CYPRUS

Few courses can match the dramatic setting of Aphrodite Hills in southwest Cyprus, which sits atop two plateaux overlooking the site where Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is said to have emerged from the sea. The visually striking course – which offers fantastic sea views on the 8th and 15th holes – opened in 2002 and features a mix of pot bunkers, manicured fairways of lush Bermuda grass and generous tiered greens. A dramatic ravine also gouges its way through the course and comes into play in spectacular fashion from the back tees of the par-five 3rd and on the stunning par-three 7th, which requires a brave tee shot across the bowels of the canyon.

While the Aphrodite Hills complex also features a luxurious, five-star hotel, the opportunity to stay at the Anassa resort –

on the edge of west Cyprus’ rugged Akamas Peninsula – simply cannot be missed. Designed in keeping with a traditional Cypriot village, it features low-rise rooms, suites and residences.

The hotel is famous for its beautiful secluded beach, crystal waters, vast gardens of olive groves and bougainvillea, chic design and gracious service. Epitomising Mediterranean living, the hotel exudes traditional charm – from the Village Square with its own Byzantine chapel to the signature suites and residences named after Greek Gods and Goddesses.

Aphrodite HillsTel: +357 26 828 200aphroditehills.comAnassaTel: +357 26 888 000anassa.com

NEW YORK

While everyone knows about the world-famous landmarks, department stores and Broadway shows in the Big Apple, you may be surprised to learn that New York State also offers more championship golf courses than any other urban area in the world.

Among the venerable layouts within an hour or two of the US’s most populous city are Winged Foot, Bethpage Black, Shinnecock Hills and National Golf Links of America, meaning New York golfers really are spoilt for choice.

But if you’re looking for the most exclusive golf experience while in Manhattan, then you actually need to hop across New York Harbor to New Jersey to play Liberty National. This ultra-private waterfront course boasts stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and the Big Apple skyline, as well as

Perfect pitchesMichael Stoneman picks out some of the finest golf courses to play in Bangalore, Canberra, Cyprus and New York – plus where to stay while you’re there

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a helipad and a custom-built yacht to ensure that members arrive in style. If you’re able to tee it up here – alongside notable members such as Rudy Giuliani, Robert Kraft, Eli Manning and Mark Wahlberg – then you’ll be able to enjoy a unique golfing experience that combines parkland and links-style holes atop a man-made plateau above New York Harbor.

For a similarly unique accommodation offering, check out The Greenwich Hotel – a beautiful boutique property in the trendy the TriBeCa neighbourhood of downtown Manhattan that is co-owned by Robert de Niro.

The eclectic 88 rooms feature designs from Tibet to Morocco, while there is also a luxurious library, leafy courtyard, Japanese-inspired spa and a serene underground swimming pool. ➤

Liberty National GCTel: +1 201 333 4105libertynationalgc.comThe Greenwich HotelTel: +1 212 941 8900thegreenwichhotel.com

Below: The lush Aphrodite Hills course in southwest Cyprus is divided by a dramatic ravine

82 Upward Curve April-June 2017

CANBERRA

Though it is often the butt of snobby Sydneysider and modish Melburnian jokes, Canberra is fast becoming Australia’s new capital of cool. As well as a host of highly-rated restaurants – such as Akiba, Aubergine and Eightysix – and a flurry of fashionable hotels, the city has plenty to offer the discerning golfer.

The Federal Golf Club is undoubtedly one of its premier golf venues, presenting one of Australia’s finest inland golfing experiences. The 18-hole championship course features pristine Santa Ana couch fairways and quality Bentgrass greens, which are protected by well-placed bunkers.

The track is set in beautiful bushland surrounds, with grand views of the Brindabella Ranges and the ultra-hip Hotel Hotel, which sits within the pineapple-shaped Nishi building at NewActon in central Canberra. After being wowed by the grand staircase – a geometric explosion of salvaged

local and interstate timbers – guests can enjoy one of 68 rooms that are dressed with salvaged and restored 20th century Australian furniture, original artworks, collected objects, and artisan made furnishings.

Federal Golf ClubTel: +61 2 6281 1888federalgolf.com.auHotel HotelTel: +61 2 6287 6287hotel-hotel.com.au

BANGALORE

The capital of India’s southern Karnataka state is also the centre of India’s tech industry. But Bangalore enjoys an esteemed position in the golfing history books, boasting one of the oldest courses outside the UK.

Established on the evening of 24 June 1876, Bangalore Golf Club has hosted luminaries such as Winston Churchill – who apparently still owes a debt of 13 rupees to the club – while the annual tournaments between

BGC and the Madras Gymkhana Club (established in 1878) are the oldest annual inter-club matches in the world.

The city’s finest course, however, can be found at Karnataka, which sits on a luscious 124- acre site in Challaghatta, close to Bangalore’s city centre. First opened in 1986 – and extensively upgraded in 2008 – the 7,227-yard championship layout presents a series of memorable holes, including the signature par-three 8th, which bears a treacherous tee shot to a green guarded to the front and left by a large lake.

Slightly more accommodating are the luxurious rooms at The Leela Palace Bengaluru, which are designed to evoke the rich architectural heritage of the

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Vijaynagar Dynasty, with guests enjoying regal surroundings such as gold leaf domes, ornate ceilings and grand arches. ■

Karnataka Golf AssociationTel: +91 80 4009 0000kga.inThe Leela Palace BengaluruTel: +91 80 2521 1234theleela.com

Above: Well-placed bunkers protect the greens at Canberra’s Federal Golf Club Top: The porch at the regal Leela Palace Bengaluru in Bangalore, India

GREENER GREENSThe construction of Liberty National GC required one of the largest private environmental clean-ups in New Jersey’s history, with the course sitting on former industrial wasteland full of toxic waste and contaminated soil. Once home to some of the state’s most environmentally-damaging refineries and industrial plants, today there is hardly any trace of the site’s former life. In its place now is a world-class golf course built on environmentally sustainable principles.