Tenerife – it is a true tropical paradise

Tenerife – it is a true tropical paradise, but with air connections to 128 cities world wide, paradise is not nearly as difficult to reach as you might imagine. At 2,057 square kilometres, the island of Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and it has a population of 780,000 inhabitants.

But what truly makes Tenerife so spectacular is that at an average year round temperature of 23 degrees, with the summer rarely getting above 25 and the winter infrequently going below 20, Tenerife has the ideal climate – an everlasting spring! This weather, and over 3,200 hours of sun a year, make golfing every day of the year a definite possibility and it is one of the reasons that Tenerife has become such a popular golfing destination.

Likewise, the spectacular and incredibly varied scenery, the sandy beaches, the mountains and valleys, the lakes, the rolling hills, the waterfalls, and the magnificent ocean views make Tenerife hard to resist to the five million visitors who go there every year. Indeed, many people who visit Tenerife return; the loyalty rate is almost 60%.

Golfing is one of the primary reasons for visitors to come to the island. Tenerife Golf is an organisation that brings together all the golf courses on the island as well as many hotels with specialised services for golfers. They currently boast 21 four and five star hotels, as well as four apartment complexes, that offer golfing services. According to Tenerife Golf, over 52,000 players visited Tenerife last year, with each golfer buying an average of five green-fees.

Des Duggan, visited several courses in Tenerife and reports

Golf del Sur
This place would be one of the most popular courses to the Irish golfer and have a lot of Irish members. There is a lot of work being carried out on one of the 9s and I look forward to seeing the results because the layout looked fantastic

Golf del Sur has 27 holes, was inaugurated in 1987, and has played host to several major tournaments, including the European PGA Tenerife Open in 1989, 1992, 1993, and 1994. They have also hosted the Shell Wonderful World of Golf competition in 1995, and the European LPGA Tenerife Ladies Open in 2002. Golf del Sur is located in San Miguel de Abona, on the southern edge of the island, and has a clubhouse, a 9-hole links course, and a School of Golf. This special instruction area includes practice tees, greens, chipping greens, and bunkers, IDEAL FOR WINTER PRATICE

Amarilla Golf
Amarilla Golf was inaugurated in 1989, and in 1990 hosted the European PGA Tenerife Open. In addition to its 72 par 18 holes, Amarilla Golf also has a 27 par, 9 hole Pitch & Putt. Additionally they have a driving range, a golf school, tennis courts, a pool, and a clubhouse with restaurant and bar. They are located on the southern coast of Tenerife, overlooking the sea.

Golf Las Américas
Golf Las Américas was one of my favourites yet they were all top quality but it is one of the relatively newer course that I visited and had lunch at overlooking the 18th hole ; it opened in 1998, yet it has already hosted the Seniors Professionals Championship of Spain as well as the Tenerife Ladies Open. Located very near the stunning Playa de las Américas beach, this golf course has 18 holes and is 72 par. Their clubhouse has a shop, restaurant, and television lounge; and they have a golf school and practice area. Las Madrigueras is Golf Las América’s own a five star hotel, right on the premises, that offers first class facilities with direct access to the greens reserved exclusively for its clients.

Golf Costa Adeje
Golf Costa Adeje is a stunning course near the Playa de las Américas beach that has hosted the Canarias Spanish Open in 2003 and the Tenerife Ladies Open in 2003. The course of 27 holes and driving range offer spectacular views of the sea, Gomera Island, and the Adeje Mountains. They also have a golf school with courses available in five different languages. The Cinco Olivos Restaurant is located in the clubhouse and features a delicious fusion of French, Caribbean, and Mediterranean cuisine.

Buenavista Golf
Buenavista Golf is located in the extreme northwest of the island, with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Teno mountain range. The drive to the course is not for the fainthearted but worth it. The course features 18 holes of par 72, two putting greens, a chipping area, a golf school, and a practice area. Additionally, their clubhouse has a bar and restaurant, a pro shop, and rentals. Again some top quality holes.

ABAMA Gran Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa
Abama is located in Guía de Isora, on the western shore of Tenerife. The five star hotel features 375 rooms, 152 villas, seven swimming pools, a shopping plaza, twelve different theme restaurants and bars, tropical gardens with over 100,000 palm trees, a beach club and marina, seven tennis and two paddle tennis courts, and a Tennis Centre run by top-class professionals. Their Spa & Wellness Centre offers luxurious treatments, a Spa Garden, gymnasium, personalised exercise programmes, saunas, massage, and much more. Abama also has a Conference and Convention Centre that offers a wide variety of conference, breakout, VIP, and press rooms all equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and a 1000 person reception area. This hotel complex will open in November 2005.
Abama also has a course that opened in April 2005. And maybe I have saved the best till last or was that just because I played it well or was it just the company I was with. (it surely was that) The course is par 72, and each of the 18 holes has four sets of tees. The practice area has three par 3s , a driving range, bunkers, chipping and putting areas. There is also an Academy of Golf. The golf course is windy, highly technical, and gently rolling as a result of the natural topography. Golfers can enjoy views of the Island of Gomera, Mount Teide, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Los Gigantes cliffs.

Iberostar Grand Hotel Anthelia
This was the hotel which I stayed and it was very pleasant the staff couldn’t do enough for me and I would highly recommend it .
This four star hotel is located directly on the Playa Fañabé beach in Costa Adeje. It has 391 rooms, including almost 70 suites. This resort also features five swimming pools of fresh and salt water, two tennis courts, one paddle tennis court, five restaurants, and eight conference rooms with a capacity of 350 people.

Travel:
Getting to Tenerife is quite easy. They have two international airports on the island. In the south there is the Reina Sofia Airport (TFS), and to the north is Los Rodeos Airport (TFN). Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Reina Sofia, but has a limited flight schedule. From April through October, they fly one flight only on Saturdays; from November through March, Aer Lingus flies one flight on Tuesdays, and one on Saturdays. Another option would be Monarch, but transportation to England would have to be arranged. Monarch flies to Los Rodeos Airport everyday year round from Manchester and Birmingham. They also fly from London Luton, with a more limited schedule. From November to March, there is a flight everyday, and from April to July, there is one flight on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as two flights on Friday. RyanAir does not fly to Tenerife. There is also a Ribera wharf at the Port of Santa Cruz, which makes international travel by boat or ferry possible.

• Aeropuerto Reina Sofia (TFS) 922 759000
• Aeropuerto Los Rodeos (TFN) 922 635635
• Aer Lingus – http://www.aerlingus.com or 886 8844 for help, or 0818 365000 for reservations
• Monarch – http://www.flymonarch.com or +44 (0) 8700 40 50 40