Going for Golf

Verdura - Forte’s Sicilian dream

Verdura Golf & Spa Resort

Sir Rocco Forte’s masterstroke was to entrust the master plan to Kyle Phillips – of Kingsbarns and The Grove. In many cases this conceptual role is conferred to a land planner with less appreciation of the requirement for a top golf experience. Then the golf course designer is called in and told to build his course ‘over there’.

Too often, the result underachieves and delivers fairways bordered by housing units which detract from the away-from-it-all feeling the golfer seeks and, increasingly, finds only in British links courses with the subsequent unfortunate climatic conditions impacting on the pleasure.

Forte’s dream, from the outset, was to develop an experience which would satisfy his own personal desire to enjoy golf in conditions which evoked the game’s origins, away from the distractions of the town and along the sand dunes of classic links courses – but with the sun on his back instead of wind and rain in his face. He was familiar with Phillips’ golfing philosophy following the runaway success of Kingsbarns, which has enjoyed nearly 10 years of sustained acclaim and the two formed a powerful team of top hotelier and purist golf designer. Forte’s love of the game made him the perfect partner for Phillips, who set to work on the 570-acre estate with a view to creating a golfing paradise.

The result will satisfy not just the hotelier and designer, but thousands of visiting golfers, who would not previously have put Sicily high on the list of ‘must visit’ destinations.

Phillips said: “Golf purists will absolutely love Verdura. Near the seashore, I have tried to give the golf a linksland feel, the rougher seaside look transitioning to large, rolling Muirfield-like landforms as it moves back away from the sea.”

Naturally, he talks as a designer. Golfers talk not in land-forming terms, but swoon at the aesthetics, and delight at the challenge. Phillips may be correct then in his belief it will be loved by purists. More than a mile of coastline offers golfers an incongruous, but delightful, links-style experience, on two courses – East and West – against the backdrop of the Mediterranean.

The consistent level of strategy and beauty represent 36 holes of undiluted pleasure, set amid olive and orange groves. They can also be set up for tournament play as a composite course, with all the holes close to the shore. Every day, one of the 18-hole courses will be set up for two-ball play – the other for four-balls.

The site is spacious and forever protected from visual intrusion by the range of hills forming a magnificent backdrop. The resort manages to mix accessibility with exclusivity as visitors feel as though they are members of a top private club for the duration of their stay. And, in effect, they are. Verdura is set up to cater for the most demanding of golfers. Director of golf, Niall Cameron, who brings experience gained at Royal St George’s, Turnberry and Lyford Cay, in the Bahamas, to the role, explained:

“The sheer size of the resort gives a wonderful feeling of being isolated and at one with nature. The peace and quiet of the courses punctuated only by birdsong and the gentle rustle of the wind through the Sicilian grasses make the stroll through the rolling fairways a genuine delight. The fairways are well-separated and with deep, pot-bunkering you can easily imagine that you are playing one of the historic Scottish links courses. Kyle Phillips has designed yet another masterpiece.”

While golf is not currently part of Sicilian culture, the region does have the topography for it and the advent of the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort may change people’s perception. The resort has been conceived and designed with respect for the local history and culture – of which there is much to admire when not on the fairways.

Indeed, few places can match the island’s fascinating history, culture, cuisine or weather. Throw in the fascination of the Cosa Nostra and the indigenous wineries and olive and citrus farms and it’s a haven for the visitor – as is the 203-bedroom, five-star hotel with its 4,000sqm spa. And for the travelling Brit, it’s now a lot easier to reach than it used to be.

Don’t you just love that feeling when a great plan comes together?