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The project is of particular significance for Paphos, an ancient harbour town of countless attractions.
The two existing courses, Secret Valley and Tsada, are more easily accessible from here, as many British golfers have discovered.
The opening of the Aphrodite Hills club will make the town the hub of golf in Cyprus, although the new highway puts bustling Limasol only 45 minutes from Aphrodite Hills and neighbouring Secret Valley (pictured).
Of the two existing courses Tsada is the senior. It was designed by Donald Steel and opened in 1994. Not one of Donald's simpler projects, it was a difficult site, elevated and heavily undulating with clay based sub-soil. The end result is a minor miracle of inventive design and routing.
It's a scenic course in a spectacular setting, on a plateau at an altitude of 1,500 feet with substantial changes in elevation.
The site, once the estate of a 12th century monastery, has a moorland look about it in parts with shots up-hill and down dale. So it's one of some challenge, a muscular test from the back tees. But the fairways are wide, the bunkering sparse and never penal, the greens generous, subtle in break and roll.
The English greenkeeper does a splendid job. The greens were superb in July and although the course has irrigation I'm told it is at its best in the spring.
Carts are available and necessary. This is not an easy walking course. It is tighter, more demanding than Secret Valley and would probably be too onerous for the long handicapper except from the forward tees.
But that shouldn't deter the average player who could happily play 18 holes either side of lunch in the rustic clubhouse. A bonus: it won't be crowded and a weekly ticket allows five rounds on either Tsada or Secret Valley, which have common ownership. All the major hotels in Paphos will book tee times by arrangement, or there's a central reservations number for those who haven't booked through an agent.
Secret Valley is well named. It's a mile off the highway in a glorious setting, a narrow strip of land that runs between hills of pink granite. The valley lies at right angles to the coast so there's always a cooling breeze. We played late afternoon in July and it was a delight, even though the temperature in Paphos was close to 100F.
It's a disarmingly old-fashioned course with the occasional blind shot, some cross bunkers and greens flat to the fairway, a simple but effective design that, five years after completion, is improving with time and further investment.
Wooded in parts, with the odd fairway dominated by major trees, it has two or three holes you'll recall fondly and the condition was outstanding for such a young course subjected to high temperatures.
Several holes play into the brisk sea breeze, stretching what appears to be a modest card and bringing indecision in club selection on the downwind holes. But the rough is minimal and the greens munificent. There's ample margin for error for lesser players while the tigers would have a ball from the back tees.
Secret Valley was a lovely discovery, a perfect holiday course offering good value and with a clubhouse of some character. Take lunch and a bottle of chilled wine on the verandah overlooking the course and one of its lakes and you might even forego that second round!
But you could always return. As they say of Cyprus: " No one goes there just once..."
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