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Eric Strulowitz

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Golf in Belek
« on: August 17, 2009, 07:23:41 AM »
Got some information about Golf in Belek, Turkey and it really has my interest!  Never really thought about Turkey as a golf destination, I was very impressed with the apparent quality of the courses and some of the amazing hotels there.  Thinking about a week there at one of the all inclusives, and maybe a 3 day stopover in Istanbul.

Wondering if anyone has had a golfing holiday there recently and could share their experience.  Thanks in advance!

Eric

Mark Chaplin

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2011, 12:49:59 PM »
Anyone worked or played in Belek can give some recommendations?
Cave Nil Vino

Bill_McBride

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2011, 01:27:03 PM »
Eric, there was a fairly extensive thread on the series of holiday courses along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey a few years ago.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42204.msg934101.html#msg934101

Steve Okula is a GCA who has done work there.  I found this by entering the discussion group and then typing "Turkey Belek" in the search box.

RJ_Daley

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2011, 01:59:21 PM »
Bill, Steve is a Super, not GCA.
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Bill_McBride

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2011, 02:28:06 PM »
Bill, Steve is a Super, not GCA.

Could be, but he sounded rather GCA-ish on the thread I posted above.

Of course I haven't read it for a while myself, and I am prone to senior moments lately!

Tiger_Bernhardt

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2011, 12:43:47 AM »
This came up before and is worth discussing again. I have not been there but google earth the area is very interesting.

Ivan Lipko

Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2011, 01:53:40 AM »
We Russians, consider Turket our main golfing destination - that's a kind of tradition.

There are around 10-12 golf courses in Belek - all within 10 miles from the town, a few are even closer. In my opinion, the most interesting one is Cornelia Faldo which has 27 holes of golf built as 3 9s. This actually did no good to the quality as every nine has some great holes, some good holes and some very mediocre holes. Overall, this is a real gem from GCA point as the fairways are wide, the green complexes are diverse and there is a lot of place for strategy. The piece of land over which the course is built is truly as good as it gets and I wish that was an 18-hole course designed by, say, Doak or C&C.

The others that are really worth playing are Sultan (american style parkland of nice quality), Montgomerie (somewhat reminiscent of Cornelia but the terrain is flatter, with less natural features and the bunkering gets annoying sometimes), Carya (really nice wide open course with interesting bunkering) and Lykia Links - a true links, fast and firm, although silly in places (parkland water hazards look out of place).
The Sueno Golf Complex has two quirky parkland courses with bumpy fairways. They are really tough but look and play very artificial IMO.
The National Golf Club is the only non-resort course in Belek and definitely worth playing. Amazingly varied course although the green complexes migh have some improvement.

Hope this helps. BTW, I will be in Belek Apr23rd - May 2nd so if you want to join, just drop me a PM that would be a great pleasure and honor to play with some of the GCAers.

Steve Okula

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2011, 04:16:13 PM »
I was the grow-in superintendent at National Golf Course, the first course in Belek in '94/95. I have been back numerous times since then, but not for two years now, much to my regret, so I'm a little out of date.

I posted some photos  from my last visit on the aforementioned thread. I haven't played or even seen all the courses there (the Montgomery course is a mystery to me, for example) and as my memory fades and the courses evolve my commentary on hole-by-hole detail becomes irrelevant.

But generally speaking they are a delightful lot. The landscape lends itself exceedingly well to golf. All the courses are built close by the sea on sandy dunes covered with eucalyptus and big, umbrella-shaped, stone pines. The golfer is spoiled by views of the sparkling, blue Mediterranean waters, and the courses, with one or two exceptions, are maintained to a high international standard, as good as most tourist stuff you'd find around, say, Florida.

The climate is typical Mediterranean, with hot, dry, summers and cool, rainy winters. Avoid the autumn, October-December, because everyplace will be winter-overseeding the bermudagrass with ryegrass and it will play soft and slow. There are I think one or two courses with bentgrass greens, (Dave Thomas's Nobilis comes to mind) that you could at least putt without the overseeding in October and November, but by February it will have all come right and the greens will play well until the spring transition in May.

Turkey has typically been less expensive than other European golf destinations like Spain, Portugal, or the British Isles. The Mediterranean cuisine is full of healthful fish and fresh produce. The only wine you can find is domestic, but they’re making great strides in the art of fermentation. The local Efes lager beer is good, but you need to get it ice-cold in the big sixteen ounce bottles only, and whatever you do, do NOT drink the raki. I have seen people die from that. No shit. I myself and several good friends narrowly escaped the same fate.


The small wheel turns by the fire and rod,
the big wheel turns by the grace of God.

Bill_McBride

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Re: Golf in Belek
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2011, 06:36:44 PM »
"...whatever you do, do NOT drink the raki."

I LOVE that line.  :)   Can't you picture Peter Lorre or Sidney Greenstreet saying that!

Steve, sorry for confusing you with a GCA!