The Global Golfer · Course Intelligence · Messinia · Navarino Hills
International Olympic Academy Golf Course — Costa Navarino
Location: Navarino Hills, Messinia, Greece
Design: José María Olazábal
Par: 72
Back-tee length: 6,366 metres
Course type: Elevated resort / hillside
Access: Resort golf; tee-time availability, operating hours and playing conditions should be confirmed for the travel dates.
The International Olympic Academy Golf Course is one of the two signature layouts at Navarino Hills and the first golf course in the world to carry the International Olympic Academy name. Set across elevated ground above the historic Bay of Navarino and the Ionian Sea, it adds a longer, more exposed hillside test to Costa Navarino’s four-course portfolio.
Why play the International Olympic Academy Golf Course
This course offers a broad Navarino Hills setting within the Costa Navarino rotation. The course uses its elevated position for broad sea and countryside views, but the playing appeal comes from more than scenery: length, changes in elevation and wind exposure make club selection and trajectory control central to the round.
Course character
- Elevation: the hillside setting creates changing sightlines, uneven visual perspectives and a different feel from the lower Dunes and Bay courses.
- Exposure: wind can materially change playing conditions, particularly on the more open sections overlooking Navarino Bay and the Ionian Sea.
- Length: at 6,366 metres from the back tees, this is a substantial resort test and rewards sensible tee selection.
- Strategy: use position and trajectory rather than assuming the elevated setting is simply about carrying the ball farther.
Practice and operations
Navarino Hills supports both the International Olympic Academy Golf Course and The Hills Course from the same golf environment. Costa Navarino’s current operating information lists the courses from 08:00 to sunset, the golf reception from 07:00 to 19:00 and the driving range from 07:30 to 18:00. Complimentary shuttle services connect Navarino Hills with The Dunes Course. Seasonal changes should be reconfirmed before travel.
Build a Costa Navarino Course Swing
- 1 · The Dunes Course: start with Costa Navarino’s original signature layout and a more mixed coastal / inland landscape.
- 2 · The Bay Course: follow with the shorter, more positional Robert Trent Jones II routing through Seaside, Canyon and Grove landscapes.
- 3 · International Olympic Academy Golf Course: move uphill for the longer Olazábal challenge and wider views.
- 4 · The Hills Course: complete the four-course sequence with a second elevated Olazábal design in a more rural Messinian setting.
The four signature Costa Navarino courses sit within a compact destination footprint, so a three- or four-round itinerary can be built without turning the trip into a long-transfer exercise. For mixed groups, choose tees carefully on the Hills courses and alternate the longer rounds with recovery or lighter activity.
Stay · Play · Recover
Navarino Hills is part of the wider Costa Navarino destination rather than a stand-alone golf complex. That means the course can be paired with resort accommodation, dining, wellness and countryside experiences across the destination. For golfers playing all four courses, a practical itinerary spaces out the two Hills rounds and uses spa, mobility or lighter practice between the more demanding days.
Checked 18 September 2026. Course facts and operating information are based on Costa Navarino’s current official Navarino Hills material. Tee-time access, seasonal hours, shuttle frequency and package inclusions should be reconfirmed directly before committing to non-refundable travel. The Global Golfer’s editorial guidance is independent.