Type of course? Cypriot downland.
Pleasant staff? Best thing about the whole experience. Lovely Jimmy noticed as we were finishing the front 9 that we were losing the will to live after playing 6 holes on the heels of a very very very slow Austrian fourball (the fact that they were Austrian is irrelevant). He rerouted us so we would be rid of them and golf was fun again.
Best hole? The 12th hole is brilliant. It’s a short par 4, but your drive has to find a very narrow curving fairway over a big chasm. Any hole that has a chasm is a good hole in my books. What a great word.
Après golf? Nice club house. Excellent coffee that came with two cookies! (no beer as I was planning on going for a run afterwards).
Nice round? You can’t really have a bad round when playing in warm sunshine at the end of February, but MY GOD it was slow. And the course was a bit nondescript apart from a couple of outstanding holes. The 13th signature hole (par 3) in particular annoyed me, and not just because I overclubbed and went into the water at the back: I just find island greens really gimmicky and disrespectful of their environment if they’re not built around a natural feature. Beautiful location up in the Troodos mountains, though.
Special memory? Playing the 18th par 5 beautifully, both of us, in our own individual styles. Me driver, 3 wood, sand wedge and 2 average putts for a solid par, Charlotte driver, a much more prudent 4 hybrid, 5 iron and an excellent first putt that was an inch short of a birdie.
Must play again? No.
Cypriot Crackett Cup – Day 3 (Stableford): Won 32-28. Overall score 2-1. A solid advantage before tomorrow’s last round back at Eléa. Fervently praying that the bunkers are still GUR.
12th hole. CHASM!
Pretty hills all around
The lovely 18th par 5
Ye Olde Monastery
Cypress trees and big skies