I’ve Just Played The First Golf Course On The Turkish Riviera, And It’s A Cracker

Think of golf in Türkiye and you immediately think of Belek and resorts such as Gloria with its two courses. and the two I have played at Antalya Golf Club. I've would happily return any time, but now it's time to think again! Dalaman is 130 miles to the west of Belek as the eagle flies over the Western Taurus Mountains.

I had enjoyed a family holiday to nearby Dalyan some 15 years ago and remember loving the beautiful coastline, with its vast, rocky inlets, its islands and its mountains rising above the sparkling sea. We had made a note to return but sadly failed to do so until I flew out in early September to join a group of writers and travel operators from all over Europe to sample the newest golf course in the country.

In the lap of luxury

Set beside the Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort and Golf, the course opened just a week before our trip. After the four-hour flight from Gatwick, we arrived late in the evening and breezed through immigration before the 20-minute transfer. The hotel opened in 2009, and is one of the largest I've stayed in, with around 550 rooms and suites. Any fears about how crowded it might feel soon disappeared as the various buildings, landscaped grounds and extensive facilities cover nearly 75 acres. Ironically, it was the tour operators who seemed to get lost the most!

Despite being almost full, the atmosphere at this ultra-all-inclusive resort was more akin to being in a village with several smaller, adjacent hotels. There are enough restaurants and food outlets to eat somewhere different every night for more than two weeks. We ate in two of them – the Vela Riverside Mediterranean where the sea bass was excellent, and the deliciously authentic A La Turca where the local dishes, especially the meat, were even better. Back in my spacious Lake House suite, I had access from the patio to the adjacent pool. This was luxury on a different level.

Star of the show

And so to the main reason for travelling, the golf course itself at The Dalaman Golf Club. You could walk it, which is almost always my preference, but in the heat, and with the gentle elevation changes and considerable distances between some of the holes, I wouldn't recommend it here. Designed by Andrew Craven of International Design Group, it is blessed with an ever-changing topography alongside pine forests and wetlands, across and beside lakes, bordering a river and with regular views out to sea. Despite its youth, it already looks completely established and bedded in.

The opening two holes run gently right to left before a three-shotter with water left, right and long. The 4th is an attractive par 3 beside a pretty pond, while the 5th is a very tough par 4 where you have to be longer than I am, or ever was, to reach the corner. The next two work left to right before another lovely par 3 at the 8th leads you out of the forest. The 10th is unusual as you see the green from the tee but, unless you drive Rory McIlroy distances, you must play way right around a hill to then approach from a completely different angle.

The 11th is a fine risk-reward hole as the safe line from the tee is left of the lake, but the further left you go, the longer the approach. The 13th is the toughest SI 15 I have ever seen, but this is perhaps to warm you up for the two standout holes to come. First up is a par 3, but SI 1 and rightly so as it's brutally tough. Off the yellows it is over 230 yards and uphill. I managed one point over the two days and was reasonably happy!

Then comes the real star of the show, the par-5 15th. You drive from a tee some 80ft above the fairway, which is flanked by water both sides. Unbelievably I hit the fairway both times. On day one I then immediately dispatched my ball into the lagoon on the left, and on day two I turned my birdie putt into a bogey. This is one of those beautiful holes that on its own justifies the green fee. Great fun and a real talking point.

There is still opportunity to find water on 16 and 17 before a true three-shotter back to the clubhouse. As you might expect, the practice facilities are strong, and with more courses in the pipeline in the years to come, Dalaman looks set to become one of golf's brightest new hotspots.