Royal Malta - Malta

I am quite lucky to be able to stay in Malta a couple of months every year in my mellieha apartment. After a while I decided to get friendly with the golf course, however wasn’t willing to pay a €2000 memberships fee but was still able to go with some of my friends who are golf members and members of the Marsa club. If you want to play here you only allowed two visits per year, the driving range is a tad small at 200 yards with a road at the end (don’t hit over it) and the shorts game area isn’t great. When you get on the course you get a sense of wealth and peaceful serenity. You know for a fact this course is maintained to the highest standard possible and you can feel the pride the members have in their great golf course. The fairways are lovely and the greens are always well taken care of, the pine trees are so Amazing just to look at.

Fantastic course to play when in Malta. Fairways are dry and the greens are very quick.

The one and only golf course in Malta offers 18 holes of golf in stunning, historical, landscaped grounds, which are maintained daily. We‘re played twice here and one of that was day before Turkish Airlines tournament. Par 68, the course is average challenge for the more experienced, without being unkind to the novice! Cozy and nice golf club with history. Good restaurant and food. Prices are acceptable. Condition was very good, especially greens. Actually greens was championship level! One note: greens are firm and usually better to land ball at the front of them to run up to the pin. Golf cource is not very challenging. First two par 4 holes are quite short with possibility to reach greens from tee. The 6th is the Club’s signature hole. Club selection is critical on this testing short par 3 as the long green is guarded by hidden bunkers front left and right. The pin may be difficult to see, but you should be able to catch a glimpse through the arch. The 8th hole par 5 one of the best with a slight dog leg to the left. The drive needs to be accurate as the fairway is narrow with trees guarding the right and a water hazard running all the way down the left. Long hitters can reach green with their second shots with a chance for a birdie. The green slopes to the left in the direction of the water hazard so play your approach carefully. The next interesting is 12th with an intimidating tee shot on this par 4 as the best line is to cut the corner over the palm trees and the water hazard onto the lower level of the fairway. But if you are short or unlucky, trees may block your second shot to the green that is on a higher level with dead ground between the top of the ridge and the front of the green. The last two are easy holes to relax and finish course with good result and mood.

Good service provided here from arriving to leaving with friendly and helpful staff. Easy to book tee time through internet and quick confirmation receiving is big advantage. Also we got new Taylor Made M4 set for rent at regular clubs price! Golf cart good and well equipped.

Actually every golf course rating is always a subject with a lot of subjectivity, depending on various criteria. I always rating by the following criteria: course complexity or challenging, fields condition (especially greens & fairways), service (only what you can get: buggie, club rent, condition of clubs, the amount of choice and etc. except staff and other subjective things that depends on your or staff mood), surrounding views or pleasure to the eyes and definitely value for the price. All criteries will be rating from 1 to 5 stars. Concerning Royal Malta golf club my personal opinion is follow:

1. Challenging - 3* (maybe when very windy could be 3*+)

2. Condition - 4* +

3. Service - 5*

4. Surroundings - 4*

5. Value for the price - 4* +

I will be back next my visit to Malta!

The club is approaching its 125th anniversary and a number of measures are being undertaken to spruce up the layout, not least of which is the renovation of the tee box areas. Consequently, when I teed it up here today, the already short 5487-yard course was playing considerably less than that – not that that helped me amass any more Stableford points in the 30c+ heat and (what felt like) 100% humidity.

The highlight of the front nine is the “Maid’s Bedroom” at hole 6, the middle par three in a run of three consecutive short holes. Measuring 154-yards from the gents yellow tee, the hole is played over an earth bank that has a stone lined walkway leading to the green cut through it so the only look at the flag is through this narrow alleyway – what a unique an utterly charming little par three!

There are plenty of subtle little elevation changes throughout the round here, with many of the greens raised to repel approach shots. Dry creeks cross a couple of the fairways on the back nine to keep you mentally alert and there’s a few old-fashioned examples of crossing fairways (like the 12th and 13th, 17th and 18th) to keep you engaged right to the very end.

In a nut shell, I loved this place; it’s hemmed in on all sides so every inch of available land is used - leading to three par threes at holes 5 to 7 and two more at 16 and 17 - but that’s what I like to see, clubs making the most of what they’re given in terms of the land available when constructing a course. A modern architect would rip the place up and start again but that would remove the allure of a lovely old track that will very soon be complemented by a very attractive new clubhouse.

Jim McCann