Gloria Old Course, Belek, Turkey: a review

Gloria Old is a tight pine-tree lined course with a tough opening trio of holes

The par-3 7th at Gloria Old Course in Belek
The par-3 7th at Gloria Old Course in Belek
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

Gloria Old is a tight pine-tree lined golf course with a dramatic opening trio of holes

Gloria Old was the first course at Gloria. It opened in 1996. In those days it was not Gloria Old, of course. It only became so when a new course, named Gloria New (spot a theme?) came into existence.

The tight par-5 17th at Gloria Old Course in Belek

The tight par-5 17th at Gloria Old Course in Belek

The par-3 10th is a bizarre hole in that it does not fit the pattern elsewhere at this course. It is a flat par 3 of 154 yards at is maximum and 140 from the yellow tees. There is nothing between tee and green, although bunkers flank the green. But few of pour party played this hole well.

The rejjgging of the holes has left another fairly mundane par 3 as the closing hole. The course has five par 3 and five par 5s, and the 14th is an attractive par 3 over water with plenty of dry land between lake and green.

In comparison with Gloria New, Gloria Old is harder and tighter. However once you have played the first two holes, the water hazards are less threatening on Gloria Old than Gloria New.

Gloria Old and Gloria New are priced the same and equally popular.

Roderick Easdale

Contributing Writer Roderick is the author of the critically acclaimed comic golf novel, Summer At Tangents. Golf courses and travel are Roderick’s particular interests. He writes travel articles and general features for the magazine, travel supplement and website. He also compiles the magazine's crossword. He is a member of Trevose Golf & Country Club and has played golf in around two dozen countries. Cricket is his other main sporting love. He is also the author of five non-fiction books, four of which are still in print: The Novel Life of PG Wodehouse; The Don: Beyond Boundaries; Wally Hammond: Gentleman & Player and England’s Greatest Post-War All Rounder.