Going for Golf

Tecina Golf - 18 holes overlooking the sea

Tecina Golf

And it is indeed a whistle-stop adventure to reach the first tee right at the top of the Donald Steel-designed par-71 course perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Playa de Santiago. After a four-hour flight into Tenerife South airport, you have to catch the fast ferry (40 minutes) from Los Cristianos to San Sebastian, the capital of La Gomera. Then it is a taxi or local bus ride – over a spider’s web of mountain routes – or a smaller ferry (my choice) to the secluded course. All 18 holes offer superb views of the Atlantic Ocean and Mount Teide volcano – the highest mountain in Spain. This is possible because the course slopes towards the sea. There is a difference of 175m from the first tee down to the 18th green where the clubhouse is located. The view from the first tee – a 420m par-four off the whites – is stunning. The blue waters of the Atlantic glimmer to your left, Mount Teide dominates the backdrop, and an array of vegetation – cacti, palms and other indigenous plants – spreads out to the right.

Talking of water, there is none whatsoever on the course but it does not lessen the challenge for handicap golfers in any way. The first stand-out hole is the scary 170m par-three fourth where anything left is lost. You have to drive over a ravine and the bail-out shot is to the right. But this leaves a tough chip over a greenside bunker on to a sloping green.

The sixth at first appears to be a straight-forward 385m par-four but the hump-side green will test your putting skills to the limit. The front nine ends with a very drivable 242m par-four. The 363m par-four 10th hole is perhaps the best on the course. The tee is 45m above the line of the green and the hole is fraught with danger. Volcanic wasteland and deep craters guard the left, dense shrubbery lines the right. Big hitters will be tempted to grab the driver but the smart play is a fairway wood or long iron for position. That leaves a ‘feel-good’ second shot down to a green that is framed by a blue sky and the sea.

The closing holes are perhaps a little more open off the tee but concentration is still needed to play to handicap. Approach shots need to be accurate as the greens are well protected by large bunkers. They are also quite difficult to read – and speaking from bitter experience two putts can be a pretty good result.

The course is undoubtedly designed for holiday golf – the absence of any type of building on it ensures those spectacular and unforgettable views – but it is also a stern test. And, as the course essentially runs downhill, the best strategy when approaching the greens is to be short rather than long.

The 434 room, four-star Hotel Jardin Tecina is set in a magnificent garden just a five-minute walk to the course, and occupies a spectacular cliff-top position above the small fishing village of Playa de Santiago. The rooms are located in small bungalows designed in the Canarian style and are integrated to provide great privacy. For non-golfers, the hotel also has five floodlit tennis courts, two squash courts, three paddle courts, a fully-equipped gym and a diving school.

The hotel is ideal for a relaxing holiday – the average year-round temperature is 25 degrees. There are five heated swimming pools as well as a solarium, Jacuzzis and a beauty salon. Among the hotel’s five restaurants is one for the more adventurous: take the lift inside the cliff and arrive at the Club Laurel, a splendid restaurant beside the sea with swimming pool and bar area.

Tecina Resort is owned by the Fred Olsen shipping company. The Norwegian family has had a presence on the island since the banana plantation was established more than 50 years ago. However, it is the unique location, unusual design and magnificent views of the Atlantic from every hole that makes Tecina Golf a one-off – and well worth the excursion for golfers staying on the bigger island of Tenerife or the other Canaries.