Escorted Golf Tours with Marion & Gary Pike. GOLF HOLIDAYS In Association with Bill Goff Golf Tours & Longshot Golf

Cyprus 2007 report

Golf with the Goddess Aphrodite's

I don't know about you but Cypress doesn't spring readily to mind when booking a golf holiday, but on the other hand neither does Corfu and we have run many successful holidays there.

Four and a bit hours flying to the sun drenched and mystical island of Cypress, an historic place that can trace its history back to the Neolithic Age some 9000 years. We stayed in Pafos. Steeped in history and the magical atmosphere of myth and legend. Pafos is the ancient capital of Cypress. The resort town has its focal point a charming fishing harbour by Pafos Castle, lined with open air cafes and tavernas that serve tempting menus of the days catch.

It was on Pafos shoreline that the Goddess of Love and Beauty emerged from the waves at Petra Tou Tomiou (Aphrodite's Rock), a massive rock that marks the spot. The legacy from its remarkable history adds up to nothing less than an open air museum, so that UNESCO simply included the whole to its World Cultural Heritage.

English is widely spoken so there is no language problems, and in the area of our hotel the four star plus Alexandra the Great Hotel, which incidentally we are returning to next year. The quality and service were excellent. There were many bars and restaurants going down towards the Harbour, and we had some great evenings.

We felt that Cypress was not inexpensive with the Cypriot Pound valued slightly more than ours a meal for two could work out around £50 if you did not drink to much wine. The local wine was passable but you could purchase imported wine but this we thought was quite costly.

There are three courses around the Pafos area, Tsada, Secret Valley and Aphrodite Hills. During our trip the first was closed for a 5 million pound face lift, so we played two rounds on each of the other two.
Secret Valley was very pleasant with some interesting holes, not to long but quite tight, and as the name implies set in a valley. During our stay the legendary Tony Jacklin was on site looking at designing a course along side the original, so one has to feel golf could become big tourism on Cypress.
Aphrodite Hills was truly spectacular. Great imagination was used by the designer to fit this course into the terrain, with shots across ravines and down gorges; it really wasn't for the faint hearted, and on balance proved the most popular during the week. Although it was impossible to walk given the distance and terrain from Green to Tee you had to remain on the cart path, this as many of you are aware only serves to slow play.

Our champions for the week for the ladies in third place from Northumberland Janet Rossiter, second from Wales Irene Leech and in first spot from Henley on Thames Janet Lawson. In the men's event third went to Paul Morton second from Hertfordshire Peter Wise and first Andrew Walker from Burnley. Well done to all of them it was a very close event.

Cypress for us defiantly gets the thumb up and we are looking forward to returning next year. If you would like to join Marion and I on any of our tournaments holiday and Tours please contact us, details below
We hope you can join us.

See Cyprus 2007 photos

2008/2009 CALENDAR

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Nights

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05/11/2008

16/11/2008

Thailand, Royal Cliff Beach Resort and Spa 5«

£ 1553