http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/ Your Guide to Golf Travel en david@oxygensolutions.co.uk Copyright 2010 2010-07-25T21:20:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/carya1/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/carya1/#When:21:20:33Z A little bit of Surrey can now be found in Belek thanks to five-time Open champion Peter Thomson. By deploying nearly a million heather sprigs throughout the Carya course, which opened late last year, the veteran Australian has produced a course radically different from the others in the east Mediterranean. Naturally cultivated in specially constructed greenhouses at a neighbouring nursery, the heather has helped to create an authentic heathland layout in the heart of the Turkish Riviera.Thomson said: “This is an exceptional piece of land. The layout of the course is unique to the region – despite being so close to the beach it is reminiscent of the famous Surrey heathland courses near London, that I rate among the world’s best and on which I was fortunate to enjoy much success during my playing days. I’m very excited about creating a traditional course in Turkey while the heather characterises the terrain and gives it a distinct appearance.”Although construction started little more than a year ago, the heather is flourishing on the sandy soil and has been planted mainly on top of and around the course’s 75 bunkers. Former R&A secretary Sir Michael Bonallack, OBE, played Carya recently and was certainly impressed. He said: “The bunkering is a strong feature and I could see the influence of Dr Alister MacKenzie.” Carya wends its way pleasantly through a predominantly pine forest and across rolling sand hills. On the whole, the fairways present generous targets and enjoyable approaches to superbly manicured greens. Complemented by a two-storey academy with a 22-bay driving range and two teaching studios, a 150-yard putting green and a welcoming clubhouse, Carya is destined to be recognised as one of Belek’s outstanding courses. Indeed, like Gloria, Nobilis and Tat have already done, it should carry all before it! Turkey 2010-07-25T21:20:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/tat/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/tat/#When:21:20:33Z Overall, TatGolf Belek International Golf Club, to give it its full name, offers the visiting golfer much more space than any of the Gloria courses or Nobilis. But its proximity to a much windier stretch of coastline means that players’ shots are more likely to be blown off course on this 27-hole layout, which is, sadly, closed for refurbishment this summer.Designed originally by the dyed-in-the-wool English firm of course architects, Hawtree, Tat offers rugged Mediterranean views on its second nine (Belek), but, ironically, the first (Tat) and third (International) nines probably confront more watery graves. After a relatively innocuous start, Tat presents a series of lake-related problems on holes two, three and four before handing over to the perils of the Besgoz River down the right on five, six and seven. After this little interlude, the absence of a Gloria-like forest is furthest from the average golfer’s mind. Nonetheless, the greatest degree of concentration on a golfer’s part is probably required over the third and long nine where the fairways seem to narrow in proportion to the width thickening of the water hazards.For those visitors with a yearning for culture, Tat’s hospitable clubhouse is filled with copious works of art. In addition to numerous abstracts, there is also on display an enviable array of cabinets, mirrors and wall fittings bedecked in mother of pearl. These may not be antiques in the strictest sense of the word but they are certainly enhancements. Tat’s grounds also contain six tennis courts; indoor, outdoor and children’s pools; a driving range, putting green and pitch-and-putt area; a large, palm-tree-clad open space sandwiched between the main pool and beach that can stage football, boccia (a form of bowls), volleyball, basketball, handball, billiards, mini-football, table tennis, archery and step aerobics. The fitness facilities include Turkish bath, sauna, massage, spa, Jacuzzis and a weights room. Turkey 2010-07-25T21:20:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/gloria/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/gloria/#When:21:20:33Z We discussed the charms and temptations of the National Golf Club in the spring issue of Going for Golf, so now it is the turn of the resorts of Gloria, Nobilis and Tat.The National, laid out by the Northern Irish duo of David Feherty and David Jones, was Belek’s first golf venture, opening in the winter of 1994. Less than three years later, in September 1997, Belek had its next two courses: Gloria and Tat. Designed by Frenchman Michel Gayon, Gloria is an entertaining, though searching, test of skill, as proved when it hosted the Turkish Open on the European Senior Tour within a year of its official opening. The Old course at Gloria winds through vistas of pines and around seven extensive lakes, and requires both length and accuracy from the back (white) tees, though most visitors are presented with a more lenient challenge from the yellow, blue or red tees.What you see is what you get – there are no hidden tricks or pitfalls. The line of attack on most shots is clear, but on many holes the view is spectacular and the task occasionally daunting, especially on the par-threes – the greens at the fourth, eighth and 13th are all surrounded by water. Other holes to look out for are the par-five seventh, protected all the way down the left by a lake, and the par-four 14th, threatened by a similarly elongated watery grave to the right. The New course, also designed by Gayon and opened nearly five years ago, is a heavily bunkered parkland layout. Visually attractive and challenging to play, it has an undulating, tree-lined setting, is shaped by four large lakes and has 67 bunkers (four more than the Old). Gayon has taken full advantage of this varied terrain to create a fascinating test. Like the Old, it has five par-fives and five par-threes – unusual for a modern design. The short holes all take the breath away, especially the third where the green is protected by an ornate rockery, and the 17th which is surrounded by water. None of the par-fives are overly long and they all provide obvious birdie chances although, by the same token, with so much water in play, they are also glaring double-bogey possibilities.In addition to its two 18-hole offerings, Gloria also has the nine-hole Verde course which opened in 2001 and is very popular with visiting executives and conference delegates who often don’t have the time for a full round. Nonetheless, the Verde course is designed along similar lines to the Old and New, and is perfectly capable of providing a respectable 18-hole challenge on its own (each hole has two sets of tees) or combining effectively with any of the other four nines. Verde’s fairways are also carved through the pines and there is one substantial water hazard which comes into play prominently – on the par-four third, where the approach shot necessitates a 100-yard carry, and the short fourth which has little terra firma between tee and green.The cornerstone of the Gloria resort, though, is its hotels and villas – airy, elegant and luxurious, and where attention to detail is of paramount importance. The beach bar at the main hotel is ideal for evening entertainment in hot weather while the lobby bar is a convivial place to meet friends. The golfers’ bar with night music serves cocktails and at least 35 different types of coffee – with or without alcohol! And with a beautiful private beach, large swimming pool and waterslides as well as water sports on the Mediterranean, the Gloria has a proven track record as a great place to relax.The Verde hotel is located one-and-a-half miles inland at the other end of the 45-hole complex. The two hotels are linked by a private road but are very different in character. The atrium at the Verde is dominated by a foyer overlooked by a raised circular gallery and housing a restaurant which can seat 370 people around a blue marble-surfaced fountain. Above the restaurant, two storeys up, a beautiful, spherical window lights up the entire building. Another unusual feature of the restaurant is that several palm trees are growing out of the ground beneath. Indeed, it is the proud boast of the owners that none of the trees on the original site were chopped down when the hotel was built – they have all been accommodated in the complex.The Verde also includes two other restaurants, three bars, a Turkish cafe, and two outdoor and two indoor pools. In addition, look out for the Thalasso therapy centre with its own seawater pool, jet shower, sauna and Turkish bath.Finally, there’s the resort’s newest accommodation: Gloria Serenity. No stay here is complete without visiting the Sanitas spa centre. This consists of 11 massage and three beauty rooms (one with Jacuzzi) plus rooms for couples, hydrotherapy, dry floating and meditation, a relaxation bar, silence oasis and indoor swimming pool. The Hammam features three Marbel beds, Rasul chamber, tropical shower, ice rain and steam bath. The Serenity has six restaurants and three of its eight bars have American names – Wall Street, Ella Fitzgerald and Route 66. Three other bars are located near the beach while the Green Back’s Coffee Shop (accentuating the American theme) is next to the front desk, and the Vitamin Bar, predictably, is in the spa centre. Turkey 2010-07-25T21:20:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/nobilis/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/nobilis/#When:21:19:33Z Across the road from Gloria, the German-owned Robinson Nobilis, which opened in October 1998, is another championship-standard course shaped attractively from the mature conifers and inland waterways of Belek’s coastline. It was designed by Welshman Dave Thomas, whose greatest claim to fame, apart from twice finishing runner-up in the Open Championship, was to co-design The Belfry’s Brabazon, of Ryder Cup fame, with Peter Alliss.The water hazards, fed from the nearby River Acisu, are smaller than at some of Belek’s other courses and the greens are on the large side, which may not suit uncertain putters but helps to provide golfers with a sizeable target for their approach shots and keeps play moving at a respectable pace. The fifth, 12th and 13th holes also offer thrilling views of the snow-capped Taurus Mountains, 30 miles inland and especially popular with the locals for skiing purposes.Again, it is the par-threes which set the heart fluttering, with the ninth, 13th and 16th all flirting provocatively with water. The overall impression, though, is of a pleasant and attractive course – and the welcoming Nobilis clubhouse, with its fine upstairs restaurant and cork-tree shaded patio, provides the ultimate 19th-hole relaxation. Turkey 2010-07-25T21:19:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/lahinch/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/lahinch/#When:21:07:33Z Drive up the coast and spurn the delights of the Shannon and Limerick if only to get to County Clare and Lahinch, one of the world’s great links courses. Lahinch is often called an Alister Mackenzie course, but his 1927 work was a re-design of Tom Morris’s lay-out. It was then much eroded by nature as much as anything else until Martin Hawtree restored it, giving the greens back their size and slope, adding bunkers and reshaping fairways without sacrificing its quirky charms. He re-routed four holes and added two new par-threes, the 166-yard eighth and the 170-yard 11th, both set deep in the dunes. Sixteen tees were rebuilt and only four greens left untouched. Hawtree wisely left the magical Klondyke and Dell holes alone and the former is possibly the best hole on the course. It’s a 475-yard par-five with a blind second shot over a monster sand dune about 200 yards from the green. Carry that and you have a chance of a long iron or rescue club which needs to carry all the way to a green which seems in splendid isolation, but has its fair share of danger.There are good arguments that Dell – which is all that remains of the Morris original – is the real star. It is a magical par-three of 154 yards, with the narrow green completely hidden behind a massive sand dune and tucked into a hollow with three sand hills in attendance – a marvellous hole, and on the homeward nine, the 10th and 15th are among the strongest par-fours in golf.Lahinch also features another 18-hole track, the Castle Course, designed by JD Harris, but it’s the championship course that golfers flock to and also, perhaps, to see the weather-forecasting goats who will graze out on the dunes in fine weather, but will seek the shelter of the clubhouse when they sense rain. The only goat I could recognise was one holding my golf clubs and attempting to come to terms with some of the most testing shots I’ve faced on one of the best golf courses I’ve ever seen. Ireland 2010-07-25T21:07:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/dingle/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/dingle/#When:21:07:33Z The quite breathtaking scenery of a journey around Dingle Bay, with small, hidden coves and fishing villages continues until you arrive at Dingle itself. Dingle’s reputation for fantastic seafood is well-founded, and almost as good as a night in one of the lively pubs with traditional Irish music. Ballyferriter, Great Blasket Island and Slea Head are all worth a visit but at its heart sits Dingle Links, carved from the natural landscape with a burn that twists and turns through a course full of humps and hollows, as links golf should be.There’s a riveting start to the 6,737-yard layout with a testing par-four followed by a terrific par-three of 227 yards, and the outward half finishes with three excellent par-fours. The pick of the back nine is the 410-yard par-four 15th with the green tucked away, and the 17th is a fine 427-yard par-four, with a chance to pick up birdie at the 504-yard last. Ireland 2010-07-25T21:07:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/dooks/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/dooks/#When:21:07:33Z Along the south-west coast, golf has been played in Dingle Bay since the 1800s and in 1889, Dooks, a nine-hole course, was opened. The members designed and built a further nine holes which opened in 1970.Martin Hawtree carried out a re-design of 16 holes, which opened in 2006, and the links sit in a stretch of sand dunes at the head of Dingle Bay with the peninsulas of Rossbeigh and Inch and the whitewashed houses of Cromane eye-catching distractions. The famed McGillycuddy’s Reeks are to the south, with the hills of Glenbeigh, and across the bay are the Slieve Mish and Dingle mountains. Dooks features gorse, heather and wild flowers and, with the wind never far away, it’s a real test to find the narrow fairways and contoured greens – traditional links golf at its best. It starts with a par-four that has out of bounds on the left and massive dunes on the right. The pick of the front nine are the par-five sixth with its two-tier green and a big bunker guarding the front, and the seventh with its long sloping green. And the 18th is as good a finish as you will see anywhere, with a drive over the hill and another big shot needed to make the green. Ireland 2010-07-25T21:07:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/tralee/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/tralee/#When:21:07:33Z On the majestic Atlantic coast there’s no better place to start than Tralee – whether you’re intending to play golf or not.Arnold Palmer can’t claim responsibility for the glorious beach at Tralee, as featured in David Lean’s Oscar-winning 1970 film Ryan’s Daughter, but he is the man behind the golf course here which was built a decade later. And it’s equally as stunning. This is one of Palmer’s best – and his first in Europe.The front nine holes are relatively flat, albeit impressive – played as they are partially along a cliff-top – but the back nine are laid out among massive sand dunes. Should you emerge from the dunes unscathed you will be greeted by some of the most glorious scenery available anywhere in the Emerald Isle. And the views may just make up for your scorecard should your iron-play not be up to scratch.For it’s not just the scenery which will leave you gaping: the par-five second hole, The Cuilin, running along the cliff-top, has a green perilously close to the edge – and you won’t be the first to deposit an approach on the rocks beneath. And the par-four 12th, Bracken, has been described as one of the toughest two-shotters in golf and is regarded as the most difficult hole on the course – quite a claim. At 461 yards a solid drive – which will most likely kick left – will need to be followed by a challenging approach over a yawning chasm on the left to reach the plateau green. Likewise, a carry over a deep, moonscape-like crater is required on Brock’s Hollow, the 159-yard par-three 13th. And maybe that doesn’t do the hole justice. It’s all carry. Over a chasm. In the wind. It’s fantastic.Often overlooked when Ireland’s best courses are spoken of in revered tones, Tralee should always be part of an itinerary when visiting this part of the country. Ireland 2010-07-25T21:07:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/fota_island/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/fota_island/#When:21:07:33Z Like Old Head, Fota Island is also within easy reach of Cork airport, in the heart of a 780-acre estate which includes 27 holes configured in three challenging lay-outs with a superb woodland setting. Designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr and former Walker Cup captain Peter McEvoy, Fota’s first course opened in 1993 and five years later it was the subject of a major upgrading which saw the rebuilding of all 18 greens and tees and the redesign of several holes. The Fota Island Golf Academy opened in 2006, and the following year saw the addition of nine more holes – there are now three configurations: the Deerpark, Belvelly and Barryscourt.It’s worth taking in all three lay-outs as the Deerpark has hosted the Irish Open and is no pushover, while the Belvelly stretches to more than 7,121 yards from the back tees, and the Barryscourt incorporates the newer nine-hole layout and at 7,362 yards with undulating greens is a cracking test with good putting the key throughout.The 16th on the Belvelly course will stick in the mind – a 435-yard par-four requiring you to find the fairway off the tee to give an opportunity of going for the green over an old quarry, while the par-three eighth on the Barryscourt layout is also memorable. Water comes into play on several holes which weave around a lake, and the strength of the Deerpark course is its par-threes, especially the 165-yard third over water, while the seventh is an uphill 180-yarder and the 222-yard 17th is also a striking hole. Ireland 2010-07-25T21:07:33+00:00 http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/old_head/ http://www.goingforgolf.com/courses_and_resorts/listing/old_head/#When:21:07:33Z Old Head sits on 180 acres jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. It’s almost an island in itself with the links framed by 40 acres of unspoilt cliff... this is golf literally on the edge.John and Patrick O’Connor acquired the land in 1989 and the course, designed and constructed by Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins, the late Eddie Hackett and Joe Carr and Haulie O’Shea, opened for play in 1997 and immediately became one of the most talked-about courses in the game.It really is a must-see, must-play course. Be prepared to walk – players are encouraged to do so and carry their own clubs but Old Head has a large group of professional caddies and it’s well worth making use of their services if only to keep your mind on the golf and prevent you walking off into the Atlantic, as several holes weave their way along the cliffs with waves booming in nearly 300ft below.With a par of 72, comprising five par-fives, five par-threes and eight par-fours in two loops of nine, it’s close to 7,200 yards from the back – but with a minimum of six tees per hole, it’s eminently playable for high handicappers as well as the low markers. However, it is a stern test in the wind. The ninth (The Dolmen) will catch the eye. A 465-yard, dog-leg par-four with three bunkers on the elbow waiting to catch the too-bold drive; while the 12th (Courcean Stage), a 564-yard par-five along the cliff-top, is a stunner. And the finish is testing to say the least: a 186-yard par-three, 623-yard par-five and 434-yard par-four with out of bounds on the right.Old Head prides itself on what it calls “the ultimate experience in golf” and facilities include a warm-up range with complimentary golf balls and a short-game practice area, a clubhouse with stunning views of the Atlantic – including the Lusitania Bar, five-star de Courcey Restaurant and a formal private dining area. The clubhouse also includes 14 sea-view suites and one presidential suite, and there is a state-of-the-art spa with treatment rooms, sauna, steam rooms and fitness suite.Old Head is an area rich in history, both a national monument and an ancient royal site, with a castle which can be traced back many centuries and can be directly linked with the Eireann Celtic tribe, from whom it is assumed Ireland got its name – Eireann being a Gaelic term for Ireland. The lighthouse, a focal point, was established in the 17th century and the Old Head is the nearest land point to the site of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania when she was torpedoed in 1915. Ireland 2010-07-25T21:07:33+00:00