Going for Golf

Tat

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.