Elea Golf Club

Elea Golf Club is at the heart of a new, luxury residential development that is set in an idyllic spot, only two kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea and the vibrant town of Paphos. Golf in Cyprus was elevated to a new level with the opening of Aphrodite Hills in 2002 but the arrival of the new Sir Nick Faldo-designed course at Elea in October 2010 has stratospherically raised the Cypriot bar.

The vision of Elea Estate is to be a place where people enjoy life. If you like golf then you’re going to enjoy Sir Nick’s Elea. The team at Faldo Design are proud of their achievement and have created a course that “sits comfortably and in harmony with its landscape”. For those who are familiar with Faldo courses – Chart Hills for example – you will notice a theme. There are bunkers at Elea in abundance and covering significant acreage. From now on we’re going to call Sir Nick “Mister Sandman”.

The par four 4th is perhaps the most outrageously bunkered in Europe and this hole, named “Orchard”, tames the famous “anaconda” bunker at Chart Hills. Two irregularly shaped bunkers, which masquerade as gigantic sandy pieces from a jigsaw puzzle, need to be avoided from the tee. If you can find sanctuary on the fairway, you’ll have an approach shot to a bridged green that slopes up at the front and then cants away towards the back. The green is protected to the left by a smaller (but still vast) jigsaw-shaped bunker with a Muirfield-styled grassy mound in the centre. To the right of the green, there’s a more conventionally shaped trap. We think there’s more sand on this hole than an average desert.

The long par four 17th is rapidly becoming Elea’s signature hole and places fear into the swing of most golfers. Named “Bobby Jones” this is another hole that has dramatic bunkering but also a severely sloping fairway, which seems to be smaller than a postage stamp from the tee box. Assuming you can avoid the bunkers and stay on the fairway, you’ll need to hit a top drawer, all-carry approach shot over native scrub to an island-like green.

So, is Elea all about bunkers? The short answer is no. There are, in fact, three bunkerless holes, including the tempting 10th, a short par four that simply shouts: “come on – give it a go”.

Put on your thinking cap before you tee it up at Elea. This course warrants careful consideration, coupled with a positive attitude and a hot sand wedge.