Sir Nick Faldo’s 18-hole layout at Elea Club has taken Cypriot golf to a new level and is ranked by All Square as the best golf course in Cyprus.
The island is blessed with a perfect Mediterranean climate for golfers and the best golf courses are less than an hour from each other, close to world-class hotels and resorts. It enjoys a warm climate that’s perfect for year-round golf with temperatures generally ranging from winter lows of 17°C to warm highs of 31°C in the summer.
The major golf courses and resorts are all set along the beautifully rugged south-west coast with its stunning coves and beaches, handily close to the cultural hub of Paphos with its maze of bars and restaurants and a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Golf in Cyprus
For years the standout course was Aphrodite Hills, which opened in 2002, home to the superb 18-hole PGA National Course, the first and only golf course in Cyprus to carry the prestigious PGA title. Designed by Cabell B Robinson, it’s part of a luxury five-star hotel development, Aphrodite Hills Hotel by Atlantica, making it a great spot for a golf vacation.
Just 2km away is Secret Valley Golf Club, elevated in 2013 when it was redesigned by four-time Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin. There’s also Minthis Golf Club, just a few minutes from Elea Club. Designed by Donald Steel and renovated by Mackenzie & Ebert, it’s spectacularly set in a picturesque valley overlooking the Troodos Mountains. You can also stay here at Minthis Resort in one of the suites, villas or residences, which together offer the perfect accommodation options for groups of friends, families or couples on a golf holiday.
Elea Club
The pristine 18-hole par 71 course at Elea Club was designed by six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo. Opened in 2010, it’s a parkland course with a links feel. It’s got stunning views of the Mediterranean and it’s just five minutes from the vibrant town of Paphos. There’s an abundance of large bunkering, a Faldo hallmark, and sloping fairways like green carpet. The club has a superb tiered clubhouse which sits on a hill overlooking the course with a bar and restaurant, the Elea Golf Academy and a full-length driving range.
Part of Elea Estate, a new luxury residential development, the course has a combination of teeing areas so it can be extended from 5,700 to 6,900 yards. The seaside paspalum grass fairways and semi-roughs are guarded by the plentiful bunkering and there’s large run off areas around the greens for badly hit approaches. It’s a highly manicured layout that weaves its way through carob and olive trees and dramatic limestone formations, while the ocean views are glorious.
Sir Nick Faldo, said: “This golf course certainly has the potential to play a pivotal role in establishing this part of the world as a leading European golf destination. When we designed the golf course at Elea Golf Club we decided to put the emphasis on thoughtful, rather than big-hitting, golf and there are plenty of strategic riddles for the golfer to explore and unravel over all 18 holes.”
