Par-4 1st, Salobre New, Gran Canaria
Sea views at Hotel Jardin Tecina, La Gomera
spectacular views of the natural beauty of the lush island
landscape, the Atlantic Ocean and 3718-metre-high Mount
Teide on neighbouring Tenerife. What makes Tecina Golf
so special is that it plays like a ski slope, with the holes zig-
zagging back-and-forth while descending a steep hillside
towards the ocean. Thousands of cacti in all shapes and sizes appear on
hillsides, hotel gardens, on golf courses and even on the
roadsides and some plant species such as dragon trees,
have remained largely unchanged for millions of years.
Though perhaps not of championship quality, Tecina Golf
is an excellent introduction to Canaries golf, providing
golfers with an experience of almost continuous descent
with constant sea views. Wearing shorts and tee shirts with
a slap of sunscreen, we smile together in satisfaction as
we hit our drives on a mid-week morning, and think of all
the poor souls back in chilly England, fighting the traffic on
their commute to work. Back on Tenerife, the largest island in the Canarian
archipelago, our home for three nights is the not too
shabby Iberostar Anthelia, in the upmarket area of Costa
Adeje on the island’s south coast. Situated on the
beachfront, between the beaches of El Duque and Fañabe,
this attractive and elegant 5-star resort in a garden setting
offers top-quality facilities including two superb outdoor
pools, the Thai Zen Space Spa, rooms with balconies and
ocean views.
It’s on our return journey back to San Sebastián in the
afternoon to catch the ferry back to Tenerife, that we
get to really appreciate La Gomera’s volcanic origins and
dramatic landscapes - the result of frantic geological
activity that according to experts stretches back some
10 million years. Since then, erosion has painstakingly
transformed the surface grinding down hillsides and
mountains and carving out deep ravines into the coastline.
La Gomera, like the other Canaries, is also something of
a Lost World due to its range of exceptional plants with
over 650 unique species that grow only on the islands.
18
Destination Golf .TRAVEL
TENERIFE
Tenerife has a total of eight excellent quality golf
courses open to the public and the Costa Adeje makes
a convenient golfing base with Abama Golf, Golf Las
Américas, Amarilla Golf & Country Club, Golf Costa Adeje,
Golf del Sur, and Centro de Golf Los Palos all within a 16
kilometre drive away. The other two courses are further
afield in the north – Real Club de Golf de Tenerife
established in 1932 and Buenavista Golf designed by the
much-loved Seve Ballesteros.