The splendid Nick Faldo design at Cornelia Golf Club, this 27 hole complex is what you would expect from Sir Nick, as he now likes to be known. Faldo as always been meticulous and this shows at Cornelia. The course was funded by the Hotels Cornelia Diamond & Deluxe, which enjoy the benefits of reduced fees at the Club.

Needless to say, it bears the hallmark of the class and attention to detail that characterized the Englishman’s play when he was in his pomp. This challenging golfing terrain consists of three nine-hole loops, named, charmingly, Tiberius, Sempronia and Galus, the three nines in turn blend to create three different 18-hole combinations, named, equally charmingly, Prince, Queen and King.

Cornelia Golf Club is built on either side of a spine-like ridge of sand dunes, threads its way through a colony of umbrella pines, typically for a Faldo design, it has several doglegs that place more of an emphasis on strategic acumen than brute force.

Visitors should be particularly wary of the 2nd hole on Tiberius, a fantastic par-five that double-doglegs its way through a tight, pine-lined avenue, and the fiendish 8th hole on Sempronia, which presents a tee shot with water all the way down the left side and only a small landing area on the right half of the fairway.

The 7th and 8th holes on Tiberius are excellent short dogleg par-fours, the former offering a tantalizing glimpse of the green for those who like to take risks with the driver, the latter the distinct possibility of a watery grave down the left side.

Nick Faldo Golf Course, 5.3 out of 10 based on 4 ratings