For a rustic not brief on sand, it’s considerably shocking that Egypt has to date failed to supply an expert golfer of world renown. However then once more, with simply 25 programs to go round a inhabitants of simply over 100 million, and with a sure Mo Salah doing his factor, it’s protected to say that golf isn’t excessive up the listing of actions that younger Egyptians wish to pursue after the college bell rings.
After all, as with most vacation locations, golf isn’t supplied in Egypt solely for the locals, nevertheless a lot the nationwide golf federation little question insists that they’re. They’re there to draw vacationers. Lodge? Tick. Spa? Tick. Swimming swimming pools and seaside membership? Tick. Eating places & Bars? Tick. Children membership? Tick. Golf course? Tick. These are the issues that draw tens of millions of individuals to depart the consolation of their houses seeking one thing totally different for 2 or three weeks of the yr. That, and a few respectable climate.
Thankfully, El Gouna, a man-made, purpose-built temple to hedonism situated on the western aspect of the Pink Sea – some 5 hours drive south of Cairo, if that’s your solely geographical touchpoint in Egypt – ticks all of these containers and a few. The dream-turned-reality of Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris, chairman and CEO or worldwide property and resort and growth firm Orascom Holdings, El Gouna is described on Wikipedia as a ‘self-sufficient, totally built-in resort city’. Constructed on 36 interconnected islands surrounded by lagoons alongside a 5km stretch of shoreline, El Gouna is situated 20 miles north of Hurghada Worldwide Airport, the primary hub for southern Egypt’s vacation hotspots.
The primary motels and homes went up in 1990, and a few 33 years later the variety of resort stands at 18, and the variety of residential properties at round 10,000. Interspersed between the motels and the homes – and the lodging for the 12,000-plus staff that work within the city – are three marinas stacked with superyachts, miles of sandy seashores, seven kiteboarding centres, dozens of retailers, 80-plus eating places and bars, a college, a hospital, church buildings and mosques, a vineyard and, fortunately, a few very respectable golf programs.
Like Sharm El Sheikh, which is situated on the northern shore of the Pink Sea, El Gouna is designed to supply a protected area for well-healed guests to chill out and unwind – the journey business calls it ‘Fly & Flop’ – between journeys to the historic websites for which Egypt is legendary. Therefore, you’d be laborious pressed to discover a visitor at El Gouna that hasn’t snuck in a day-return journey to Cairo to take a look at the Pyramids and the Sphinx or hopped on a tour bus for a guided tour across the Valley of the Kings or the temple at Luxor. My household did, and it was one thing none of us will ever overlook.
Our ‘flop’ for the week was the Steigenberger Golf Hotel & Resort, a five-star venue that, along with 268 just lately renovated visitor rooms and suites, six bars and eating places, three swimming swimming pools, a spa and a personal lagoon-side seaside, additionally boasts its very personal 18-hole championship golf course at El Gouna Golf Club. Because it turned out, it was additionally our ‘very personal’ golf course, in that in our two-round expertise, my youngest son and I didn’t see every other golfers throughout the first 18 holes, and solely two throughout our second – however that may have been one thing to do with the truth that solely mad canines and English golf journalists and their offspring play golf in Egypt in early July, the place the temperature is a gradual 35°c (though it’s rather more comfy mid-20s throughout the peak customer months between November and March).
Thankfully, El Gouna enjoys an virtually persistent on-shore breeze, which not solely helps wick away perspiration, but additionally explains why the outsized baggage assortment space at Hurghada airport was primarily populated by fit-looking younger individuals selecting up baggage crammed with unfeasibly giant quantities of heavy package, which I quickly found had been kiteboards. Sure, 35°c is a bit of on the nice and cozy aspect for us lily-livered Brits, however with issue 50 sunblock utilized, the aforementioned breeze on our backs, and the welcome shade supplied by a golf buggy, situations had been manageable supplied you didn’t dally too lengthy over your bunkers pictures or agonise over the learn of a curling 25-footer for a double bogey.
Whereas we definitely weren’t for dallying, neither had been we up for speeding round, because the El Gouna course calls for your full consideration, particularly whenever you miss a fairway and find yourself within the semi-rough, which is able to swallowing a ball entire. Designed by Gene Bates and Fred {Couples} – sure, the exact same no-socks carrying, smooth-swinging, 1992 Masters-winning Floridian – El Gouna GC first opened in 1999 and has been offering travelling golfers with a really respectable customary of vacation golf ever since.
Earlier than we get into the golf, the journey from our resort to the course was an journey in itself. With the bridge that leads on to the clubhouse present process restore throughout our keep, the one various mode of transport was by boat. Arriving at a golf membership by sea, or on this case, lagoon, felt very James Bond, and though we didn’t should battle with any evil villains en path to the primary tee, it did get our early morning spherical to a suitably memorable begin. Sadly, the usual of our golf wasn’t fairly so memorable, however there was lots to get pleasure from in regards to the high quality of the course, which circles its manner across the lagoon. With water coming into play on the left aspect of holes 5, 7, 8 and 9, that is definitely not a course for right-handers affected by a dose of the hooks, whereas the ultimate two holes shall be equally troubling for slicers, with the lagoon very a lot in play on the precise aspect.
With the course a testing 6,858 yards off the competitors tees, we had been grateful of the 6,358 yellows, and much more so for the blues, which took the course right down to a gettable 5,816. There are additionally two units of extra ahead tees at 5,300 and 4,750 yards, making certain there are tees to swimsuit all ranges of golfer. Taking part in alongside a novice golfer, and me being a decidedly common golfer, we discovered the blues very a lot to our liking, making it difficult however with out busting a intestine, particularly on the holes that performed into the wind, which required appreciable clubbing up.
Along with its customary apply amenities, El Gouna additionally boasts one of many world’s few aqua driving ranges, the place you tee off from dry land and goal at a collection of greens which are situated at numerous distances throughout the lagoon. Fortunately, the balls float and are recurrently scooped up. The clubhouse, it needs to be famous, is at the moment present process a whole rebuild, and shall be open in all its glory, full with restaurant and gymnasium, early subsequent yr.
Warming to our process, our subsequent recreation was on the spectacular sounding Ancient Sands Golf Club, a pleasant full-length 9-hole course that opened in 2017 and winds its manner across the resort of the identical identify. Occupying the very best level of the city, the course was designed by American architect Karl Litten – who has a popularity for having the ability to work with troublesome terrain – and enjoys excellent views to the distant mountain vary and the Pink Sea and in addition enjoys a pleasing breeze. With holes operating alongside and intersected by the inland waterways, it’s a desert-style course that requires cautious shot administration to keep away from reloading, however it’s fantastically introduced, with beneficiant, pristine fairways, beautifully saved bunkers (which didn’t appear very historical), and enormous, well-watered greens that ran {smooth} and true. Design and presentation-wise, I believe it simply edged El Gouna, gap for gap, and the opening of a second 9 subsequent yr will solely improve the providing at this glorious venue, which can be hooked up to a five-star Moorish-style resort.
Golfers ready to journey additional afield can drive an hour or so south to the Madinat Makadi Golf Resort, whereas Soma Bay, one other resort owned and created by Mr Sawiris, is an extra half-an-hour on from there and has an 18-hole championship designed by Gary Participant on provide. However with a lot else to do in El Gouna, we saved that have for an additional time.
And what of the opposite experiences? Effectively, as beforehand talked about, El Gouna boasts 18 motels and, though you’re clearly solely staying at one, company welcome to benefit from the opposite motels’ amenities. Thus, for those who fancy a luxurious spa expertise – or some severely good sushi – you possibly can head to The Chedi, whereas if you wish to attempt your hand at kitesurfing you would possibly need to mosey over to the Membership Pardiso. No matter the place you might be staying, you possibly can signal as much as El Gouna’s ‘dine around’ programme, which allows you to eat at a wide range of motels and eating places across the city for discounted costs. It definitely gives a welcome break from your personal resort’s eating choices for these staying on a mattress & breakfast deal solely, which is the norm for company in El Gouna now, after initially primarily providing all-inclusive packages.
That’s to not say the Steigenberger was wanting eating choices, with the primary restaurant and poolside bar providing a superb selection of freshly cooked dishes, whereas Harumaki, a model new Japanese restaurant, affords diners a ringside seat to look at expert cooks getting ready a wide range of tasty teppanyaki and sushi dishes with a blinding show of knife abilities.
The Steigenberger resort itself is designed in what’s described as a ‘modern Nubian’ type, with the the primary buildings that includes arched home windows and enormous domes which are a function of homes within the Nubian area, an space which hyperlinks southern Egypt to northern Sudan. Visitor rooms, which are available in numerous sizes and styles – all of that are spacious and tastefully furnished – provide terraces with views over the lagoon and are all a brief stroll away from the resort amenities, and only a few yards from a personal seaside, the place rows of low-slung barusti huts provide welcome shade between darts into the cooling salty waters of the Pink Sea. The workers are tremendous pleasant and intensely skilled, and lots of had been eager to know my ideas on Liverpool’s probabilities of profitable the Premier League this season.
Whereas some guests to El Gouna hire vehicles to make the 40-minute journey from Hurghada airport, many selected to benefit from airport transfers after which journey across the city in one of many many three-wheeled TukTuks that whizz across the byways and highways at breakneck velocity and might flagged down for simply £1-£2 to take you wherever on the town, though that may primarily be to the central marina, the place nearly all of the bars and eating places are to be discovered.
At night time, the marina – which is filled with rows of huge and really expensive-looking superyachts – has a celebration vibe, with stay music sounding out from numerous golf equipment and bars, whereas the water’s edge is lined with diners and other people out having fun with themselves. At instances it felt like an grownup model of Disneyworld, the place the one individuals are vacationers, however with out the fairground rides, popcorn and Mickey Mouse.
In between our rounds of golf, countless all-you-eat breakfast buffets and luxurious dinners, we packed in a visit on glass-bottomed boat to the take a look at the superb coral reef that lies 20 minutes off the coast of El Gouna that pulls divers from everywhere in the world. We additionally loved a 45-minute boat tour across the lagoon, which is price doing simply to get an understanding of the dimensions of the place, in addition to to have a nostril at a number of the spectacular waterside mansions that line the waterways. Eager to tick off a giant field, we additionally received up at 4.30am one morning to take the 45-minute flight from Hurghada as much as Cairo to discover the Pyramids and go to the Museum of Egypt. It was a really lengthy and scorching day, however an area information with an air-conditioned automotive made it a completely really helpful journey if you’re ready to tug your self away from the solar lounger for just a few hours.
On our remaining night time, we joined a bunch of Italian kite surfers on a desert mountain safari that noticed us board a trio of battered-looking 4x4s and drive deep into the mountains which are some 45 minutes inland of El Gouna. Masking some difficult terrain by means of Wadi Bileh and stopping alongside the best way to discover some spectacular geological websites, and do a fortunately restricted quantity of climbing, we ultimately reached a plateau and arrange a makeshift camp. Right here, beneath cloudless skies, we loved a barbecue as we watched the solar go down throughout the countless sands. The silence was golden and after the solar dipped beneath the horizon the sky was so darkish that we noticed stars that we’d by no means been in a position to see at dwelling. It was a magical second, and is simply one of many many the reason why a visit to El Gouna will stay longer within the reminiscence than most beachside summer season breaks.
EL GOUNA FACTFILE
