Cyprus is host to internationally-designed and renowned golf courses that offer exciting potential for golfers and golf property resort investors to explore. Here, we take a closer look at the designers who are helping to attract global interest in the courses around the Limassol area.
Secret Valley Golf Course
Legend golfer and Ryder Cup supremo Tony Jacklin is behind the Secret Valley Golf Course on a resort of more than 700 exceptional villas.
The course at the Aristo Developers’ golf resort is an 18-hole Championship course carefully laid out among natural landscapes, mature native Cyprus vegetation, and historic rock formations in the lower part of a historic valley with spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea.
The course architects, Hans-Georg Erhardt and Snorri Vilhjalmsson of Golf and Land Design with Tony Jacklin, four times Ryder Cup captain and winner of the British Open and US Open, have provided their signature stamp on the course’s exclusivity.
Additionally, a floodlit 3-hole loop for evening play is located at the lowest end of the golf courses. Offering one of the island’s most challenging 18-hole golf courses, consistently rated by guests as providing the best-presented greens and playing services in Cyprus, a world-class Troon Golf Academy and practice facilities and a breathtaking clubhouse, Secret Valley offers everything at hand.
An eye for detail means the course offers six different tee positions, Bermuda-style fairways, bent grass greens, and a 300m driving range, which includes two large grass tees, 22 covered bays, and practice greens for chipping, putting, and pitching.
Limassol Hills Golf Resort
One of the hottest addresses set to open in Limassol is enticing potential property owners and golfers worldwide. Universal Golf Enterprises PLC, created specifically for this development on privately owned land of two million square meters in Vasa Kellakiou, just 15 minutes from Limassol’s coastal front, is poised to offer a project that encompasses the area’s natural beauty combined with the terrain and panoramic views.
At its heart will be an 18-hole championship course designed by Gaunt Golf Design, owned by Jonathan Gaunt. He is a member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA). Gaunt is a former professional golfer who turned to golf architecture after his playing career ended. He has a background in property development and been involved in several successful projects in the UK and Europe.
Gaunt is committed to creating a sustainable development that will benefit the local community. Responsible for over 35 high-quality and distinctive golf courses since 1987, he has earned a considerable international reputation for imaginative and challenging golf course design.
Limassol Hills Golf Resort PLC plans to build an integrated development that will comprise 520 villas and 250 townhouses and apartments.
Limassol Greens
This is another masterful resort that will firmly put Cyprus on the map and become a deserved European golfing hub. Global architecture and design firm HKS has been tasked with blending nature into a stunning resort.
With only 10 per cent density on the 1.4-sq.m. land, a former farm under the Lanitis family for over 80 years, architect Luciano Mazza has undertaken a remarkable transformation and created an immersive experience.
Inspired by local Mediterranean architecture, HKS’ brief for the residences was to create idyllic holiday villas and comfortable residential homes. Limassol Greens’ vision was to deliver a refined and elegant approach to contemporary living. Simple lines that sit on manicured Mediterranean gardens, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces.
The resort features an 18-hole, 6,404-metre championship golf course designed by the legendary Cabell B. Robinson, the architect of many prestigious golf courses worldwide. The course will boast unique scenery set in an exquisitely natural landscape, with an array of feature ponds and olive and carob trees distinctive of Mediterranean flora.
Much of the course has been designed to mirror the nearby sandy dunes of Lady’s Mile, while holes 5 and 6, set in a natural wetland, offer scenic views of the bordering forest. Robinson has designed the course with opulent Bermuda grass, generous fairways, surging greens and astonishing pot bunkers to enthrall golf aficionados.
Eagle Pine Golf Resort
Developed by Aristo Developers, Eagle Pine will feature an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Graham Marsh as part of a major development that will further boost Cyprus’ golf tourism sector.
The course will be supported by a clubhouse, pro shop, and golf academy, along with a boutique hotel, spa, restaurant and an unspecified number of private residences. A timescale has not been announced.
However, it’s clear the 18-hole Championship Par-71 course will feature an undulating, windswept terrain and dune-style landscape spearheaded by Marsh, allowing golfers to immerse themselves in a five-star experience. The layout will be back-dropped by breathtaking mountains, natural terrain, and the alluring waters of the Mediterranean.
Marsh’s layout has been thoughtfully integrated into the environment, with minimal impact on the area’s indigenous fauna and flora. Undulating fairways, challenging greens and strategic bunkers will appeal to experienced and novice golfers, aiming to create a golfing experience like no other.
Graham Marsh Golf Design is regarded as one of the world’s leading golf course architects. As a golf course professional, Marsh is the winner of 64 tournaments internationally and successful on all five of the world’s major tours.
Minthis Resort
As the best-rated golf course in Cyprus and 29th in Europe, Minthis Resort has award-winning luxury residences, villas, and suites, with a golf course to match.
Designed by legendary golf architect Donald Steelin in 1994 and renovated in 2020 by renowned course designers Mackenzie & Ebert, the course is a flawless example of their philosophy that golf courses should fit into the terrain, be in keeping with their setting and focus on the details.
The exciting upgrade to USGA-specified sand greens was also completed in 2020, and the 18-hole championship golf course reopened with 18 brand-new greens, new bunkers, and a new layout in spring 2021.
The greens have been seeded with 007 Creeping Bent Grass, known for its heat-tolerance and enhanced resistance to weed invasion and turf disease, benefitting the long-term sustainability of the golf course.
The fairways and rough feature Bermuda and Kikuyu grass, which are relatively drought tolerant and compatible with the Cypriot climate. Considering its unique microclimate at 550m above sea level, the course is over-seeded with winter rye grass every fall to ensure desirable winter playing surfaces.
Such innovations earned the resort the 2021 IAGTO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability. This global award by the International Association of Golf Travel Operators, delivered in partnership with GEO (Golf Environment Organization) for Sustainable Golf, recognizes golf clubs worldwide for their ongoing commitment to fostering nature, conserving resources, taking climate action and strengthening communities.
Aphrodite Hills
The course at Aphrodite Hills was designed by acclaimed course architect Cabell Robinson. Opened in 2002, it offers the perfect mix of challenging bunkers, manicured fairways of lush Bermuda grass, and generous tiered greens.
Spreading over 6,289 meters and overlooking the site where Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, is said to have emerged from the sea, the course is in a truly unique location. It is also one of the most sought-after courses to play in Europe. In 2010, it hosted the Sky Sports-televised PGA EuroPro Tour Championship Final.
In 2017, the award-winning course underwent a €4 million overhaul, including an entire modernization and reconstruction of the greens and bunkers. Attaining top honours and the highest standard of recognition in golf, the PGA National Cyprus course was crowned the Green Club Eco-Label of the Year and awarded the best golf course in Cyprus for a second consecutive year. It was capped in 2020 by hosting two European Tour events.
Elea Estate & Golf Course
The challenging Par 71, 6,900-yard course was designed by the legendary Sir Nick Faldo. It incorporates numerous natural features and boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean. The desert-style course, opened in 2010, features expansive and visual bunkering and runs over an elevated hillside setting.
Meticulously crafted across rolling countryside, the course is also supported by the Eléa Golf Academy, which sits alongside the clubhouse. It features a full-length driving range complete with target greens and bunkers, a short game practice area, and a putting green.
Conclusion
With so many world-class golf courses designed by the sport’s legends, it is easy to understand why Cyprus is quickly becoming a major hub. The spinoff is the delightful weather, fantastic views over the Mediterranean, and a lifestyle that is within everyone’s grasp.
