Region: Belek (Antalya), Bodrum & Istanbul, Turkey | Best Time: March–May & October–November | Nearest Airport: Antalya (AYT), Bodrum (BJV), Istanbul (IST)
Editor’s Note: Turkey is European golf’s most dramatic underdog story. Belek on the Antalya coast has developed 25 championship courses in 30 years — many designed by golf’s greatest architects — and offers conditions, quality and value that rival the Algarve at 40% of the cost. The Cornelia Diamond was voted Turkey’s best course for a decade; Montgomerie Maxx Royal has hosted the Turkish Airlines Open (European Tour). Add Istanbul’s extraordinary dual-continent character and the thermal spa culture of the Turkish bath, and Turkey delivers a golf experience unlike anything else in the Mediterranean.
The 5 Courses to Play
1. Montgomerie Maxx Royal — Belek ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Designer: Colin Montgomerie & Desmond Muirhead (2007) | Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,354 yards | Rating: 75.5 / 142
- Why Play It: Host of the Turkish Airlines Open — one of the European Tour’s most prestigious events, played annually in November. Montgomerie’s signature design features generous fairways, significant water features and greens of Augusta quality. The closing stretch through towering umbrella pines beside the final lake is genuinely dramatic. Europe’s best players have consistently described Belek’s tournament conditions as world-class.
- Book: maxroyalgolf.com | Green fees from €135 (hotel guest rate)
2. Cornelia Diamond Golf Club & Resort — Belek ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Designer: Kyle Phillips (2007) | Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,118 yards | Rating: 75.1 / 140
- Why Play It: Phillips’s finest Mediterranean design — voted Turkey’s #1 course for multiple consecutive years. Weaving through Belek’s characteristic umbrella pine forests with water on 11 holes, the design demands accuracy throughout while rewarding bold play on the risk-reward par 5s. The Cornelia Diamond Resort hotel is Belek’s most complete five-star; the golf package value is exceptional by any European standard.
- Book: corneliadiamond.com | Green fees from €120
3. Carya Golf Club — Belek ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Designer: Cabell Robinson (2009) | Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,062 yards
- Why Play It: Robinson’s most ambitious Turkish project — at the Gloria Hotels resort, with the Taurus Mountains visible from multiple holes. The course makes spectacular use of water features, dramatic bunkering and the pine forest terrain. One of three courses at the Gloria resort; the combination of 54 holes, five-star accommodation and all-inclusive packages makes Gloria Hotels the most complete golf resort in Turkey.
- Book: gloriahotels.com | Green fees from €115
4. Kaya Palazzo Golf Club — Belek ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Designer: Karl Litten (2011) | Par/Yardage: 72 / 7,128 yards
- Why Play It: Litten’s most successful Turkish design — at the Kaya Palazzo Resort, the most architecturally dramatic hotel in Belek. The course’s generous fairways and spectacular Taurus Mountain backdrop make it the most visually striking in the region; the resort’s waterpark and spa provide the most family-friendly non-golf offering in Belek.
- Book: kayagolfresort.com | Green fees from €100
5. Klassis Golf Club — Istanbul ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Designer: David Feherty & Karl Litten (1994) | Par/Yardage: 71 / 6,352 yards
- Why Play It: Golf in the city that straddles two continents — Klassis sits on the European side of the Bosphorus, 45 minutes from Istanbul’s historic centre. The combination of a round at Klassis followed by dinner in Beyoğlu and a Bosphorus sunset cruise the next morning is unlike any other golf travel experience in the world. Istanbul’s food scene — mezes, balik ekmek, kebabs and börek — is one of the Mediterranean’s greatest culinary cultures.
- Book: klassisresort.com.tr | Green fees from €75
Where to Stay
- Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort (5★GL): Turkey’s finest golf hotel — 1 kilometre of private beach, 11 restaurants, 9 pools, spa and direct access to Montgomerie. Check availability on Expedia →
- Cornelia Diamond Resort (5★): Belek’s most complete golf-resort package including all-inclusive dining — exceptional value for a five-star product.
- Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet (5★): Former Ottoman prison converted to the finest hotel in Istanbul — 200 metres from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Unmissable for the non-golf days.
- Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum (5★): Turkey’s most dramatic hotel — terraced cliff-face above the Aegean, overlooking the island of Kos. 45 minutes from Bodrum Golf Club.
Practical Information
- Getting There: Antalya (AYT) is the Belek gateway — 4h from London, direct flights with British Airways, EasyJet, TUI and Turkish Airlines. Istanbul (IST) — 3h 45m. Bodrum (BJV) — 4h. All well-served year-round.
- Best Time: March–May for wildflowers, empty courses and 20–25°C temperatures. October–November is the tour season — the Turkish Airlines Open brings the world’s best players to Belek each November. December–February is mild (15–18°C) and extremely quiet, with green fee discounts of 40–60%.
- Value: Belek consistently offers the best value five-star golf in Europe. An all-inclusive five-night package including unlimited golf and a five-star resort hotel typically costs 30–40% less than equivalent Algarve packages.
- Turkish Bath: The hamam tradition is integral to Turkish recovery culture — the combination of steam, exfoliation and oil massage after a round is the definitive post-golf wellness experience. Every major Belek resort has an authentic hamam; the historic Çemberlitaş Hamam in Istanbul has operated since 1584.
- Currency: Turkish Lira makes Turkey exceptional value for UK visitors — restaurant meals, transfers and leisure activities are significantly cheaper than equivalent Western European destinations.