Once a golfing backwater, Greece is now a serious contender, all thanks to the vision and tenacity of one of its golf-mad citizens, who, having made his fortune in shipping, turned his attention to creating a top quality golf and leisure destination on the glorious Pelopponesian coast.
With capital raised from his successful shipping firm Costamare, Vassilis Constantakopoulos set about investing in his family’s historic home area in the hope of creating a series of luxury leisure and lifestyle retreats, and also of transforming golf in Greece. The first of these – there are three planned developments in total – is called Costa Navarino, and is approaching completion, with two hotels and the first of two golf courses open for business. The usual fanfare accompanied the inauguration of another top end resort for Europe, so YGT product manager Euan Gillon headed for the Greek heartland to see what all the fuss is about.
After a brief tour of Athens and its astounding Acropolis, it was time to escape the hustle of the Greek capital and head for Messinia, a region covering the south and west of the Pelopponese that many regular visitors assert is the least developed and most authentic of Greece’s multitude of tourist destinations. Flying to Kalamata Airport cuts the journey time significantly, as Athens is around three hours by car from Costa Navarino, but the majority is served by a new highway. Flights to Kalamata are regular between May and September, with additional services from October to April in the offing.
The sheer beauty of the local area and the genuine friendliness of its people is a hallmark of this corner, around the historic port town of Pylos and Navarino Bay, and this is important to understand when you consider the background of the resort. Mr Constantakopoulos was unwavering in prioritising the area’s integrity and people, and that is why Costa Navarino will operate on 100% renewable electricity and all produce for the restaurants is locally sourced. It is said that it took more than 25 years and 1,000 different land purchases to acquire the site.
Grouped together are the first golf course, designed by Bernhard Langer, the Westin and Romanos hotels and a purpose-built village with boutiques restaurants, cafés and an astonishing ice cream shop. All this borders a splendid beach, while shared facilities include a state-of-the-art health club, a dedicated and separated water park for the kids and the ultra-refined Anazoe Spa.
Even the most ardent of Greece’s golfers would likely concede that the country has little pedigree when it comes to championship courses. Langer’s course at Costa Navarino, incredibly, is just the sixth in all of Greece, and it is a credit to the owner’s vision that the end project will double the number of courses that it boasted just a couple of years ago. The second course at Costa Navarino will be unveiled in September 2011, and was mapped out by Robert Trent Jones Junior, adding a hefty chunk of credibility to the project. Costa Navarino Director of Golf Harry Zervos effused on a recent site visit by RTJ the second, praising the American’s genuine enthusiasm and passion for the project.
Two further sites are in the pipeline, all just a few miles apart, with a total of six courses. Until its siblings open, the Langer-designed Dunes Course at the Costa Navarino site is an outstanding consolation; the placement of some 6,000 olive trees and the construction of a reservoir have been instrumental in crafting a course that looks and feels mature and that is in astonishing condition, defying its youth. Playable, challenging and beautiful, the Dunes is the perfect embodiment of resort golf.
Back on site, your options are endless. If the sun is shining – which is likely given the region’s temperate climate – the choice may be between the sandy beach and one of the gorgeous pools (some with swim-up bars!). Those with a more active disposition will appreciate the health club, with its excellent gym, pool, sauna and steam, the tennis courts or perhaps a hiking or biking excursion to take in the astounding local area, smattered with lovely wild flowers and of course stunning views of the Ionian Sea. Dining is no different; treat yourself to grilled steaks in Flame at the Dunes Clubhouse, indulge your Italian side at Da Luigi or sample traditional Greek classics at Eleon, just a few of the richly varied restaurants.
Development continues apace, but it must be stressed that this is by no means a building site. Your golf holiday at Westin Costa Navarino will be a serene experience, as the additional sites are comfortably separated. Expect high quality from start to finish, and expect this to be the starting point for Greece to catapult itself into the European golfing spotlight.
Luxury residential golf holiday packages at Westin Costa Navarino are available from Your Golf Travel.com, with prices starting at £639pp. For more information call 0800 043 6644 or email info@yourgolftravel.com.
