Cullinan Belek, the luxury resort in Antalya, Turkey, has combined its two golf courses into a single 18-hole layout as part of a wider revamp of the property, according to a review by Daily Mail Sport.
The resort previously offered 36 holes split across two separate courses, The Aspendos and The Olympos. The new course takes the Olympos name and blends the best sections of both, as new hotels such as Regnum The Crown open in the area this summer.
New 18-hole layout
The front nine is taken from the old Olympos course and runs directly along the beachfront, playing at times like a links course in the sea winds, according to the review. The back nine is the front nine of the former Aspendos course with small alterations.
Daily Mail Sport described the front nine as tricky, with half the holes running alongside water and the ninth hole finishing downhill toward the clubhouse past a large water hazard on the right. The back nine was described as friendlier, with several par fours under 300 yards and straightforward par threes offering birdie chances.
A new halfway house is under construction next to the tenth tee, with the hotel building visible as a backdrop about 200 yards away. The review noted that hiring clubs, arranging a golf cart, and getting food or a drink at the clubhouse were all handled smoothly, including ice-cold water placed in the golf cart's cooler bins to deal with temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius.
Standout holes
The review singled out the 12th and 13th holes as the best stretch of the course, both par fours under 300 yards that play with opposing doglegs around the same body of water. The 18th hole, a par five that finishes in front of the hotel, was also highlighted as scenic and demanding, requiring two strong shots before players face a large stretch of water guarding the green.
Hotel amenities
Away from the course, the resort's Noble Irish Pub is open 24 hours a day, shows sport continuously, and now serves Guinness on tap, according to the review. For children, the Upupa Kids Club includes a mini restaurant with cooking lessons, soft play, a cinema room, and a gaming room with the latest consoles, alongside a chocolate counter and a dedicated desserts restaurant.
The review noted that DJ Black Coffee performed at the resort during the visit, and that children staying at the kids club were found in bunk beds ready to be collected just after midnight. A water park with multiple slides sits directly outside the kids club.
For adults, the C'espace Spa offers a wide range of treatments, including a full body massage. An on-site hairdresser gave two children haircuts for a combined 100 euros. A poolside area features cabanas matching those by the beach, which can be rented for 150 euros a day, including a shaded bed, a fridge, and a dedicated cabana menu served by rollerblading waiters. There is also an indoor pool with saunas and plunge pools.
Dining options
The buffet was described as among the best in quality and variety the reviewer had seen. Among the a la carte options, the steak restaurant's filet mignon was praised, along with the Nori Asian restaurant's sushi, duck, and hot sauce beef, and the Italian restaurant's chicken Florentine and mushroom sauce fillet steak.
Rooms
The reviewer stayed in the Golf Lagoon rooms, a bungalow-style setup split into two rooms with a shared swim-up pool and decking. Guests in this section of the hotel face the back nine of the golf course and have access to a restaurant reserved for Lagoon residents, with free room service except for breakfast.
The rooms feature marble floors, air conditioning, and large beds with a choice of pillow types, and can be cleaned multiple times a day on request. A button in the room summons a cart to take guests anywhere around the hotel grounds.
Overall
The review concluded that Cullinan Belek's golf course has improved significantly by combining the two layouts into one 18-hole course, calling the change well executed. It noted that the resort offers night golf, but only in groups of eight, and that the reviewer was not able to join a group during the visit.