Golf Takes Off In Turkey

Golf tourism is booming in Turkey with its 19 international level courses, fantastic climate and high standards of service and accommodation, making it an ideal yearround golfing destination. Being outside the Eurozone also means great value golfing holidays and Turkey is also a country famed for welcoming hospitality, rich cuisine and multitude of historic and cultural sites, which means it’s also the perfect destination to combine golfing with a holiday that has plenty to offer the nongolfer too whether it’s your family or friend.

The resort of Belek, on the Mediterranean coast, just 30kms from Antalya, is at the heart of Turkish golf. It’s a carefully planned resort to cater to the needs of golfers. The first golf course opened here in 1994 and in a short time has established itself on the international golf circuit, with fourteen world class courses, including one designed by the celebrated golfer Nick Faldo, and another by Colin Montgomerie. Other international standard golf courses are dotted around Istanbul, Ankara and the Muğla regions.

In 2008, around 386,000 rounds of golf were played in the Belek region by overseas visitors and this should increase beyond 400,000 green fees in 2009.

A trio of top new golf courses is helping Turkey’s southern coast raise the bar for golf in the Mediterranean to new levels. T he region is one of Europe’s fastestgrowing golfing destinations.

Now Scotland’s own Colin Montgomerie, design guru Perry Dye and multiple Open Championship winnerturned –architect Peter Thomson have added their illustrious names to the region’s courses. Their unique are set to elevate an already popular golf destination Belek was named Europe’s Golf Destination of the year for 2008 at the golf industry’s prestigious annual IAGTO Awards to a new dimension for quality golf. Four of Turkey’s golf courses in Belek have made it into Golf World magazine’s 2009 Top 100 Golf Courses in Europe list and Turkey is also ranked as one of the top three future destinations for golf tourism in KPMG’s Golf Travel Insight report in November 2008.