Swimming pool, Iberostar Anthelia 5-star Hotel, Tenerife
undulating Augusta quality greens that are the course’s
main defence. But it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, the
immaculate conditioning of the course and the scenery
make certain of that, with most holes providing fabulous
views of the Atlantic and the island of La Gomera.
The following morning we drop off our hire car at
Tenerife South Airport to catch a flight to the last island
of our Canaries golf trip. At only thirty minutes, there’s is
barely time to buckle up the safety belts and review the
scorecards of our rounds played so far, before the Binter
Canarias plane hums low over Gran Canaria’s arid volcanic
landscape and angles in towards the runway.
GRAN CANARIA
Experts rate the seven golf courses in Gran Canaria as
among the best in Spain – and the layouts not only
entertain and challenge, but allow you to experience the
island’s varied and dramatic scenery in all its glory. “Even
though there has been a golf course here since 1891,
it’s only during the last five years or so that golf course
development has really taken off,” says Pablo Llinares de
Béthencourt, Managing Director of the Gran Canaria Golf
Association.
Historic Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
In a similar way to Tenerife, the majority of Gran Canaria’s
golf courses are situated in the south of the island, all
conveniently within a 20-30 minute drive of each other.
Just like Tenerife, when it comes to accommodation we
are roughing it again, this time at the 5-star H10 Playa
Meloneras Palace nestling in a peaceful beauty spot
in Meloneras facing the sea and in a great location for
accessing the five courses: Lopesan Meloneras Golf,
Maspalomas Golf, Anfi Tauro Golf and Salobre Golf (the
Old and New courses).
Right next door to our hotel along Meloneras Bay is the
new Lopesan Meloneras Golf. The course begins with
a front nine of fairly open and relatively forgiving holes
characterised by palms and mountain views, and then gets
progressively more difficult entering the back nine along
the cliff tops. Nearby, is the excellent Maspalomas Golf,
a Mackenzie Ross design surrounded by magnificent sand
dunes, protected as a nature reserve and home to a variety
of flora and bird life.
A bit further afield and taking full advantage of Gran
Canaria’s amazing geology, Salobre Golf is a stunning
place to play golf and not to be missed. The two courses
Old and New, make up the only 36-hole complex in the
Canaries and feature swathes of emerald green fairways
and greens in a desert landscape of rock canyons and
Volume 4 • Issue 49
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