TRAVEL: Tremendous Tenerife

IT’S what many of us dream of. A picture-perfect course bathed in sunshine – and not another golfer in sight. Millionaire’s golf, it’s known as.

It’s called that for a reason – there only a handful of people in Britain
fortunate enough to experience such a rare golfing experience.

Or at least that’s what I thought before I went to Tenerife: this Canary Island has a Jekyll and Hyde character to it.

During the winter (the same time of year as ours, only it’s rather less severe!) the courses on the island are absolutely packed (because there’s no snow over there in February...).

When you board the 1st tee the sight in front of you signifies one thing: a four-hour round. This is the price you pay for playing with the sun on your back in February. And not having to fly for 11 hours.

Tenerife is little more than four hours from Britain and is therefore an extremely good winter sun option for those seeking to escape muddy, frozen courses at home.

It is also far better value for money than the likes of Mauritius and the Caribbean.

Get some water and beers in the ice box and enjoy the sun – or play early or late in the day.

But if you simply can’t bear waiting on the tee then there is an alternative – it is simply that you visit Tenerife during the summer.

The island is of course busy in those months with holidaymakers from our country and beyond but what it is not full of is golfers. They come for the sun and the sand at this time of year, but not the strokeplay.

It means you can walk onto the tee of, say Costa Adeje, and sweep away your first drive without fear of landing it on top of the head of the group in front.

There simply won’t be one.

Costa Adeje is a good place to start when discussing the golf on offer in Tenerife because it is typical of the exhilarating challenge.

The first four holes make you realise this is spectacular stuff –  and the picture on this feature can do more justice to it than 500 words from me.

What I can do is confirm that this is very much what you can expect at almost every turn at this former European Tour venue: beautiful backdrops, wonderfully conditioned greens and fairways, well-designed holes and a general feeling of tranquillity. All enjoyed, of course,  under guaranteed sunshine.

Probably the best course on Tenerife is at Abama, perched high in the volcanic mountains overlooking Las Americas.

Attached to a fabulous five-star hotel, Abama is not cheap. But build your stay in Tenerife around it and you will not be disappointed. It is manicured almost to Augusta levels – while the many-tiered  greens are almost as exacting as at the host venue of the Masters.

Spectacular flora is present on every hole, providing flashes of bright colour around tees and greens. This is also a very well-designed course, incorporating risk-and-reward par fives to delight the long hitters and short par fours where accuracy and nouse are  essential.

Golf del Sur is another track worth visiting, having been tweaked recently by former Ryder Cup star Manuel Pinero, while Las Americas is another fine course. It’s a simple fact that you will not be disappointed with the courses on Tenerife, I believe it’s just a case of choosing the right time of year to visit.

If you go in the summer, you may want to stay away from the nitespots in Las Americas. Of course, it can be the base for a perfectly enjoyable holiday but if you prefer something less lively than Los Cristianos is ideal.

NCG stayed there, in the Arona Gran, part of the Spring Hotels group. It turned out to be ideal for our golfing holiday, with a designated golf desk to book tee times for you as well as advise on which ones will suit your ability and your wallet. They’ll also arrange car hire and it’s all so much easier than doing it all yourself.

There is even a putting green and driving range to enjoy at the start or end of the day.

Away from the golf side, the hotel boasts spacious and comfortable bedrooms, satellite television, a huge pool and terrific restaurant. 

The three-course buffet at night makes dining a simple but pleasurable experience.

Typical of golf in Tenerife in fact.