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Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Belek, Turkey
« on: May 04, 2014, 05:01:06 PM »
So, I've finally managed to upload my photos to photobucket. Anyone else having issues?
Anyway, this April we decided to give Turkey (the country) a try as a golf destination. People here have been raving about it as a great value, great fun place for the holidaying golfer. Belek is the main resort, about a 40 minute transfer from the airport at Antalya.
First, a word about the accommodation. UNBELIEVABLE. Most of the accoms are in all-inclusive 5-star properties, many of which have a golf course or two attached. The rooms, food and booze are awesome with bars and restaurants pretty much open 24/7.
We stayed at the Voyage Belek, sister hotel to the Maxx Royal, home to the Montgomerie course, more of which later.
The first course we played was the 'National'. Oldest course in the area, home to the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, this DAVID FEHERTY design has quite an old school feel.



The umbrella pines are fairly ubiquitous in the area and give a bit of a Scottish feel to the proceedings!
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2014, 05:09:17 PM »
Pretty softly contoured, it's all just nice holiday golf of the best kind. The National's main defence is in being a bit tight. Of the courses we played, it certainly felt the least expansive.

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2014, 05:12:47 PM »
Feherty was maybe channeling Pete Dye when he designed this hole?



Whatever, it was good fun to play, with some terrific contouring on the green.
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2014, 05:22:25 PM »
Another of the Par 3's. This one had kind of a reverse redan feel. Maybe if the bunker was over there on the right, you could play a bouncy, running shot along the left side slope? More good green contouring.

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2014, 05:26:18 PM »
More of that soft contouring. Nice easy pin position though...

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2014, 05:36:39 PM »
Normally, I'm a big fan of the knee-trembling horizon green, but this one, coming at the end of a hellishly hard hole was a proper bee-atch. I think I was the only one in the group who actually even holed out!
I'm sure a certain local super might come in on this one...

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2014, 05:41:15 PM »
Posted this one as it reminded me so much of a hole at the Duke's in St Andrews which also sits in a circle of trees. I played this hole really well until my towering wedge fried egged itself into the face of that bunker on the left.

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2014, 05:45:27 PM »
And then the finishing hole. Water, flowers, a fountain. What not to love? Having said that, a decent, even strategic design with a bunker to carry on the left for the best approach.

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2014, 05:48:57 PM »
And the view from the very nice terrace bar, with a cold beer in hand.



We're on holiday, playing golf in shorts in April. Occasionally, great architecture can actually be secondary...
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +3/-1
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #9 on: May 04, 2014, 06:12:02 PM »
That's an odd mowing pattern around those bunkers in the last photo.

What kind of grass are you playing on there?  Bermuda?
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Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #10 on: May 04, 2014, 08:53:11 PM »
I didn't know David Feherty designed golf courses?

Who was his design associate (who probably deserves 90% of the credit) and has he done any other courses?
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Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2014, 08:57:26 PM »
Tom,
Yes, Bermuda. There were some odd looking vistas, and some very Florida-like lies! I think they winter overseed. Maybe our resident local super can assist with details.. Ben, where are you?

Joel,
I was being a tad disingenuous, as always! DF is credited, but I'd guess David Jones was fairly heavily involved...

F.
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Ben Lovett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2014, 01:21:29 AM »
Well where to start!! The National was a collaboration between Ferherty and David Jones. It is the oldest course down here. It is a really good layout that has been tinkered with!!!! It has an owner who wants tough! It lack cohesion due to lots of different inputs with the 12th hole being the most out of keeping.
Grass wise it is Bermuda overseeded with Rye, and Poa triv on the greens. They host the Ladie European Tour this week and the Challenge Tour the week after hence the thick rough.
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Frank Pont

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2014, 02:00:19 AM »
Martin and Ben,

I am on holidays in Belek this week with the family, staying in another 5 star place called Bellis.
Agree on the great value for money of the facilities and food.

If I have time to walk one course this week which one should I choose? Carya?
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Ben Lovett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2014, 04:13:50 AM »
Frank,
I have sent you a message, feel free to contact me. Carya is the closest, but the National is hosting the ladies tour this week and worth a visit.
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Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #15 on: May 08, 2014, 02:48:59 PM »
Part deux of the tour brings us to: The Montgomerie. This is the course our esteemed member, Mr Ben Lovett, esq., manages. And a damn fine job he does of it. I thought the conditioning was the best of the three we played by far. The course is an EGD work, with a large 'input' from an old uni chum of a few gcaers, who I hope might chime in - if Ben can maybe persuade him!?!? No pressure, of course!
The course and clubhouse exude quality and are certainly among the nicest in the area. What impressed me most though, is the lack of snootiness and the very friendly welcome both here and at the other courses.
There's quite a lot of off course art here. I'd guess this one is called 'The Golfers Cojones'...

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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #16 on: May 08, 2014, 02:53:35 PM »
Carved out of a combination of pine plantation and natural woodland, again there is quite a heathland/Scottish feel to the course.
Many of the holes have sandy waste areas which in the main are quite nicely strategically positioned and sized.
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #17 on: May 08, 2014, 02:56:34 PM »
One of my favorite holes was this dinky little par3 - very Pine Valley-esque!

Cracking green contouring too.
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #18 on: May 08, 2014, 03:00:04 PM »
There's a recurring theme of forced water carries, but not too heavily overdone. Shame we were all playing so badly that day. Quite a few lost balls...
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #19 on: May 08, 2014, 03:01:17 PM »
And another...
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #20 on: May 08, 2014, 03:07:11 PM »
Probably the best example of the waste area use. Nicely combined here with the greenside bunkering to create a really tricky approach.

I think there been a bit of injudicious tree clearing behind the green which is very annoying and distracting visually.
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #21 on: May 08, 2014, 03:10:48 PM »
Loved the look of this hole. There's something about the interaction of a simple line with a complex curve which is particularly sweet to my eye.
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #22 on: May 08, 2014, 03:14:19 PM »
Cracking greensite on this short par 4. Another of the holes with a good sporty feel. I think the architect may well have been remembering some of those history classes!
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Marty Bonnar

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #23 on: May 08, 2014, 03:16:18 PM »
Another pretty par 3. I was beginning to really come around to the waste areas by now!
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The White River runs dark through the heart of the Town,
Washed the people coal-black from the hole in the ground.

Ulrich Mayring

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Belek, Turkey
« Reply #24 on: May 08, 2014, 03:22:22 PM »
Those water hazards don't do anything for me, they look out of place. My guess is that even on the dry holes there's not much of a ground game to be had :)

Ulrich
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