Paul Higham plays Sir Nick Faldo's 'Mediterranean Masterpiece' at Elea Golf Club in Cyprus.
skysports.com plays Sir Nick Faldo's 'Mediterranean Masterpiece' at Elea Golf Club in Cyprus
Sir Nick Faldo's 'Mediterranean Masterpiece' at Elea Golf Club is a real tough test of golf that belies its idyllic setting overlooking the shimmering sea off the south west coast of Cyprus.
Situated just a couple of kilometres from the ancient town of Paphos and within easy reach of the second-largest airport on the island (Paphos International) Elea Golf Club is ideally situated for holidaymakers looking for a testing round of golf.
With plenty to see and do in Paphos, with ancient history, smart new hotels and varies eating and drinking establishments, most notably authentic tavernas serving Cypriot fare, there is enough off-course activity to take your mind off what might have been a bad day on it.
And with Faldo's new layout designed to offer a true test of golf, then it is more likely than not that you will come off 18 having played one or two shots more than usual.
You cannot currently stay at the Elea Estate, but building is underway on the first phase of luxury villas and apartments, and the masterplan is to build a boutique hotel and shops and restaurants to create almost a new village centred around the golf course.
Judging by the quality of the clubhouse, the accommodation will be as good as it gets, as the traditionally designed building sits proudly on top of the hill overlooking the course below - and is truly a breathtaking building both outside and in.
Five-star
With a five-star shine about the place, generous terrace areas offer al-fresco dining for all who desire, whilst inside the huge ceilings and natural beams create almost a cathedral-like grandeur that can almost be a touch intimidating to a first-time arrival.
The people at Elea are trying to create a way of life and not just a golf course, and they want the clubhouse to become a place members and non-members alike come for a drink or a meal whether they're out on the course or not.
Despite it being an exclusive-looking club, and a relatively expensive one (green fees range from €80-€115) the atmosphere is very relaxed, possibly due to the affable nature of director of golf Ross Robertson and head pro Chris Campbell, both Scotsmen who are obviously just delighted to be out in the sunshine for a change!
To ensure a thorough testing out of all the facilities, we played Elea a couple of times, and also sampled the hospitality on more than one occasion, and I can personally recommend John Kouphou's food both for quality and quantity - especially the desserts...
As friendly and welcoming as the staff are, the course is not! There are wonderful practice facilities, some of the best I've seen, with extensive short game and driving facilities alongside a putting area with majestic views over the course and the sea.
Onto the course then, and a gentle first hole takes you downhill and off to a dog-leg left, it's not that easy, but looks stunning, as the entire course does with Faldo's design meant to keep the course fitting in with the natural habitat alongside it.
Sand saves
Sand is everywhere though, as those who have played Faldo courses, especially Chart Hills, will be well aware, especially the fourth and fifth holes where there seems much more sand than fairway.
There's nowhere to escape on the fourth, apart from the fairway straight ahead, but a straight shot can never be guaranteed, and down the right there is a massive almost waste-area bunker, while on the left there is, yes you guessed it, another massive sandy trap.
With soft sand in them all, trying to thin a longish iron off the top is not so easy, and being caught in these (as I think I was on every occasion!) makes it a much tougher hole than it started off as.
Other things of note are the greens, they are quick! There is also a multitude of different breaks and borrows to look out for. They are so tricky I was congratulated on a good putting round by head pro Campbell even though my round had included a four-putt! It could have been worse...
At 6,900 yards the course is long enough, but not over-long, as the design team wanted to place the emphasis on placement rather than brute force, and that goes in keeping with the links-like look of the course.
Olive trees and groves of mature carob ensure the unmistakable Mediterranean flavour, whilst natural herbs and vegetation on the course make it one of the most fragrant I've played on.
The fairways were hard and bouncy on our visit, again quite links-like, but we were assured they would turn greener as the summer approached and the paspalum grass started to thrive. Grass surrounding the greens though was devilishly difficult to chip out of given its fluffy nature, which grabbed the wedge as you tried to loft it onto the putting surface.
Ace
The course did yield a hole-in-one, on the par-three third by German photographer Oliver Hardt, but there were no such fireworks from our party, especially approaching what is a fiendish finish to the round.
The 17th, called Bobby Jones, is a longish par four which requires an accurate but long drive ideally out to the right up the hill, but not into the mass bunkerage up there, to enable you to smack your second over the huge expanse of vegetation that guards the green.
Into the wind this hole would be a nightmare, even with the wind behind it's not easy, and the 18th is no picnic either with a blind drive up the hill followed by a long second shot down into another tough green.
So tough was the green that playing partner Lee failed from four feet with the stableford challenge at his mercy, but that's what pressure and a testing putting surface can do to you I suppose.
Faldo certainly has achieved his goal of building a golfing test, and Elea can really work you over in golfing terms. Luckily though, returning to the salubrious confines of the clubhouse terrace somehow makes it all worth while.
