GOLFING IN THE LAP OF THE GODS

Matt Nicholson embarks on an epic voyage of discovery to Costa Navarino in Greece, one of the world’s first eco-resorts, where four championship golf courses and a choice of four luxury beachside hotels, have made justifiably made it the no.1 rated destination in Europe

While most visitors to Greece head straight to its majestic collection of islands to enjoy two weeks in the sun in the well-trodden hotspots such as Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, my own Greek odyssey took to me to the often-overlooked region of the Peloponnese, the small peninsula located in southern Greece which is connected to the mainland by the Rio-Antirrio bridge, and is about a three-hour drive from Athens.

Despite its unspoilt beaches, azure waters, ancient sights, olive groves and idyllic villages, it has never been high on the list of tourist destinations, but that all changed in 2000 when Greek shipping magnate Vassilis Constantakopoulos began buying up huge plots of land around the coastal region around Navarino Bay. His ambition to boost the economy of his homeland while preserving and honouring its natural beauty has resulted in the resort that now goes by the name of Costa Navarino.

Sadly, Constantakopoulos died in 2011, soon after the first stage of the project opened in 2010, but the baton has been passed on to his son, Achilles, who, along the rest of the family, has continued to develop the luxury resort into the sprawling mini town that it is today, which is currently formed of three hotels – the Westin, the Romanos and the W Costa Navarino – with another, the Mandarin Oriental due to open this summer – four 18-hole championship golf courses, and a myriad of restaurants, bars, spas, a marina, and countless other leisure and sporting facilities.

72 Holes Of Championship Golf

The first golf course to be open here was the Dunes in 2010, which was fashioned by Bernhard Langer in collaboration with Ross McMurray of European Golf Design. The following year, the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed Bay course debuted at nearby Navarino Bay, around 10km south of the main resort. At the start of 2022, two new 18-hole courses – the International Olympic Academy course and the Hills course – were unveiled on top of the higher ground that lies immediately south-east of the Navarino Bay development, with all 36 holes laid out by two-time Masters champion and Ryder Cup legend José Marίa Olazábal and his team at Olazabal Design. Managed by Troon Golf, all four courses are presented in superb condition, without a blade of grass out of place.

Stretching out across 500 acres of rugged terrain, the 6,351-yard Olympic Course and the 6,280m Hills layout offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the historic Bay of Navarino, which, if you’re into your naval history, was the scene of a decisive sea battle in 1827 which saw the allied forces of Britain, France and Russia defeat those the Ottoman and

Egypt fleet, which ultimately consolidated Greek independence. Thankfully, the only battles taking place here these days are firmly on dry land and mainly involve sun-kissed golfers wielding drivers, irons and putters with varying degrees of success.

I had the good fortune to play the Olympic, Hills and Dunes courses during the inaugural Olazabal & Friends Charity Pro-Am, a three-day event which was hosted by the man himself and held last November. Featuring 14 teams, with each team comprising one pro and three amateurs, the tournament attracted an impressive line-up of professionals, including Miguel Angel Jimenez, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Santiago Luna, José Manuel Lara, Emanuele Canonica, Christian Cevaer, Stephen Dodd and Phil Price, who, along with Ollie, had won 68 tour titles between them.

Between rounds, social events included two dinners, a prize-giving lunch and post-event party and a golf clinic, with all proceeds being donated to Sport Mundi, the Spanish non-profit organisation chaired by Olazábal, which supports children in need.

Our first round on the Olympic course was easily the golfing highlight of the week, with the course possessing the ‘wow’ factor in spades. I lost count of the number of times I just stood on a tee, a fairway or a green and said ‘wow’. At times the views were almost distracting, but I’ll take it any day over staring down the barrel of a tree-lined with fairway with only the green to look at. Measuring almost 7,000 yards off the very back tees, it’s a proper championship test, so it’s important to play off the right tees for your driving ability in order to ensure maximum enjoyment.

The Hills course is slightly shorter than the Olympic, measuring 6,827 yards off the back tees, but is no less challenging. Overlooking the rural landscape of Messinia with a backdrop of rugged mountains and small villages, the course occupies higher ground and threads its way through gently rolling hills.

The Dunes Course, as its name suggests, has been shaped to create the feel of a links with tall ‘dunes’ shaped to separate the holes closest to the sea. Undulating greens and steep-faced pot bunkers emphasize the links feel, but as the 6,580yard course moves inland, the character softens to fit in with a typical Greek landscape of olive trees and citrus groves. There are a great variety of holes and each has its own particular character. There is a nice mixture of lengths, with three or four short par fours, at least one of which – the 6th – is drivable, so there are lots of birdie opportunities, but there some longer, testing par fours, like 4, 11 and 12, to test your game. The par threes are pretty strong too, with the 187-yard 8th, which plays slightly downhill to split level green, being a highlight, while 12 and 17, which are played in opposite directions along the edge of an escarpment overlooking Navarino Bay, are also pretty special short holes.

With wide fairways and large greens, the Dunes is very playable for the holiday golfer off the appropriate tees, however the bunkering is very strategic and there is a lot of movement on the putting surfaces, so there’s plenty of interest and excitement to be had. Many of the greens are divided into plateaus with some quite steep slopes between the different levels, so although their size makes the greens relatively easy to hit, if your approach shots don’t find the right part of the green then you are going to be looking at a few three-putts.

Sadly we didn’t have time to play the 6,139-yard Bay Course, which opened shortly after the Dunes, but with its stunning views and fun mix of six par 3s, the par-71 course looks like the perfect foil to the more challenging other three layouts, and adds up to 72 holes of glorious golf – perfect for a weeklong tournament among friends.

HOTELS, HOTELS, HOTELS

The resort’s three five-star hotels, the Ramanos, Westin and W, provide guests with an excellent choice of luxury accommodation, while the new Mandarin Oriental, which opens in April, will provide guests with another 99 rooms, including 48 villas, all with outdoor terraces and sea views, along with five restaurants and bars, and a spa, fitness centre and outdoor pool.

We stayed at the Westin, which is set among the olive groves, and is targeted at the family market. Each room boasts varying idyllic views of private pools that look out over olive groves or sweeping views of the vivacious Ionian Sea. The beds are so comfortable you won’t want to get up.

All amenities at the various hotels are shared between guests, so we had more than a dozen restaurants to choose from, with a dizzying 15 more eating venues due to open this year. Don’t miss breakfast at Pero, which offers an incredible selection of local Greek dishes such as sausages, cheese pies, tomato and rusk salads, and freshly baked bread. Have lunch at Barbourni, a stylish restaurant that sits on the beach, serving delicious seafood, or if you’re after a dazzling sunset and jawdropping views, head to dinner at Flame, which specialises in locally sourced meats, with classic cuts of lamb, beef and pork served on wooden platters complemented by delicious salads.

The resort itself is large, but a quick call to reception will ensure the arrival of a chauffeured golf buggy or a minibus to take you to wherever you want to go. The service here is top level – staff are friendly and warm with plenty of personality and knowledgeable about the area and its traditions.

WATERSPORTS, WINE & WORLD HERITAGE SITES

For those for whom golf holds no interest – I know, who are these people? – there are plenty of other activities to while away the time if lying by the pool or on the beach loses its appeal. A new market-style venue, Navarino Agora, is due to open in April, while a new Watersports Hub is opening on the Navarino Waterfront, which will offering a wide range of water sports such as windsurfing, waterskiing, kayaking and stand-up paddling, furthering add to Costa Navarino’s diverse sporting appeal.

Elsewhere, there are astronomy courses where you can spend a night stargazing into the region’s dark skies, there are ‘Farm to Table’ cooking sessions where guests learn about local dishes and cook their own dinner; there are olive oil and winetasting sessions, while even the resort’s fitness activities nod to local culture, with traditional Greek dancing classes or yoga on the beach at sunset. For those in need of even more relaxation, the award-winning Anazoe spa offers indoor and outdoor treatments, as well as multiple baths and salt-water pools which are ideal for soothing weary golfing muscles.

For visitors looking to explore the wider area, the resort is within easy driving distance of a range of UNESCO World Heritage List sites, including Olympia, Mystras and the Temple of Apollo, as well as ancient Messini and the Palace of Nestor.

I think it’s appropriate that I leave the last word on Costa Navarino to Senor Olazabal, who, knows a thing or two about what makes a decent golf resort. He told me: “The hotel facilities are secondto-none and of the highest quality. The people are very friendly, the food is great, and you’ve got four wonderful golf courses with wonderful scenery. It doesn’t matter how good your golf is, you’re going to be able to come here and have a good time. That combination, I think, is going to be fantastic for any golfer.”

How To Get There

Kalamata airport is a 40-minute drive from Costa Navarino and has seasonal direct flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester. Athens airport is 3-hour drive away and has direct flights from London, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh throughout the year. The flight time from London is 3hrs 45mins.

STAY & PLAY

To find out about the latest golf holiday packages, visit www.costanavarino.com.