The courses
What was once a sparsely-populated area has been transformed into one of Europe’s leading destinations. More than half of Turkey’s golf courses now reside within a 16km radius along the Belek strip, including Europe's first fully-lit course. The difficulty comes in deciding which ones to go and play.
Famous names like Feherty, Montgomerie, Dye and Faldo have all left a sizeable imprint by attaching their names to championship courses along the Turkish Riviera.
The Dye-designed Lykia Links – a seaside course alongside the Mediterranean – is easily one of the best, even though it’s a half-hour drive from the main Belek golf strip.
The PGA Sultan at Antalya GC – the former host venue of the World Golf Finals – is another fabulous test.
But it’s the Carya course, the new home of the Turkish Open, which has emerged as a must-visit destination. It is one of only a few courses worldwide to offer night golf under floodlights.
The classic heathland layout is reminiscent of Sunningdale, Woburn or Walton Heath in its appearance, with the beauty of heathertopped white sand traps being added to by mountainous peaks lurking in the distance.
The challenge lies in negotiating several blind tee shots, thick tree lines and plenty of OB and lateral markers flanking the fairways.
Once the floodlights come on and the sunset begins to merge with the vivid greens and crystal-clear water, you almost feel
inclined to set up camp and take it all in. And when that scenic novelty wears off, you can undergo one of golf's toughest tests by tackling the 621-yard 6th (aptly named 'Long'), which is famed for being the longest hole in Turkey.
Carya’s sister course – The National – is every bit a thinking man’s course and flickers between beauty and beasts. Nine dog-legs and as many water hazards are dotted in and around five mammoth par 5s.
Thankfully, every buggy comes equipped with ice-cold towels and water bottles. And if you’re peckish, you can even order a steak sandwich or burger halfway round.
You need to make sure you overcome any food cramps, however, because the closing hole makes for a grandstand finish. It plays to a water-guarded green overlooked by the colonial-style clubhouse and terrace.
It’s a stunning backdrop, and one which is matched at Gloria Golf Club. John Daly is a regular visitor there and with two 18-hole courses and one nine-hole course to pick from, it’s easy to see why.
The par-72 ‘Old’ course is the tougher of the three, according to David Clare, director of golf at Gloria, and the opening few holes are an instant indication of that. The signature 17th poses the greatest challenge, and is modelled on the 17th at TPC Sawgrass.
If you’ve got some balls left by the time you finish the 18th, you can head over to the Verde and tackle one of the best nine-hole courses around. It all makes for a memorable experience, yet one which barely scratches the surface when you’ve got another half a dozen courses nearby.