The Dunes Course at Costa Navarino

Eschewing hyperbole, what Costa Navarino provided to the national golfing community was the substance it had been lacking since the late 1970s. The Dunes was the foremost of the four courses that are currently available. It opened in 2010 in Messinia, southwest Peloponnese, on a seemingly resort-friendly, yet quite challenging signature design by Bernhard Langer.

Hole # 2 has sea views to induce bottlenecks in the tee times, while # 6 can transform a scenic easy par to a carnage depending on the pin location on the undulating green. A full spectrum of short par 3, long par 4 and left par 5 dogleg holes require concentration despite the luring surroundings.

Turf maintenance by Troon has retained the course in pristine conditions year after year. The walking proximity to Westin and Romanos Hotels means a swimming pool soakage, a hearty after round meal or a combination of both are a blink of an eye away.