) ● Airport meet & greet and local representative service ● Private return airport transfers from Antalya Airport ● Free buggies (subject to availability) or free trollies ● Free practice range balls ● VIP room treatment ● Free day or night excursion to Antalya city ● Free upgrade to golf view room (subject to availability)
For more information on all our great deals call: 01342 811777
TO TURKEY PORTUGAL AND SPAIN
G
olf Escapes Ltd started operating in 2002, since when the company has gone from strength to strength. All packages booked through the company are financially protected – sadly there are a few golf holiday companies who still do not give this full protection. Golf Escapes offer holidays to Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Northern Cyprus. In addition to booking accommodation and golf, we offer a variety of other services including car hire, transfers, local representatives’ services, and flights, as well as a programme of overseas golf tournaments.
Alvor, The Algarve
El Rompido, Costa de la Luz
Sotogrande, Costa del Sol
Hotel Pestana Dom Joao II 4* 7 nights twin room B&B 4 rounds: Pinta + Gramacho + Alto + Silves October 2010:
Hotel El Rompido Golf 5* 7 nights twin room B&B 5 days of unlimited golf on El Rompido North + El Rompido South March – October 2010:
Hotel NH Almenara 4* 7 nights twin room B&B 5 rounds: 4 x Almenara + 1 x La Reserva Free buggies at La Reserva March – May 2010:
PRICES FROM
PRICES FROM
PRICES FROM
£315.00
£339.00
£399.00
Los Alcazares, Murcia
Alvor, The Algarve
Vilamoura, The Algarve
Roda Golf & Beach Resort 4* 7 nights 4 sharing a 3 bedroom apartment Free range balls + trollies 6 rounds: 3 x Roda Golf + 3 x Corvera Golf March – June 2010:
Le Meridien Penina 5* 5 nights twin room B&B 5 rounds on Penina Championship Free dinner if booked 60 days before arrival May – June 2010:
Hotel Tivoli Victoria 5* 3 nights single or twin room B&B 3 rounds: Oceanico Faldo + Oceanico Victoria + Oceanico O’Connor, Free buggies + free golf transfers March – May 2010:
PRICES FROM
PRICES FROM
PRICES FROM
£239.00
£289.00
£379.00
Prices are per person. Car hire, airport transfers, and flights not included – please enquire for prices. Prices based on an exchange rate of £1.00 = `1.14 (correct at time of going to press). Prices may go down or up according to exchange rate fluctuations but will not change after deposits paid. Extra nights, room upgrades and single room supplements available on request. Some packages have limited availability – early booking recommended. All packages booked with Golf Escapes Ltd are financially protected.
or please visit: www.golf-escapes.com
France ▪ Spain ▪ Portugal ▪ Italy ▪ Turkey ▪ Morocco ▪ USA ▪ Belgium ▪ Great Britain ▪ Ireland
Since 1995 we have organised thousands of holidays for golfing parties of all sizes. Our course knowledge ensures that you play the best courses for your group, our service makes booking simple and our attention to detail makes your holiday run like clockwork. If you would like more information on our unique range of destinations or our tournament holidays, please visit our website or get in touch with us on the e-mail or telephone number below. We look forward to hearing from you.
Champagne Prize Parcels for groups
We give all groups of eight (or more) a Champagne Prize Parcel. These contain: two bottles of Taittinger champagne, a Glenmuir golf shirt, a dozen Srixon balls, a golf shoe-bag and a pair of shoe-trees. Parties of sixteen or more receive two of these plus a sports holdall. All of which should come in very handy at prize-giving time!
2010 TOURNAMENTS
Tournament holidays aimed more at enjoyment than heated competition and open to all golfers with a Club Handicap.
Brittany Golf Feasts May 17th-21st & Sept 20th-24th Golfing house-parties in Brittany. 4 nights, 3 rounds, 4 dinners, and ferry crossings: £488.00 per person.
Est. 1995
Taittinger Paris-Pairs August 20th-23rd The sparkling golf event of the year. 3 nights, 3 rounds, 2 dinners, Eurotunnel (and plenty of Taittinger!): £495.00 per person.
Tel: 01737 21 18 18 E-mail: info@golfparexcellence.com
Louis Jadot Seniors June 7th-11th Genteel fun in chic La Baule. 4 nights, 4 rounds, 2 dinners and ferry crossings: £495.00 per person.
www.golfparexcellence.com
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Antalya Golf Club Is located in the Mediterrenean resort of Belek, Turkey and around 30 minutes from Antalya International Airport. Not only is the climate and outstanding scenery perfect for golf with its emerald green pine forests which meet the turquoise of the Mediterranean, but also offers the ideal opportunity to visit many of the ancient sites and ruins that surround the Belek area. Of special interest is the breathtaking amphitheatre at Aspendos and the ancient city of Side, all within 30 minutes drive from Belek. Or you can head west and visit the old yacht harbour of Antalya with its narrow, winding streets full of hidden bazaars and snap up a bargain or two.
Kempinski Hotel The Dome – Belek ***** 5 Star This luxurious hotel was awarded the ‘Leading Golf Resort in Turkey for 2007’ by the World Travel Awards (the Wall Street Journal hail these awards as the ‘Travel Industry’s equivalent to the Oscars’). This is the most comprehensive and most prestigious awards program in the global travel industry. The PGA Sultan + Pasha golf courses are located alongside this luxurious golf and wellness resort with a private beachfront. There are 5-6 food outlets on site. Kempinski Hotel The Dome Tel 0090 242 710 1300
www.kempinski-belek.com
Antalya Golf Club - PGA Sultan Course
Antalya Golf Club - Pasha Course
18 holes, 7,100 yards Par 71
18 holes, 6,350 yards Par 72
European Golf Design and David Jones spared nothing to maintain the competitive level of the course, while at the same time blending it seamlessly into the forest environment. Created for the discerning golfer, the PGA Sultan delivers a stern but rewarding test of golfing ability that any keen golfer will relish.
The Pasha is the shorter of the two courses with wide beckoning fairways. However, this no walk in the woods, giant pines hide small greens, dog legs and water hazards reward accurate rather than long hitting. The course is immaculately kept and already a popular edition to golf in Turkey.
Antalya Golf Club www.antalyagolfclub.com.tr Tel 0090 242 725 5970 The host of The 2012 Eisenhower Trophy
A DV ERTOR I A L
ANTALYA GOLF CLUB 25 minutes from Antalya Airport is Antalya Golf Club, home of the world famous Pasha and PGA Sultan Golf Courses.
O
pened in 2002 and constructed by European Golf Design alongside Irishman David Jones, a consultant designer, the Pasha course is immaculately manicured with four par-fives, undulating Bermuda greens and plenty of eucalyptus and pine trees lining the fairways. A must-play course, accuracy is the key thanks to its numerous doglegs and water hazards. The longer PGA Sultan course was also constructed by European Golf Design with David Jones. It is regarded as a more challenging course than the Pasha and has firmly established itself as a big favourite with golfers visiting Belek. Despite only opening in 2003, it has already hosted a number of professional tournaments, testing talented players with its combination of water hazards, sand traps, rolling fairways and very tall, established pine trees. This highly recommended course will host the 2012 Eisenhower Trophy and the annual PGA National Pro-Am Finals.
The highly popular Pasha course.
The challenging PGA Sultan course.
Both courses are in a perfect setting.
Pasha Course 18 holes; 6,350 yards; Par 72 PGA Sultan Course 18 holes; 7,100 yards; Par 71 For details visit www.antalyagolfclub.com.tr or telephone from UK 00 90 242 725 5970
Sirene Belek Golf & Wellness Hotel ***** This very popular all-inclusive hotel is perfect for groups of golfers on holiday as its ideally situated very near to the two Antalya Golf Club courses and next to an excellent beach. With 434 en-suite bedrooms, this air conditioned hotel offers fine dining and nightlife including one main and four à la carte restaurants (Italian, Seafood, American, Turkish), six bars, one café and a nightclub. It also features a popular Wellness & Spa Centre with Hamam-Turkish bath, sauna and massages. There is an outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool, indoor swimming pool and tennis courts, along with other sports and leisure facilities. www.sirenegolfhotel.com Email sales@sirenegolfhotel.com or call from UK 00 90 242 710 0800
Kempinski Hotel The Dome Belek *****
This luxurious, tranquil hotel boasts 11th Century Seljuk-style architecture and 175 rooms and suites and is located directly on the beach. There are also 18 private villas, two Royal villas and a Presidential Suite next to the famous PGA Sultan golf course at the Antalya Golf Club. There are a wide array of dining options, both casual and formal, including buffet and à la carte options of Turkish, Italian, Asian cuisine, with a fish restaurant close to the beach for lunch and al fresco dining. The Dome Spa is one of the largest Spa and Thalasso centres in the region. There is also a large outdoor swimming pool with connecting lagoons, an outdoor Jacuzzi, heated indoor swimming pool, three tennis courts and water sports facilities. An absolute top quality hotel and very highly recommended. Visit www.kempinski-belek.com or telephone from UK 00 90 242 710 1300
Top: The beautiful Sirene Belek Golf & Wellness Hotel. Above: A suite at the Kempinski Hotel The Dome, Belek.
BILYANA Golf Holidays www.bilyanagolf.co.uk info@bilyanagolf.co.uk 01625 263 971
MEMBER 56443
GOLF PACKAGE 1
PAPILLON ZEUGMA HOTEL 5* ALL INCLUSIVE From
€595 £515
per golfer in a group of 8 golfers From 17th October 2010 until 31st October 2010 l 7 nights l Private airport transfers l Return shuttles l 4 rounds of golf (2 x Montgomerie, 1 x National, 1 x Tat) l Welcome meeting with Bilyana representative
Montgomerie Papillon, whose clubhouse is one of the finest in Belek. Top right: Poolside at the Papillon Zeugma Hotel.
GOLF PACKAGE 2
The Papillon Zeugma is one of Belek’s friendliest and well priced golf hotels. Attentive and professional staff and an authentic hotel design make for an enjoyable golf holiday at a great price. The bar is 24 hours with a very social and lively atmosphere with really good evening entertainment. There is a bowling alley, indoor swimming pool and a number of a la carte restaurants with more open in the summer seasons to keep you busy on any non-golfing days. With its connection to the Colin Montgomerie course, 2 rounds are recommended in a Papillon Zeugma package with Belek’s other great golf courses as well. The Montgomerie course club house is one of the finest in Belek. With its unique viewing tower five storeys high enabling you to take a look at the beautiful Belek forests and other courses surrounding the resort. Sirene Golf Resort and Spa flying the flag for Belek Golf Holidays.
SIRENE GOLF HOTEL 5* ULTRA ALL INCLUSIVE Between 25th April 2010 and 31st May 2010 l 7 nights l Private airport transfers l Return shuttles l 4 rounds of golf (2 x Pasha, 2 x Sultan) l Welcome meeting with Bilyana representative
From
€609 £529
per golfer in a group of 8 golfers
Host of the Eisenhower trophy, World Amateur Team Championship 2012.
The Sirene Golf Resort and Spa has been flying the flag for Belek Golf Holidays for a long time now. Its two great courses the Pasha and Sultan of the Antalya Golf Club are immaculately maintained, providing great tests of golf from the architects of European Golf Design and David Jones. The Pasha and Sultan are widely regarded as the finest two courses in Belek suiting golfers of all levels. Staying in the hotel is a requirement for good tee times and feedback from its many repeat guests is based on the great value all inclusive and friendly, attentive staff. The hotel also boasts some of the largest standard rooms in Belek and for larger groups it is possible to be upgraded into villa style accomodation.
Belek Golf Resort – Turkey 14 courses along a 20km coastline Flights from all major UK airports to Antalya GOLF PACKAGE 3
CORNELIA DELUXE RESORT & SPA 5* ALL INCLUSIVE From
€659 £575
per golfer in a group of 8 golfers
From 1st November 2010 until 31st November 2010 l 7 nights l Private airport transfers l Return shuttles l 4 rounds of golf (2 x Faldo, 1 x National, 1 x Carya) l Welcome meeting with Bilyana representative Guests who experience the Cornelia resorts’ excellent all inclusive facilities and services return many times. The Nick Faldo designed course compliments the quality of the Cornelia Deluxe hotel as it also provides a modern and stylish environment with professional and attentive staff at your service. Every year the hotel and course achieve higher critical acclaim and they continue to provide excellent value golf and hotel packages.
The Faldo Course.
GOLF PACKAGE 4
CORNELIA DIAMOND Resort & SPA 5* ALL INCLUSIVE From
€689 £599
per golfer in a group of 8 golfers
From 1st November 2010 until 31st November 2010 l 7 nights l Private airport transfers l Return shuttles l 4 rounds of golf (2 x Faldo, 1 x National, 1 x Tat) l Welcome meeting with Bilyana representative
Everything you want from a 5-star luxury resort.
The Cornelia Diamond has everything you want from a 5 star luxury resort. With its extremely varied accommodation and excellent facilities, spending a week here will be a fantastic experience for golfers and non golfers alike. Built on the success of its sister hotel (above), the Cornelia Diamond is style and quality on a new level. The outside garden area is vast with well planned areas for sport and relaxation that do not crowd each other. This is an excellent new hotel which is already achieving the highest status amongst the larger, luxurious all inclusive resorts.
Par 5, 13th
Within the Caribbean and in the heart of the Grenadines lies Raffles Canouan, a private resort estate. We invite you to be amongst an international team of social amateur golfers for a 54 hole four ball team event alongside a 36 hole individual tournament to test your skills at our golf course, The Trump International Golf Club. This legendary 18 hole Fazio designed golf course also known as the ‘St. Andrews of the Caribbean’, boasts a challenging par 72 featuring a visually stunning 13th hole and a jaw-dropping 16th hole offering one of the longest par three in the world measuring 305 yards. Our golf course offers breathtaking panoramic views where even the occasional wayward shot disappearing into the turquoise Caribbean waters, is a moment worth capturing. Raffles Canouan is surrounded by lush hills and secluded white sand beaches featuring 88 accommodations, five signature restaurants, Trump International Golf Club, Trump Club Privee, Raffles Amrita
Spa, tennis courts, water sports, Caribbean’s largest fresh water swimming pool, Sugar Palm Kid’s Club and 17th Century Church. Call our freephone number from UK (0808) 10 12727 and from France (0800) 91 0867, email us at canouan@raffles.com, visit us on the web today www.raffles.com/canouan and www.rafflescanouan.tv to learn more about this exciting opportunity to ignite your talents and competitive spirit while socialising with other golf enthusiasts to create one of the most memorable golf adventures of your lifetime. Gather your team of 4 players and enter the Canouan Classic. This 7 night package includes inter-island air transfers, welcome gifts, all tournament and practice golf rounds, full board meal plan (breakfast, lunch and dinner), special evening events along with awards ceremony, tournament prizes, recreational activities and the resort’s complimentary activities.
Recently voted “One of the best golf resorts and one of the top ten best courses in the world.”
FALL 2010
Raffles Hotel, Singapore • Raffles Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap • Raffles Beijing Hotel Raffles Dubai • Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh • Raffles Canouan, The Grenadines