Sand isn’t usually a golfer’s friend, with bunkers often ruining an otherwise good score. However, they make for a perfect combination on a beach holiday, with sunshine destinations offering the chance to play on a selection of courses for those who don’t just want to fly and flop. Need some suggestions? Then read on…
Tee it up on the Algarve
Boasting 150 miles of secluded coves, cliffs and sweeping beaches of soft sand interspersed by bustling resort towns and pretty fishing communities, the Algarve is a favourite for holidaymakers. Its portfolio of more than 40 courses makes it the ideal destination for those wanting a bit of golf as well as time on the beach.
Top-notch courses by famous designers underline its appeal. Among standout facilities are: Monte Rei, a signature Jack Nicklaus design in the eastern Algarve edged by lakes and umbrella pines; the 27-hole Onyria Palmares course by Robert Trent Jones Jr in the west; the Villamoura marina resort’s courses, including the Arnold Palmer-designed Victoria and the stately Old Course, which opened in 1959; San Lorenzo, with its stunning stretch of holes alongside the Ria Formosa Estuary; and the North course at Quinta do Largo, newly-reopened following a redesign by Europe Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.
Play the Island of Eternal Spring
Cooling trade winds and warm Atlantic waters make for temperate, year-round golfing weather on the Canary Island, Tenerife. Take your pick from seven golf courses, plus one on the neighbouring island of La Gomera a 40-minute ferry ride away.
At west coast resort Abama, the palm tree-lined course is a stiff challenge with 22 lakes and cascading waterfalls. In the north of the island are the Seve Ballesteros-designed Buenavista, set right on the coast, and Real Club de Golf de Tenerife – Spain’s second-oldest golf club. There are four courses in the south of the island, handy for golfers staying in the main resort areas. And for beginners, the Centro de Golf Los Palos has nine holes set in a lush garden with streams and ponds.
Fairways Galore on the Costa del Golf
Spain’s Costa del Sol is the Mediterranean’s most popular golf destination, and with good reason. It has the highest concentration of golf anywhere in Continental Europe, with more than 70 courses just behind the golden sands of its 100 miles of coastline that stretches from Sotogrande in the west – home to several top courses including 1987 Ryder Cup host Valderrama – to Nerja, east of Malaga. Road signs along the coastal highway proclaim it as the Costa del Golf!
Most courses are in the west, between Mijas and Estepona, and Marbella alone has 16 close by, including 27-hole La Quinta, former World Cup venue Las Brisas and three courses at Villa Padierna Golf Resort as well as the Michael Cambell Golf Academy, under the direction of New Zealand’s former US Open winner. La Cala Resort also has three courses plus a six-hole academy course and is Spain’s largest golf complex. The Los Lagos and Los Olivos layouts at Mijas Golf International are just inland from lively Fuengirola.
Hot to Trot – Turkey’s Star Courses
Located on the Turkish Riviera, around 45 minutes from Antalya, the purpose-built leisure resort of Belek has mushroomed since its inception just over 20 years ago and now offers 15 courses at 11 golf clubs, all within a few minutes of each other, along with dozens of four-star and five-star, all-inclusive resort hotels right on its long, sandy beach.
Among courses are the Montgomerie Maxx Royal, which hosts the annual Turkish Airlines Open championship, the Cornelia Golf Club with 27 holes designed by Nick Faldo, the 27-hole Gloria Golf Club, two 18-hole courses at the Antalya Golf Club and the Perry Dye-designed Lykia Links – the first links course on the Mediterranean. Besides its beach, Belek has Roman history at Perge and Aspendos, which has the best-preserved Roman amphitheatre, plus sightseeing and shopping in Antalya.
Other beach destinations with golf include: Gran Canaria, with eight courses; Egypt’s Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada, where among nearby golf courses is the Gary Player-design Soma Bay; Almeria, just east of the Costa del Sol where Desert Springs is Europe’s only desert golf course thanks to its arid climate; Agadir, Essaouira and El Jadida in Morocco; Majorca; the Costa Blanca; Alicante; and Cyprus.
If there’s room, you might want to pack a bucket and spade in your golf bag!
Byline:
Peter Ellegard is a Freelance travel writer, photographer and regular contributor to Great Golf Magazine, Golf World, Today’s Golfer and ABTA Golf publications.
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