In the southwest of the Peloponnese, the golf odyssey of Costa Navarino

Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, has also become a golf hotspot in recent years, mainly thanks to this high-end hotel complex in the southwest of the Peloponnese. In a country of nearly 11 million inhabitants, which has nine 18-hole courses, Costa Navarino has no fewer than four in a colossal complex, 45 minutes from Kalamata airport. Today, it is multiplying its awards. Vassilis Constantakopoulos, a wealthy shipowner who made his fortune in the merchant navy, who died in 2011, a few months after the opening of the first resort, wanted to revive Messinia, his home region devastated after the Second World War. His idea was to launch a luxury tourist complex, while preserving its nature and heritage (he notably had 10,000 olive trees planted). The shipowner used his fortune to appropriate the vast expanses of his region, rich in agricultural land.

The first phase of the project was opened to the public in 2010, offering two 5-star hotels, The Westin Resort and The Romanos, then two courses (The Dunes and The Bay). Two new 5-star hotels opened in 2022 and 2023, the W and The Mandarin Oriental (the group’s first establishment in Greece), not to mention real estate complexes of residences with private villas. At the same time, the golf offer was expanded with two courses: the International Olympic Academy Golf Course and the Hills Course.

Often tortuous greens

But let’s start with the oldest route on the site. The Dunes Courselocated at the foot of the Romanos and Westin hotels. It is an inland course, designed by German champion Bernhard Langer and European Golf Design, which winds through olive trees and citrus groves. The fairways of this 5,702-meter course (yellow balls) are quite wide and the roughs are not very penalizing. On the other hand, the greens, often very large and tortuous, are difficult to master, very firm and rolling. The wind coming from the sea can also make the difficulties more difficult. Technical, but accessible. Hilly, but playable on foot. Even if it does not offer many holes on the water’s edge, the second, a par 4 of 320 meters, plunges towards the turquoise sea. Certainly the postcard hole. From the tee of the 6th, a short par 4 of 280 meters, you can also enjoy a panoramic view of the sea and the surrounding mountains. Dizzying.

The Bay Course is the work of the famous architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. Shorter than the Dunes (5,232 meters of the yellows), it is located 10 kilometers from it, along the bay of Navarino. It is here that, two thousand five hundred years ago, a decisive battle of the Peloponnesian War took place, and closer to us, in October 1827, the naval battle that decided the independence of Greece against the Ottoman Empire. If it lacks the length to be a true championship course, it is even more scenic than The Dunes. Some holes run along the bay and stand opposite the town of Pylos, a charming fishing port. A bad slice and you find yourself, for example, on the beach on the 17th, a superb par 4, with the water on the right and the village of Pylos as a backdrop. With its many uphill and downhill sections, The Bay is best played with a golf cart. Some very hilly holes with blind shots can also complicate matters. Its semi-subterranean clubhouse, very original, is dug into the hillside and integrated into the natural shapes of the land thanks to its green roof, which also ensures the protection of biodiversity.

To the two existing courses, the resort has just added two new gems, already acclaimed by the small world of golf: l’International Olympic Academy Golf Course et le Hills Course. We gain height with these new jewels, located 230 meters above sea level and the Bay, which we see below. Designed by the Spanish champion José-Maria Olazabal – two Augusta Masters to his credit – these two 18-hole courses also have the advantage of not being too far from each other (maximum 20 minutes by shuttle from the hotels). With one thing in common, besides their designer, the superb clubhouse that shares them, designed by the renowned architect Lubomir Zeman.

Two new fields with different profiles

The International Olympic Academy Golf Course overlooks Navarino Bay, where the sea views are breathtaking. This par 72 of 5,747 meters offers no less than six teeing grounds. Although the first nine holes are the least memorable of the four courses, the back nine are unforgettable with breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea. Particularly on the par 3s of the 12th and 16th. A complex setting to master with narrow holes, dotted with bunkers, where a mistake can cost dearly. Located 100 km from the historic site of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Academy Golf Course was the first course in the Mediterranean, on April 17, to welcome the Olympic flame as part of its journey from Greece to Paris.

Its neighbour, the Hills Course, also set on the cliffs, does not offer any views of the sea, and is a little less difficult with its more generous fairways. It is nonetheless exciting to play. In a rural environment, it takes us into the hinterland and the very varied design makes it particularly interesting to play. Hole 6, a par 5 all downhill, is very spectacular. The part from 14 to 17, with its multiple dog legs, leaves its mark. Costa Navarino therefore offers four courses maintained to perfection, as is fitting in such an exclusive place. But unlike some ultra-high-end resorts found across the Atlantic, eco-responsibility remains a major issue here. A 485,000 m3 water reservoir has been created to meet the watering needs of the two new courses, sown with grass that requires less water.

Also readW Costa Navarino Hotel in the Peloponnese, Le Figaro’s expert opinion

Fans of the little white ball will be delighted. And they will be able to vary the sporting pleasures in this area, where you can also enjoy the 17 ultra-modern courts of the Mouratoglou Tennis Center, or shoot baskets at the NBA Basketball School. Sports and sportsmen. The Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas is a regular here. And it is here that a certain Cristiano Ronaldo met in secret with the leaders of Juventus Turin for his transfer in 2018… The imposing 1,000-hectare golf estate should grow even further in the coming years with the emergence in the medium term of a fifth Resort on the beach (Navarino Blue), and a fifth course.

ROUTE BOOK

GO THERE Aegean Airlines direct flights to Kalamata from Paris from May to October departing from Roissy-CDG. From Kalamata, allow one hour’s drive (45 km). 20 eur per flight for the transport of the golf bag. www.aegeanair.com. Otherwise, via Athens, allow three hours’ drive (270 km).

PLAY
Green fees from €236 to €300. €148 to €188 for hotel residents.

The Hills course : www.costanavario.com/navarino-hills
The bay course : www.costanavarino.com/golfresort/bay-course

The dunes course : www.costanavarino.com/golfresort/dunes-course
The International Olympic Academy golf course www.costanavarino.com/navarino-hills

ACCOMMODATION
Four 5-star luxury hotels. At Navarino Resort, the westin offers 445 rooms and suites. The majority of the ground floor rooms have an individual infinity pool. The Romans, closer to the beach, also has 321 rooms, suites and villas. With a 4000 m2 spa, the Anazoe. More info: www.costanavarino.com

EAT
No less than 40 restaurants in the area and for all tastes. A high-end steakhouse: The Flame. An Italian: Da Luigi. Traditional and modern Greek: Armyra or Parelia (at the W) and, on the waterfront, Barbouni. Japanese: Onuki. Not forgetting the recent Navarino Nowan open-air market with its procession of shops, restaurants and cafes.