Turkey's Belek is a golf destination developing at amazing speed

GLORIOUS GOLF AT GLORIA
- AND YOU DON'T NEED TO
HIRE A CAR TO GET AROUND

By TONY MARTIN
Consultant Professional at Gloria Golf Club, Antalya, Turkey

Gloria Golf Resort boasts two 18 holes and a full-length nine-hole lay-out, all carved through ancient pine forest, with many water features.
The quality of the golf courses are superb, which is reflected in the numbers of repeat guests from all over Europe.
Many have visited the Gloria Resort up to 10 times and Gloria is again to host a European Seniors Tour event on the New course in May this year.
Turkey's Belek as golf destination is developing at amazing speed with eight courses up and running, and five more under construction. All the course are within 15 minutes drive of each other, and the hotels operate shuttle services, so it is not necessary to rent a car.
The standards have been set, and all the courses open, and being built, are to the highest specifications. Some compare us to Spain 30 years ago.
In my opinion – and I have been in Turkey for 21 years – there is no comparison. Our standards are higher and we are developing faster.
After Belek there are many projects on the Turkish Riviera drawing board, both east and west along the Mediterranean coast.

COURSES IN BELEK
Antalaya Golf Club (2 Courses: Sultan & Pasha).
http://www.antalya24.com/
Cornelia Golf Club (Nick Faldo Course; two nines, third nine-hole lay-out soon to be opened).
Gloria Golf Club (2 Courses: New & Old).
http://www.gloria.com.tr/new/index.asp?sayfa=2
National Golf Club (1 Course).
http://www.nationalturkey.com/defaulteng.asp
Robinson Nobilis Golf Club (1 Course).
Tat Beach Golf Club (27 holes).

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Papillon Colin Montgomerie (18 holes).
Kaya (18 holes).
Silence Beach (36 holes).
Carya (18 holes).

LEADING GOLF HOTELS
Cornelia De Luxe Resort.
http://www.corneliagolfresort.com/
Kempinski Hotel: The Dome.
http://www.kempinski-antalya.com/en/home/index.htm
Papillon Zeugma Hotel..
http://www.papillon.com.tr/
Sirene Belek Hotel.
http://www.sirenegolfhotel.com/index3.htm

Turkish Golf Federation
http://www.tgf.org.tr/main.asp

COLIN FARQUHARSON COMMENTS:

DIRECT WINTER FLIGHTS TO ANTALYA
NEEDED FOR TURKISH GOLF HOLIDAYS

The airlines and tour operators hold the key to opening up the Belek region of Turkey as a winter golf destination. When I tried to book a direct flight in February from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Antalya, which is the airport that serves the area, I found it was impossble.
Instead, my wife and I had to take the tortuous, all-day travelling schedule of Edinburgh-Amsterdam-Istanbul-Antalya.
The airline supremos have got to realise that golf is a winter game on the Turkish Riviera. It is far too hot in the summer, which is when the direct flights to Antalya start at the moment.
All the hotels will pick you up from Antalya Airport, domestic or international. It is a drive of between 30 and 40min.
The hotels we stayed in for the Media Masters golf tournament - Papillion Zeugma and Sirene - were first class and, just like a package holiday, the price you thought you were paying for accommodation also included meals and drinks at the bar.
ALL-INCLUSIVE RATES AT HOTELS
Most of the hotels in the Belek region have these all-inclusive rates. Not having to pay for drinks at the bar takes a bit of getting used to.
The hotel rates do not include the cost of a round of golf but the hotels run free shuttles to all the most popular courses. Green fees compare favourably with those on the Algarve and the Costa del Sol.
All the courses and hotels have their own websites and you should trawl through them to build up information on what a winter golfing holiday on the Turkish Riviera will cost you.
Quite frankly, there does not seem much to do apart from lounge around the hotels or play golf although we were taken on a day's drive to an ancient Roman bridge and amphitheatre as Aspendos.
If like me, you have reservations about going to a Moslem country for the first time, put them behind you. The Turkish people that we met could not have been more pleasant or more helpful. I would go back there tomorrow ... if I did not have to drive down to Edinburgh Airport and then fly to Amsterdam-Istanbul-Antalya!
You don't need the Turkish local currency. Euros are accepted everywhere you go. But you will need to spend £10 on a visa whether you land at Istanbul or Antalya from outwith Turkey. They are available BEFORE you have your passports checked on arrival. Don't make the mistake of going to passport control before you get your passport stamped with a visa or else you will be turned back.