GOLF ESCAPES

Short Haul: Canary Islands
Abama, Tenerife.
OPEN 365...
THE CANARY ISLANDS
IS A PARADISE FOR GOLF
Visit www.hellocanaryislands.com
to take a step closer to discovering
its magnificent courses with
unique features.
Golf del Sur, Tenerife.
Salobre North, Gran Canaria.
prestigious professional tournaments.
Perhaps more importantly to us travelling
golfers is the fact they are all in unique
settings with views ranging from
spectacular sand dunes and majestic
volcanoes to green mountains and deep
ravines. Many overlook the Atlantic.
This variety of settings gives the Canaries
an advantage over many other destinations
and means golfers are keen to return for
more, but just in a different environment.
Britain is one of the countries that sends
the most tourists to the Canaries, as we are
lured to these beautiful islands by their
climate and the beauty. With an average
stay of 9.2 days, British tourists come to the
Canaries to rest and relax, staying in good
hotels and enjoying the restaurants.
We leave happy too, with ‘High Tourist
Loyalty’ – one in five of us who visit has
already been more than 10 times to the
Canaries, with couples, families and groups
of friends especially regular return visitors.
It’s hardly surprising that golf awards
have been forthcoming, with the highlight
being Gran Canaria being named IAGTO’s
2013 ‘Best European Destination’. The golf
travel industry will converge on Tenerife in
2015 when the island hosts the annual
IGTM meeting, including IAGTO Awards.
Tenerife
Tenerife has a European Top 100 course in
the shape of Abama, which is as close to a
European Augusta as we are likely to find
on this side of the Atlantic. Beautifully
manicured and populated by colourful
shrubs and bushes, the views of the Atlantic
and La Gomera from its Dave Thomasrouted
elevated fairways are outstanding.
Abama Golf & Spa Resort is a
150-hectare estate located in Guía de Isora
that has 22 lakes connected by impressive
waterfalls, bunkers of white sand and
25,000 palm trees.
Las Americas is a beautifullyconditioned
course that was designed by
former Ryder Cup captain John Jacobs and
is part of a complex in the heart of Playa de
Las Américas that includes the five-star Las
Madrigueras hotel. The two loops of nine
are surrounded by lush gardens and exotic
wildlife, and while there are some villas in
view, they are not overly intrusive. The lakes
and rivers which meander through the
course are though!
Founded in 1932, Real Club de Golf de
Tenerife is the second oldest golf club in
Spain and still has a typically British air
of distinction about it. Situated at 600m
above sea level it boasts 18 holes on
undulating fairways that ascend with a
spectacular view of Teide. The dry stream
beds play a part in several holes.
Buenavista is in the north-west corner of
the island but is still only a short drive up
the coast from the central hub of Las
Americas. Opened in 2003 and designed
on clifftops by Seve, Buenavista allows you
to drink in views across the Atlantic. It is
routed close to the cliffs so players
experience the incredible sensation of
driving towards the ocean in a manner not
unlike iconic Pebble Beach – especially on
the 10th and 13th greens.
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