Greece conjures up many images but most would mention their olives, feta cheese and Ouzo – the Greeks certainly know how to party and they also know how to relax because most tourist towns and villages tend to shut down for the winter. The Greeks love tradition and they are blessed with a rich and colourful history, their love of the gods, mythology and dreams of Atlantis, which are all very much alive today. Greece is regarded as the birthplace of democracy, literature, philosophy and naturally the Olympic Games. In fact, Greece has a little something for everyone, from relaxing beaches to hyperactive cities but unfortunately, there's precious little in Greece to please the traveling golfer.

Despite a rich sporting heritage, there are only seven 18-hole Greek golf courses (and one 9-holer). Greece is certainly focused on tourism and the Hellenic Golf Federation was founded in 1981 so we're genuinely surprised at the low number of courses in the country. Corfu and Rhodes have one course each, Crete has one 18-hole course and a 9-hole layout and there are four other tracks on the mainland. The Bernhard Langer-designed Dunes course and Robert Trent Jones Jnr’s Bay course at the Costa Navarino resort have raised the Greek golfing bar in recent times and that will certainly appeal to visiting golfers.

Unfortunately, the course at Glyfada often gets overlooked. The original Donald Harradine design opened for play in 1962 but the layout was extensively remodeled by Robert Trent Jones for the 1979 World Cup (won by the 2-man United States team of Hale Irwin and John Mahaffey) when a new irrigation system was installed and the distinctive creek was filled in. Located close to the Saronic Gulf, only ten kilometres south of Athens international airport, the clubhouse at Glyfada is home to both the Hellenic Golf Federation and the PGA of Greece so it’s truly at the epicentre of golf in the country.

Construction work began at the end of 2020 on a new Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Kilada Country Club Golf & Residences, located around 175 kilometres southwest of Athens in Porto Heli. The 18-hole layout is part of a development that will include a hotel and other accommodation options. Dirk Bouts, one of Jack’s senior design associates, is overseeing the project, with completion due in 2022.

Our golf course rankings for Greece were last updated in February 2020. Click the link to read the story.