The first 18-hole course on the island

The Crete Golf Club is home to the first 18-hole course on the island and it is a lay-out that few visitors will ever forget. Course architect, Bob Hunt,  has taken what was once an unkempt piece of rugged mountainside and transformed it into a verdant oasis surrounded by some of the most beautiful views in the whole of Europe.

The course itself is best described as a desert-style lay-out, featuring expansive fairways hewn through rocks and ravines. Visitors soon realise that the emphasis is on accuracy, although the landing areas are generous enough to accommodate all but the most errant shots. Hunt, who also designed the links course at Tobago Plantations, home of the annual Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic on the European Seniors Tour, has created a host of memorable holes, none more so than the 198-yard par-3 6th and the short 330-yard par-4 11th where the view behind the green simply takes the breath away. The 6th, which is destined to become the course’s signature hole, requires both accuracy and careful club selection.

The tee shot has to cross a deep ravine to reach a two-tier green cut into the foot of a hillside. A three will always be welcome, particularly as the 7th, a demanding, uphill 407-yard par-4, requires what is probably the hardest drive of the day. All around the course, the golfer can enjoy stunning views, both of the mountains and the coastline some ten minutes drive away. It is a stunning backdrop to what will be a memorable day.