Elea Estate Golf Course in Cyprus

[El Bandito]

Lucky, lucky boy that I am, I am getting to play this little beauty on Monday. Not long open, this is a Nick Faldo designed course on the sun-soaked island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Fortunately for me, my Mum lives a 20 minute drive away. Somehow or other, when packing for a brief visit, my clubs ended up in their travel case and on the plane. How could that happen?:beauty:

Below is a link to the website, which has me licking my chops in anticipation. This is peak season for golf in Cyprus, as the summer gets too hot, but I called today, and got a tee time for Monday, which is a public holiday here.

http://www.eleaestate.com/Golf/Golf.html

I will post a review (but maybe not my score!) on Monday night.

 

[El Bandito]

Looks a decent club house!

Likes his bunkers does Mr Faldo!

Gulp!
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[Hawk]

Beautiful. That clubhouse is amazing.

 

[NoLine]

Beautiful - enjoy

 

[DevRickus]

I might have a panic attack looking at that. Haha Looks like a beautiful course. Have fun!

 

[TheDoctor]

Nice looking clubhouse, but looking at the course map on the website, I don't see what you have got to be worried about......all you need is your bucket and spade and you will be fine :wink:

 

[El Bandito]

Nice looking clubhouse, but looking at the course map on the website, I don't see what you have got to be worried about......all you need is your bucket and spade and you will be fine :wink:

Always a big fan of sand castles! I think it might be wedge, 8 iron, wedge, wedge, one putt. I'll take a bogey, thanks very much...nah...

wont be playing a place like this every day, so going to have fun with it!

 

[El Bandito]

So, I pitched up this morning nice and early for my 1230 tee time. I dutifully took a picture of the 'plaque', before heading off to the range to warm up. The team in the Pro shop were really friendly and offered to put me in with a group, but were quite happy to let me go around on my own. The shop itself contained the usual assortment of resort branded accessories at ambitious prices, which I duly bought.

Finally I moved onto the first tee.

I played from the whites, making the first 391 yards. I got a safe gentle enough drive away leaving me 160 to the green. The second shot is pretty much blind, but I nailed a 6 iron. Leaving me...

Naturally, I missed the putt! But a tap in par (net birdie) on the first was more than I had hoped for.

Enough of my day!

The Course.

White Tees. Par 71. Rating 71.1. Slope 132. 6313yds
Black Tees. Par 71. Rating 73.4. Slope 135. 6775yds

I have no idea what Rating and Slope means, but there you go.

As Spring is just beginning in Cyprus, the grass has not 'activated' yet. This meant that the fairways had a distinctly links feel to them, with a lot of tight lies.

The layout has a resort feel, quite generous fairways (although pinch points in all the right places!) but is is really a second shot golf course.

It is not gangbusters long, but does make you think. Good course management is essential. When designing the course, Mr Faldo had obviously been to the beach. The place is littered with bunkers. Some of them huge.

There is a great variety of holes, from a 126 yard par 3 to a 577 beast of a par 5 (into the wind). The layout is on a gentle slope from the clubhouse down towards the sea; you meander down before coming back on a tough uphill finish. The course is eminently walkable.

I finished my solo front 9 bang on handicap, with three pars. I dropped into the halfway house to pick up some more fluids. Out of courtesy, I asked the couple sitting there if they minded if I played through. They replied that they were only playing up to 11, but I was welcome to join them, which I did.

The guy was Andrew, a fellow Scot living on the island and his wife Fiona who was the Ladies Captain. Charming people.

The pro tip for the 10th is one word.

"Tempting"

A 293 yard par 4. So for the longer hitter, driveable.

Andrew pulled what appeared to be a shoe box on a stick! A massive Nike square driver. Bang!

A terrible photo, but what it was meant to show was Andrews ball 4 feet from the pin! Eagle on a par 4.

Once I had finished beating him with a seven iron, I did remember to congratulate him!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, after 11, Andrew decided he would finish the round, so we continued as a 2 ball. 14 is a gentle par 3 (depending on judging the wind right) and then you turn for home with 4 tough up hill par 4s.
351, 357, 455 and 445 yards

I finished up 4 over my handicap, which for a first time out, I was pretty pleased with.

I enjoyed a couple of beers with my new found friends Andrew and Fiona on the terrace, looking over the Mediterranean Sea.

The course was very well kept, the greens were like lightening and everybody that I met was charm and kindness personified.

If you are ever down this way...have a round. It's brilliant. I will certainly be back!

Thanks for reading.







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[TheDoctor]

Looks nice, especially the view from the first looking out towards the water

So how many shots are you dropping your handicap for in June then...?

 

[El Bandito]

Looks nice, especially the view from the first looking out towards the water

So how many shots are you dropping your handicap for in June then...?

God willing, 3 medals between now and then...so hopefully get one decent one in!

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Course looks great! I'd love to get a chance to golf (or hell, just to visit!) somewhere like Cyprus, but I highly doubt it will be anytime soon...

 

[El Bandito]

Course looks great! I'd love to get a chance to golf (or hell, just to visit!) somewhere like Cyprus, but I highly doubt it will be anytime soon...

Judging by the news, you could ask Starbucks to buy the island for a small fee.....