Wednesday 30 July 2008

Turkey Golf Holidays - Golf as it should be...

Just got back from a delightful week golfing in Belek, Turkey. Belek is a sprawling resort town where all the hotels and golf courses in Turkey are situated. The town of Belek itself is compact and has a small shopping centre with souvenir shops and some cafes but that is all. If you blink you will drive past it! Belek is, however, close to a number of interesting sites and there are several exciting activities on offer for those who fancy some culture. The ruins of the Roman town of Perge is an interesting excursion, as is the well-preserved ancient amphitheatre at Aspendos; its acoustics have stood the test of time and it still plays host to the occasional concert. Jeep safaris into the mountains are another popular outing, as are boat trips, watersports, and visits to nearby Manavgat waterfalls and the thermal baths at Pamukkale.

There is a limited choice of restaurants in Belek as most guests eat in their hotels. The nearby city of Antalya, 22 miles (35km) away, offers many restaurants which serve up some of the best of local Turkish food. I would personally recommend Urcan Fish Restaurant - located above the old town overlooking the ocean and the Antalya coastline - it really is a cracking spot and has live music most evenings. `

The nightlife in Belek is largely limited to the large hotels, many of which have their own nightclubs, bars and entertainment. However a night out in Antalya is well worth a break in your 5* food fest - The 'Old Town' is a cracking spot with loads of bars and restaurants and regular boat trips touting for your business. Into the evening 2 nightclubs open up and the locals and tourists can party till the early hours. Well worth a visit to break up your week.

Here is my guide to Belek from East to West :-

Gloria Golf Resort and Gloria Serenity (Half Board) - are next door to each other and you will get better rates at Gloria Golf Club. 45 holes made up of Gloria Old (18), Gloria New (18) and Gloria Verde (9). Nobilis Golf Club is opposite the entrance and is a stunning golf course.

Papillon Ayscha (All Inclusive) - this is where I stayed and it is a truly great hotel. It has a private beach area and is very popular. Papillon Golf Club (Montgomerie course) which opens in September is only 5 mins away.

Cornelia Deluxe Resort (All Inclusive) - next door to Papillon Ayscha - is only 6 years old and really smart. Twined with Cornelia Golf Club (Faldo course) which has 27 magical holes. This was my favourite golf course.

Sueno Golf Hotel (Half Board) - Only hotel not on the beach but still only 400m away - regular daily shuttles. This however is a golfers hotel, pro shop is off reception and even the spa has got golf course views. Two golf courses on site The Pines and The Dunes and both of them are excellent. Offers unlimited golf in September and over xmas period.

Kempinski The Dome (Half Board) - stunning 5* property - head and shoulders above the others but you do pay for it most of the year however they do have a really good offer 05 Dec - 05 Feb as free golf is offered across the road at Antalya Golf Club (Sultan and Pasha). I played the Sultan and it was the best condition golf course I have ever played on.

Sirene Golf Hotel (All Inclusive) - same owners of Kempinski and Antalya Golf Club - totally different experience but again very popular with our clients. The free golf on offer at Antalya makes this a great choice of hotel.

Barcelo Tat Beach - (Half Board) - only recently taken over by Barcelo so probably one to watch. It is a little tired but it does have all the facilities/activities of all the other hotels. Tat International Golf Club is 500m away and has 27 holes. This is a very cheap option compared to the other courses and good for keeping the price down when packaging up lots of golf.

The nearest Airport is Antalya which is only 30 mins from Belek. The following arlines fly to Belek from the UK:-

BA, Turkish Airlines, Cyprus Airlines, First Choice and ThomasCook fly into Antalya from Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick, Stansted and Glasgow.

Monday 28 July 2008

Vilamoura...a golfing mecca in the Sun

Last month I went for three nights and three rounds of golf in Vilamoura and what I found was a "golfing mecca in the Sun". It is quite obvious as soon as you arrive in Vilamoura that the town is a driven by golf tourism and places such as the 19th Hole Bar in the Marina and the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel are good examples of the general golfing theme.

I stayed in the Olympus Vilamoura Suites which was a great value option for four lads simply looking for a place to rest their head after a long day on the golf course and even longer night in the bar! We stayed in one of their two bedroom apartments and the convenience of the marina right on the doorstep is second to none and thus making it a great base for a golf holiday in Vilamoura.

The three golf courses we played were the Laguna, Millennium and Pinhal Courses which are all owned by the Oceânico Group and they run a shuttle service from all the hotel's in Vilamoura to and from their golf courses. This is a great service and allows you to relax after your round and have a few beers in the clubhouse.

Here are my reviews on the golf courses:-

Our flight from London touched down at 11am on Thursday and we managed to make it to The Millennium Course clubhouse for midday! As a result we had plenty of time to get ready for our 2pm tee time. The course measures 6,718 yards from the back tees and cuts through the pine forests. The course is very beautiful and strikes the perfect balance of testing the better golfers whilst remaining manageable for the average visitor (like me!). The short 6th is the signature hole where an imposing water feature guards the front of the green.

The Pinhal is the second-oldest course in Vilamoura, and like the Old Course was designed by the esteemed Frank Pennink. The course opened for play in 1976 and the predominant character of the course comes as a result of the rolling landscape that is heavily populated by Umbrella and Atlantic Pines. It was without doubt the toughest of the three courses we played on our trip (made all the more difficult by our hangovers!). Despite the trees frequently getting in the way this golf course is a genuine pleasure to play and is highly recommended.

The Laguna Course is distinctly different from the other two courses and as the name hints, the course is punctuated with water; in fact the network of lakes and streams come into play on no less than 11 holes and between our 4 ball we generally found the water as many times as was possible on this golf course. It would be fair to say that we didn't exactly play our best golf!! The golf course requires you to put the ball in play off the tee and the driver is best left in the bag on this course - something I found out the hard way!

All in all we had a great trip to Vilamoura and as a golfer it is a great place to visit given the quality of the golf courses. However Vilamoura's other asset is that it is a holiday destination with something for everyone; the stunning marina is the town's hub, and in the evening Vilamoura comes alive, with many restaurants, bars, clubs and also the "International Casino".

Monday 21 July 2008

At last...Poulter lets his clubs do the talking

England's Ian Poulter feels he could have done more in the heat of the battle for the Claret Jug at The Royal Birkdale Golf Club on Sunday.Having jumped up to world number 23 after his impressive display at Royal Birkdale the Englishman will have his sights firmly set on the remaining major of the year and The Ryder Cup in September.

Having finished runner-up to Padraig Harrington - who won for the second year in a row - Poulter was left thinking what could have been despite registering his best ever finish in a major. Poulter - who represents The Woburn Golf Club - is convinced he can go one better in the future.The 36-year-old commented: "There is plenty more in me and I know I can go better. I should have finished a couple more under. I missed a good opportunity on 13 from five feet and then I go and three-putt 17, which is a little bit frustrating. Perhaps I might have pushed Paddy a little bit harder but hats off to Padraig, going back-to-back is pretty impressive."

Poulter's previous best finish was a tie for ninth at the 2006 USPGA Championship and now lies in 12th place in The Ryder Cup rankings.