Gloria New Course Review | Golf Monthly

Over the last 20 years or so, Belek in Turkey has emerged as a firm favourite for European holidaymakers in search of Mediterranean sun and top quality golf. There are a few reasons for this but at the top of those is the natural landscape, which is hard to beat.

To start with, you have the beaches that stretch out from a run of vast, mostly 5-star all-inclusive hotels. Then you have pine forests that lay behind those hotels and provide the ideal setting for the courses themselves (think of some of the pine tree-lined courses on our Top 100 GB&I list for a comparison). Finally, in the distance are the imposing and often snow-capped Taurus Mountains.

Gloria is one of the largest and most established resorts in the area and I recently had the chance to play the New Course (there is also the Old Course and the 9-hole Verde layout). We teed off at first light and seeing the course reveal itself from the shadow of darkness was a real treat. The tall pine trees and well manicured playing surfaces slowly emerged, covered by the early morning dew and I was excited to get started.

The golf course itself is both enjoyable and challenging. Depending on which tees you choose to play from (it can stretch to over 7,000 yards), it’s not overly long. But it is tight. The pine trees perfectly frame each hole and ensnare any wayward tee shots. However, for the most part, you will at least find your ball in the trees and can chip out fairly easily. This makes Gloria fairly playable for a range of abilities. The holes themselves are gently shaped and there are well positioned bunkers to avoid off the tee on most holes.