Eqypt - Fairways of pharaohs
The winter of 2010 will be remembered by many as one of the harshest in living memory. So when the offer was made to travel to Egypt to play golf for a few days it took all of a microsecond to decide what the answer should be.
El Gouna
El Gouna
Telephone:
+20 65 354 9702
Email:
Website:
Courses:
6,885 yards, par 74
Egypt is a familiar concept, but the town of Hurghada not so. Yet a direct flight from Gatwick later and it was like a dream – 28ºC and clear blue skies. Hurghada has come a long way in a very short time. What was, until the last couple of decades, a small fishing village, is now a bustling Red Sea coastal resort offering all manner of water sports, vibrant nightlife and, if you know where to head, top-quality golf. And you don’t have to travel far.
Just 20km north of Hurghada International Airport is El Gouna, a self-contained coastal town with an 18-hole course that was upgraded from nine holes in 2000. The course – which former Masters champion Fred Couples had a hand in designing – winds its way around the five-star Steigenberger Resort and is very much a holiday parkland-style golf course. From the championship tees, El Gouna is close to 7,000 yards, and the water hazards and mountainous backdrops make for an enjoyable round of golf.
Wind is invariably a factor here, nowhere more so than on the par-five fourth which generally heads straight into the prevailing breeze. The 15th, a dog-leg right, features a lagoon on the right and large bunker in the centre of the fairway. Those brave enough to attempt to carry the lagoon will find themselves just 140 yards from the green if successful. But the slightest wind – or fade – can afford a watery grave. Playing safe will subsequently require a shot of more than 200 yards over a third bunker to find the green.
But golf is all about choices… like where to stay. The Steigenberger Resort, surrounded by the lagoon is, not surprisingly, a very popular base. Hence the course tends to be busy, so advance booking is essential.
