I’d heard good things about Paphos, and that was from non-golfers! Ancient ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site, a picturesque harbour, small sandy beaches dotted along the coast… but our short itinerary left little time for any of that. Our focus was the PGA National 18-hole championship golf course at Aphrodite Hills.
I’d never golfed in Cyprus before, but after a weekend spent jumping in and out of waterproofs and losing a domestic on the merits of turning on the central heating three weeks early to dry out my gear, I was more than ready for 2 1/2 days of 29C solid September sunshine.
Aphrodite Hills is a five-star resort, an easy 15-minute transfer from Paphos airport, offering 290 luxury rooms and suites, an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, an array of sports activities and an extensive spa, all in a stunning location overlooking the Mediterranean. What began in the 1970s as a local businessman’s vision to build a golf resort of international standing was spectacularly realised some 30 years later with the collaboration of two leading experts in their fields: the global integrated design architects WATG and the renowned golf course designer Cabell B. Robinson.
We arrived on a hot, still late summer evening, just in time for me to give a silent nod of approval to my room (in fact a three-room balcony suite overlooking a floodlit outdoor pool), amble up the winding stairs to a large open-air stone terrace, and meet my fellow golfers for an excellent Kashmiri lamb rogan josh at India Gate, one of the resort’s nine restaurants. The breakfast of porridge and eggs with bacon, served fresh by the chefs the next morning (a huge variety of other self-service buffet options were also available), was similarly delicious, setting me up nicely for the three-minute walk to the clubhouse and day ahead.
First impressions were good: a large, airy clubhouse restaurant overlooked the 18th green, and the downstairs pro shop looked well stocked. Having been offered a choice of stiff or regular shafts in advance, a caddy master duly furnished me with a set of TaylorMade Qi10 woods (with Fujikura black ventus shafts), accompanying irons, and a Spider GTX putter with a 56-degree sand wedge thrown in on request. OK, so visiting golfers might still prefer to bring their own sticks, but the quality of hire clubs provided a good alternative and helped with a swift exit from the airport!
The PGA Academy warm-up facilities were impressive, with a 350m, 15-bay TrackMan-equipped driving range, a sizeable chipping green and two huge, beautifully manicured putting greens surrounding the lake next to the 18th. After making friends with my new 22-degree 4 wood, I joined the others at the starter’s hut for the helpful pre-round briefing. There would be some unusual features: a free drop would be available from an 18th-century kiln in the middle of the 1st fairway, and the area surrounding an ancient olive press on the 8th would also qualify for similar relief. The combination of terrain and climate dictated a need for buggies, as there would also be a 1km (yes, 1km) drive between the 2nd and 3rd hole.
Aphrodite Hills Golf Course
Opened in 2002, the Aphrodite Hills PGA National championship course is the centrepiece of the resort. A 6,290m par 71 off the back tees, it has previously hosted the European Tour Cyprus Open, but can also be played as a more manageable 5,763m/5,404m course off the white and yellow tees.
The course itself is built on two plateaux, separated by a deep ravine. This gorge (as it looked to me) provides much of the course’s drama, with the 3rd hole championship tees extending a par 5 to 573m off the tips, requiring a 200m carry over the chasm onto the fairway. Visiting groups will doubtless play from the whites or yellows, but should at least pause at the black tees (near the 2nd green) and consider how they might get on.
The 156m par 3 “signature” 7th hole is right in the heart of the abyss at the bottom of a steep zig-zagging descent that was apparently built following the historic way-fare used by mountain goats. At the tee box, a marshal supervises orderly attempts to hit a mid-iron (off white tees) over the lower part of the ravine and onto a fairly large, gently sloping ledge-like green. It represents an exciting, unique, memorable, but perfectly doable challenge, provided you can stop admiring the views and keep your eyes on the ball.
Back up on the plateaux, the course is a succession of challenging pot bunkers, manicured fairways of lush Bermuda grass and generous tiered greens. Visually spectacular, it meanders through indigenous olive and carob trees, and at a mere 1km from the coast at its nearest point, has outstanding views over the Mediterranean and surrounding escarpments. Despite this, well-designed landing areas allow the golfer to enjoy the drama without feeling at risk of tipping off the edge. In-flower bougainvillaea, lantana and jacaranda and the occasional sight and high-pitched tweet of Cyprus wheatears add to the whole experience.
Aside from the spectacular 7th, the par 3s are all strong, offering a mix of challenge and visual appeal. The standout par 4s include the 8th, which requires a drive or long iron skirting the right edge of the olive press in the middle of the fairway, followed by a brave, well-struck iron, high into the Mediterranean sky, to reach the back of a long green.
The four par 5s are good fun and potentially gettable in two for longer hitters, even from the whites, with two holes partially protected by water. The 18th in particular provides a potentially spectacular end to the round, if you can drive past the well-positioned bunker in the middle of the fairway.
A Taste of Cyprus – The Delights of Mediterranean Simplicity
Picking over a clubhouse lunch of crisp calamari and sushi – all washed down with local white Xynisteri wine – we all agreed it had been a thoroughly enjoyable round. Especially as it still left plenty of time for a visit to the nearby family-owned Zambartas winery, founded in 2006 by Akas Zambartas and now run by his son Marcos and daughter-in-law Marleen. After sampling a selection of premium and single vineyard wines, accompanied by freshly prepared canapés including goat’s cheese truffles and locally produced pork, we ended with a barrel sample of a six-year-old Commandaria, a sweet, low-alcohol wine produced from sun-dried Mavro and Xynisteri grapes.
Dinner was at the Pathari Tavern in the hotel’s Village Square, where we enjoyed a traditional meze of delicious grilled pitta, Koulouri bread, dips, halloumi and loukaniko (a local pork sausage soaked in red wine and spices), along with a variety of grilled and slow-cooked local meats.
Danny Heard Golf Academy
The next day, we were out on the course again, but not before a pitching lesson from Danny Heard, director of the resort’s Golf Academy. Danny took us through mental approach, choice of club, angle of attack and the peculiarities of dealing with differing lies in the unfamiliar Bermuda rough, before letting us loose on the six-hole PGA National Academy course. OK, so commitment and belief might still need to come from within, but this well-maintained par 3 course, with six bunkered par 3s varying from 50m to 100m, provided a great facility on which to practice. Or a great short game competition venue for visiting groups!
I left my short stay at Aphrodite Hills reflecting on a hugely enjoyable mix of high-end accommodation, friendly staff, satisfying golf and excellent cuisine (a final à la carte dinner at the on-site Fig and Olive restaurant, of roasted asparagus with chilli, followed by an excellent beef tenderloin with lobster cabbage roll, met the already high culinary bar).
However, there was still so much to explore. Whilst Aphrodite Hills offers an excellent stand-alone golf experience in its own right, it could equally act as a superb base for visits to the nearby Secret Valley Golf Course and Elea Golf Club. Limassol Greens, another championship course designed by Cabel B. Robinson, is just 35 minutes down the coast and due to open in autumn 2025, all making for a very attractive multi-venue trip.
Not only that, I’d not done any hiking, biking, tennis, padel or sea swimming, nor sampled the ancient areas’ rich cultural heritage.
Unfinished business, I think, is the phrase.
