Belek the heart of Turkish golf explosion

Faldo's Cornelia course

TURKEY is set to be the next big golf destination. And the Belek region is at the heart of its development with courses being created at several venues and quality hotels popping up to support them.

South-west Turkey has long been a vibrant holiday spot with its miles of golden beaches and natural beauty, but it's golf that has brought an explosion of activity with over a dozen in operation and another handful planned - among them, one at the Papillon Zeugma Hotel designed by Colin Montgomerie, who paid a visit to the region earlier this year.

Many of the five-star quality hotels - some all-inclusive with excellent food and facilities - are unashamedly aimed at golfers and their families and served by airlines flying from regional UK airports direct to Antalya, which is about 30 minutes drive from the Belek golfing mecca.

With 300 days of sunshine a year, it's perfect for a winter golf break, if you can get direct flights between November and March. Alternatively you can fly internally via Instanbul a flight time from the UK of around three hours.

View of the Kempinski Hotel from the Antalya course

Most courses in the area are served by a shuttle bus service from the top hotels, which also include the Sirene, Kempinski, The Dome and Cornelia - the latter featuring a spectacular - and difficult - Nick Faldo design. However, the PGA Sultan, the Pasha, the National, and Gloria courses will test players of all abilities and are maintained to high standards.

The pick of Cornelia Resort course are some wonderful par-3s, especially the sixth, while the 11th is one of the best double dog-leg par-5s you will ever face. As for the closing three holes- there's water everywhere!

Luxurious Antalya clubhouse

The PGA Sultan course provides easy walking but it's tree-lined, but there are plenty of undulations to catch the careless drive while the greens are true but tricky to read. The 8th is a great short hole and 9th a frightening par-4 with water cutting into the green. The 16th will make a grown man drool and 18th an appropriately testing finish.

Shorter but with tricky dog-legs, The Pasha has generous fairways, cleverly-placed bunkers and undulating greens and like its sister course has lakes and a backdrop of towering umbrella pines and the snow capped Taurus Mountains.

Putting green at Gloria GC

Designed by Frenchman Michael Gayon, Gloria Golf Club is undulating and tree-lined with four huge lakes and more than 60 bunkers. It has also hosted European Tour events and features narrow, Bermuda grass fairways and with the signature hole, the par-4 13th, christened 'Bottle Neck' but not for holding up play!

Turkey may not be the favourite fayre of UK households currently but its namesake in eastern Europe is fast gaining a reputation as the preferred destination among golfers.