Mighty Aphrodite adds to Cyprus appeal

LEGEND has it Aphrodite was born when the Greek god Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus, who threw his father’s severed genitals into the sea.

The water immediately began to churn and slowly from the aphros (or ‘sea foam’) a new Goddess of love rose majestically to the surface, riding on a sea shell.

Golf, of course, was probably not the first thought on the mind of the legendary beauty as she made her dramatic entry to the world of immortals; but she may well be entertained to know that thousands of years later people are still desperately searching for their balls at Aphrodite Hills.

Apologies for the schoolboy humour (although I challenge even the most serious scribe to write about Uranus without needing to suppress at least an internal snigger), because it is certainly the only uncouth thing you could possibly say about a golf resort that oozes class, quality and prestige.

Set on two spectacular plateaux separated by a ravine, with views of the shimmering Mediterranean below, it has to be one of the most dramatic settings for a golf course in Europe.

The development also includes the five-star, 290-room InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Resort Hotel, The Retreat spa and health club, a tennis academy, beach club, villas to rent and a village square of shops, restaurants and bars.

But there is little doubt the golf course is the heart and soul of the place. The 18-hole championship course surrounding the hotel stretches to 6,229m and was designed by acclaimed architect Cabell Robinson, first opening in 2002.

With the Mediterranean 300m below you on one side and untouched natural forests of olive and carob trees on the other, it is visually stunning and certainly a challenge at par 70/71.

The fairways are wide but undulating and a golf buggy is compulsory – it can take up to 10 minutes to drive between some holes – while the signature par-three seventh is one no golfer will ever forget.

The tee is raised high on one side of a 130m-deep gorge, the well-protected green nestling tantalisingly opposite. For those who see their ball plummet into oblivion the punishment is to start again on the other side of the divide from the ladies’ tee – a price nobody wanted to pay.

There are five sets of tee markers for each hole at Aphrodite Hills, providing for most levels of serious and resort golfer (although a handicap of 28 is required to book a tee-off time), as well as a three-hole academy course, a double-ended driving range and short-game practice area.

With two other courses to try nearby (Secret Valley and Tsada are both easily accessible from Paphos), Cyprus is rapidly becoming a luxurious, but affordable, golfing paradise.

I booked my trip to Aphrodite Hills through www.golfbreaks.com, one of the largest internet golf holiday companies that offers a mind-boggling list of potential venues.

Reassuringly for technophobes they are easily reachable by phone and more than willing to give advice on which destinations offer the best packages for different levels of golfer.

A four-day, half-board package at Aphrodite Hills, including two rounds of golf for two people in April came in at €620, not including flights.

And that proved to be excellent value because the evening buffet at the InterContinental was top notch and the hotel even offers guests a generous credit to use in other restaurants if they want to switch.

Service throughout the hotel was also excellent – on the right sight of attentive without being intrusive – and delivered with a friendly smile.

On the downside the unheated outdoor pool was still alarmingly chilly in early season; the beach club was closed and at 20 minutes from Paphos the resort could at times feel little isolated. A taxi into town costs €40 each way and after a few quiet nights on site you may be desperate for a little more nightlife.

If the focus of your holiday, however, is to soak up the sun, play golf and chill out with a cold beer in the evening before getting ready for another 18 holes the next day, then there can be few better places to be.

I was surprised at the quality on offer throughout Cyprus, from the bars, coffee houses and restaurants surrounding Paphos’s attractive old harbour to the local countryside tavernas dotted around the island where you are guaranteed a very personal service. A strip of larger restaurants and drinking holes are also available at Coral Bay, which features a beautiful sandy beach with rocks to swim to, five-star hotels and an exquisitely turquoise sea.

Further west, the coast becomes less developed and features sea caves to explore, banana groves, a quaint fishing harbour at Agios Georgios and the untouched wildness of the Akansas Peninsula, where giant turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

For those enjoying a longer stay, the Troodos Mountains, snow-capped well into March, the party town of Ayia Napa, capital Nicosia and coastal resorts Limassol and Larnaca all make excellent day strips.

For Irish and British tourists the culture is easily accessible; the locals, many of whom speak English, are incredibly friendly, cars drive on the left and signs are in English. Even the supermarkets sell brand names recognised back home and with Cyprus having joined the euro, there is no need to change currency.

Perhaps the most important aspect of Cypriot life, however, is the climate. Even in April the temperature was well into the 20s and the island is said to have 320 days of sunshine a year, meaning golf is a year-round pastime. Average daily temperatures dip to a low of 13C in January (although even then expect six hours of sunlight) but hit a sweltering 40C in summer, so thank goodness for the island’s famous sea breeze.

With weather like that you should end a holiday in Cyprus resembling either a bronzed Adonis (who incidentally was Aphrodite’s son) or a Greek goddess. But do keep a close eye on those golf balls.