I RECENTLY travelled to the Regnum Carya Golf Resort in Belek, Turkey to play in the annual Pro Am the resort hosts.
I had heard about this tournament through a French golf pro friend who highly recommended I partake.
The hotel is an all-inclusive resort and I now have a new favourite golf destination. Our trip cost €2,950 in total for our hotel and six rounds of golf including our entry into the pro-am. On top of this cost flights including all our luggage from Dublin to Antalya Airport was €420.
I love all-inclusive trips; you never spend too much except for whatever tips you decide to give and this trip was no different. There were a few restaurants on site that were additional and we sampled the steakhouse which had some of the best steaks you can possibly purchase, cooked to perfection.
Also, on site was several bars including an Irish bar and a sports bar where we watched the Masters. Also on site was an arcades room, cinema room, bowling hall, jewellery store, clothing stores, you name it… One of the coolest features is every villa on the resort has a swimming pool out the rear of their villa.
Our daily routine was to get up around 8am and walk four to five minutes to the hotel buffet. The buffet hall is one of the largest I have seen at any hotel they even had separate rooms for cheese, sausages, breads and all your fruit choices from all around the world. There was a pastry area with hundreds of pastries beside the chef who would cook you anything you wanted with eggs.
After breakfast I would head back to my room and grab my clubs and stroll to the golf course which was only 300 meters from my villa. The range was full with practice balls and there was a long 120-yard chipping and putting green available.
After a bit of practice, we would then head to the first tee to play in our event. The event was a combination of a singles card, team of four with the best two scores and a scramble so it was a fun event.
The course itself was immaculate and fully floodlit if you fancied additional golf by night. It was a course designed to not just hit the fairway but to hit the right side of the fairway because at times you have tall trees that you have to manoeuvre around or try to hit over.
It was a tight course with plenty of water for your approach shots so if you were struggling with tee shots you would be punished.
After the 10th hole there is a halfway hut where the chef would have a selection of wraps, nibbles and drinks. The cart was also fully stocked and both are all included in your all-inclusive package. After your round there is a huge buffet on offer with the best salmon, veal, lamb you have ever eaten as well as a huge spread of sides.
The dining area at the clubhouse is on a high point that overlooks the entire 18th hole which is a stunning hole surrounded with bunkers and a large lake that runs up along the final fairway.
After this meal you have a few spare hours before dinner where I used to hit the gym or go practice my short game on the huge chipping and putting green.
Dinner then was a vast spread of food from Indian, Chinese, pizzeria, steaks, shellfish, several types of fish to pretty much any food you could think of. The waiters would serve you at your table again with as many bottles of wine as you desired. It truly was the best all-inclusive experience I think you could find anywhere in the world.
The service also throughout the whole resort was beyond what you would hope for. From the moment you arrive you are assigned a duty managed who is available at any stage to cater for anything you need.
While we were on site the Turkish president arrived and stayed at the hotel for two nights. Security was heavy for those three days but it did not take away from any aspect of our stay.
On our final night we were invited to a gala dinner at the ocean view restaurant where we were treated to some local dancing with almost a dancer for every table. The food was just incredible; I chose two fillets of steak with some pork chops and salads and the flavours have me salivating thinking about them.
Although our event is only on once or twice a year, I do highly recommend visiting Belek in Turkey for an unforgettable golf trip. Whether it is a lads golf trip, or a family trip this resort caters for everyone’s needs. It is one of the only resorts I have been to that you can cater for everyone. I know for certain I will be back myself here very soon
Look out for the Turkish Open on the DP World Tour in May, this resort is hosting the tournament so you can see for yourself how incredible the course is on Sky Sports.
