Golfing in Greece

As golfing grows in popularity worldwide, more and more travellers are seeking out the links on their vacations. In Greece, golfing is not yet as popular a sport as elsewhere, but there are still some courses to allow the visitor to explore a different kind of "Classic" in Greece.

Numerous golf courses are in the planning stages. One well-established facility that is anticipating a major expansion is the Glyfada Golf Course near Athens. This pine-studded course with a view of the Saronic Gulf islands is open year-round, closing only on Christmas and Easter.

They are the Corfu Golf Club on Corfu, and the Porto Carras Golf & Country Club in Northern Greece, at Halkidiki (Chalkidiki), and Afandou Golf on Rhodes. This last course is next to the aptly-named Golf View Hotel, which overlooks the David Haradine-designed course.

The Hellenic Golf Federation lists only about 1200 members throughout Greece. There is a P.G.A. office in Greece, located at the Glyfada course.

Golfer Mark Eaton reports that the Glyfada course is good, "tight with lots of trees", but says it suffers from a lack of water in the summer months. He recommends the Rhodes Afandou course, saying it's a links course right on the ocean, with spectacular views. "A really fun course to play," he reports. Compared to European courses in general, he finds the Greek courses superior in fall and spring, but a bad bet for summer due to the water shortages affecting the grass. He points out that the winters are usually mild enough to allow play all year long. Thanks Mark!

A new addition to the Greek golfing universe is the Crete Golf Club at Chersonissos. This newly-inaugurated course opened in July of 2003. Its 18-hole course is open year-round. It also plays host to the Aegean Airlines Pro-Am each year.

Greece now has a magazine devoted to golf and tourism, called, aptly enough, "Golf and Tourism in Greece".

Do you want to play golf in Greece? Go to www.medestino.com and book your hotel room