Worldwide Golf

AFTER waiting patiently in the shadow of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are now showcasing the potential to match their peers as true golfing destinations. With sunshine all year round and with the wind whipping in off the coast keeping the humidity levels down, the two islands always offer the perfect climate for golf.
Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands and along with its beautiful white sandy beaches and year-long sunshine the island offers three golf courses for the ardent golfer to enjoy. Two of the courses – Fuerteventura Golf Club and Golf Club Salinas de Antigua are conveniently located next to each other in Caleta de Fustes, just five miles from the airport, with the Las Playitas Golf & Resort located in the south of the island. Tourism counsellor of Fuerteventura, Agueda Montelongo, commented: “It would be ideal for the island to have two more golf courses – one in the north and one in the south, which would offer a total of five 18-hole courses.”
Lanzarote has an entirely different look and feel with black volcanic rock forming the base of its landscape. It’s bleak but beautiful and has many hidden gems, not least its two golf courses – Costa Teguise Golf and Lanzarote Golf.  

Fuerteventura Golf Club
Fuerteventura Golf Club (pictured above) is the oldest course on the island and was designed by architect Juan Caterineau in 2002. In only its second year it had the honour of hosting The European Tour’s Open de España which boosted the island’s golfing portfolio.  
Upon arrival at the Clubhouse the first thing you notice is that the course slopes gently out towards the sea. The building is the focal point to the classic par-70 layout, with 12 par-4s, two par-5s and four par-3s. The course is littered with trees and several shots are required to carry water – most notably the signature, par-3 7th which is aptly titled El Lago (The Lake). Although it’s only 156 metres (roughly 170 yards) it is almost exclusively played into the wind and with water guarding the entire front edge of the green it makes it one of the toughest holes on the course. The layout is relatively flat and only holes 17 and 18 show noticeable unevenness with the superb par-5 17th featuring a huge right-hand dog-leg turn which rises some 40 feet up to a plateau green. From the 17th green you walk further up the hill to the par-4 18th tee but upon reaching the tee box it all becomes worthwhile. The view across the rest of the golf course and out to the vast ocean is a picture-book moment.
Do the view justice by leaving the driver in the bag and striking a long iron into play, down to the bottom of the hill to the start of the dog-leg around to the left – almost a mirror image of the 17th.  A simply stunning ending to a picturesque round of golf.
www.fuerteventuragolfclub.com

Golf Club Salinas de Antigua
Conveniently situated next to Fuerteventura Golf Club (a road divides the two courses) is Golf Club Salinas de Antigua which opened in 2008 and boasts all the exceptional facilities you would expect from a newly built course.
It is comparatively different to its next door neighbour. It feels more like a classic links course with undulating fairways and large greens – including a rare shared green for the 1st and 6th holes. The 11th is a driveable par-4 and is a classic risk-reward hole. When the wind is up it will take heaps of bravery to try and boom it over the huge lake, but if you manage that and find the putting surface you’re on course for a two-putt birdie.
The landscape of the 5,409 metre course is formed by hills and dunes which can provide periods of protection from the wind on a particularly blustery day. The course is superbly manicured with a state-of-the-art irrigation and drainage system, optimising water consumption, which is vital as it so very rarely rains!
www.salinasgolf.com

Las Playitas Golf & Resort
Located roughly 35 minutes south along the east coast, Las Playitas Golf & Resort is located next to the village of Tuineje.  With classic shots over water and some, often extremely, elevated tee shots into valley-like fairways, Las Playitas makes excellent use of its terrain.
Hazards have been used sparingly with two lakes in play for six of the 18 holes and the bunkers were carefully crafted under the watchful eye of Scottish architect John Chilver-Stainer.
Many tee options are available so hole lengths can be varied from day to day or to suit each individual’s standard of play. The outstanding feature of the course is its fantastic condition. The greens, fairways and general tidiness are a credit to the green staff who clearly regard the course as a labour of love.
www.playitas.net

Lanzarote

From the white sandy beaches of Fuerteventura it’s just a 25 minute ferry journey across the ocean to the striking black lava landscape of Lanzarote. In 1993 the island was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and it’s easy to see why. Its many natural attractions are the lure for so many tourists who visit the island each year, but if it’s a short golfing break you are seeking you will not be disappointed.

Lanzarote Golf
IN a similar mould to Las Salinas on Fuerteventura, Lanzarote Golf opened less than two years ago and is a first class facility. Everything from hire clubs to the upkeep of the course – it’s all top quality.
A modern 18-hole par 72 layout, it was created by American designer Ron Kirby who adapted the original land and added some more undulations in keeping with the idyllic natural landscape of Lanzarote. Kirby says: “I want the course to be fun and enjoyable for all players but never regarded as easy,” and he certainly achieved that.

Fairways are wide and the greens well-trimmed greens and welcoming. The rough is cut short and Kirkby has not been over zealous with the number of sand and water hazards, but despite this the course is far from easy. There are one or two blind tee shots where brain over brawn is required and with gentle run-offs from the green distance judgment is paramount. The course could not be situated any better as it lies in the main tourist region of Puerto del Carmen, just five minutes from the best beaches on the island and only ten minutes from the airport.
www.lanzarotegolfresort.com

Costa Teguise Golf
THE most established golf course of the two islands is Costa Teguise Golf which was built in 1978 by British architect John Harris. A test for any level of golfer the course lies at the base of a volcano and its fairways are lined with mature palm trees and cacti and offers plenty of breathtaking views over the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s the longest of the five courses on the two islands at 6,476metres with numerous snaking dog-leg fairways and raised tees – the best of which is the final hole (pictured below). Use the wind gusting in from the right as an ally as you make your way down the final fairway and into the cosy clubhouse for a post-game refreshment. A superb way to end any round of golf anywhere in the world.
www.lanzarote-golf.com

Fuerteventura
Best known for its beaches, Fuerteventura is a sporting holiday paradise. Along with golf, other sports easily available on the island include wind and kitesurfing, on-land kite flying,  cycling and horse riding.
Fishing is also a big part of life on the Canary Islands and the produce plucked from the Atlantic Ocean is simply divine. Whether you eat out and about or at the hotel restaurant, the fish is an absolute must.
The Sheraton Hotel on Fuerteventura, overlooking the two golf courses in Puerto de Fustes, has 266 rooms but is shaped in a way that all rooms face out to sea. The Sheraton Hotel is a luxurious 5* facility set in a perfect location, sandwiched between the beach and the golf courses.
After a round simply unload your clubs at the baggage drop before retreating to the Spa for a relaxing massage or to the bar for a well-earned snack. With three swimming pools, tennis courts and a gym the Sheraton Hotel is ideal for a family holiday or a short golfing break.
www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton

Lanzarote
AS Lanzarote is one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, the Hotel Hesperia Lanzarote in Puerto Calero is in the perfect location.
Boasting 335 rooms, spectacular sea views, three restaurants, four swimming pools and quick, easy access to the beach the Hotel Hesperia is spacious and welcoming.
It is in the main hub of the island, close to the airport in Arrefice and within a 25 minute drive of just about every tourist attraction. The whole island is easy to cover by car in only 45-50 minutes.
In the very north of the island you can scale 475 metres up the mountain of Risco de Famara to the Mirador de Rio, a stunning panoramic viewpoint over the tiny neighbouring island of La Graciosa while in the volcanic region of Timanfaya is another natural must-see. Timanfaya is still active and meals for its restaurant and cafe are cooked in the heat of a natural oven which is just a few metres under the surface.
With the island’s two golf courses just a short drive away the Hotel Hesperia is the obvious choice.
www.hesperia.com/hotels/Hesperia-Lanzarote

With delicious local produce, 365 days of sunshine and a plethora of tourist attractions, the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote have always been superb holiday destinations. Now, with five golf courses between the two islands and new developments in the pipeline they are making a name for themselves on the World’s golfing map.

For more information contact the Spanish Tourist Office
Email: info.londres@tourspain.es
or visit: www.spain.info