Tunisia - Part One

Tunisia Five Years on - is it a golf destination?

Introduction

Five years ago I visited Tunisia and wrote about how I was struck by the determination and fight of the golf courses and tourist board to overcome any negativity of the country and what it can offer.  Money was clearly tight in places back then and the lack of tourism was evident when you looked beyond the facade.  Now five years later, and I’m back - but has Tunisia and golf in Tunisia flourished or sunk further behind better established golf destinations without Tourism boosting the economy due to the added negative impact of the covid years?

As a week long trip produces lots of content - this piece is split over two smaller articles - so I don’t bore you to death but also to help you with the geography and what is achievable when visiting Tunisia.  Just a three hour flight with Air Tunisia from Heathrow makes Tunisia easily accessible from the UK.

Part 1 -  Hammamet and Sousse

Staying in the Magic Hotel Manar in Hammamet was a big improvement on the hotel when last in Hammamet!   A welcome fruit plate in the rooms followed by a late dinner was served by way of a buffet.  The food and service certainly had improved if this was anything to go by, the diet was surely going to be tested!   A comfortable, large suite with good bathroom facilities, Hotel Manar is a great place for the couple of nights we stayed.  Directly outside the room and shared with the neighbouring room was a small pool for added holiday luxury and privacy.   Hotel Magic Manar is a large family friendly hotel with multiple large buildings centred around a communal pool and entertainment area close to the beach.  Being on an all-inclusive basis meant pre-dinner drinks and a place to meet was a relaxing start to the evenings.  The large lobby area with clean lines and traditional style artistic mosaics adorning some walls for added authenticity.  

Being a golf and wellness trip I visited the 5* La Badira, a Leading Hotels venue, for some spa treatments whilst most of the group went to play golf.  To be honest, I was torn between golf and spa all week, but think I managed to balance it out to benefit both.  La Badira draws you in as soon as you walked through the first automatic door into a dark corridor with ‘floating’ white model fish at varying heights against the black background.  Underwater scenes set the mood of relaxation before popping out the other end through the second set of automatic doors to a stunning view from the reception area and beyond to the ocean.  Modern artwork, water features and lavish, but not over the top, decor greets you.  In to the spa, and being given the one size fits all paper thong, (not flip flops for my Australian readers!) a wonderful massage ensued after a body scrub with salt.  The most stressful thing about the whole experience was trying to figure out which way round the disposable thongs went on!  

Hair on end, flushed in the face but feeling relaxed, a spot of lunch in the Citrus clubhouse before playing 9 holes in the late afternoon sunshine.  Just a quick nine playing Les Oliviers front nine then quickly scooting around the back nine stopping to play the odd hole as time allowed.  I did play both courses at Citrus last time, but it was great to see that the few holes I played this time hadn’t suffered the cruel covid fate of no investment, although it could benefit from better irrigation in places.  With a gentle come and get me opening hole you could the hear the rumble of traffic.  The olive trees dominate the course adding some depth and worth.  As it meanders around the course flourishes in its maturity.  The irregular shaped bunkers were good to play from and the easy rolling putts meant the design had allowed it to evolve with time.  Hole four is a good example of the bunkering which was very much in play from the back tees, but sadly not so much from the forward tees, but I guess being a par 3, SI 17 (131/69 meters), its meant to be reasonably easy!  Quite a pretty course with huge aloe vera plants growing freely in the bunkers for extra texture and of course, difficulty! 

A fairly flat front nine draws you in, with the back nine coming into its own as a moreundulation, arguably interesting nine.  I could kick myself I didn’t remember this with only having time to play 9 holes!!  The 10th hole, a par 4 with elevated tiered tee boxes dropped down 358/322 yards to an inviting green.  As the sun sets, the hazy images take on a romantic image of golf.  Even the sporadic watering of the greens became part of the dying days twilight ritual as we plotted our way around to the 19th - a welcome end to a hard days golf and spa.

The next day took us to, it has to be said, a course that has not flourished in the covid years - well maybe it had flourished so much it had actually gone to seed.  Yasmin Golf Club certainly showed signs of lack of love, attention and most likely money- shame really as it could have been good with a little TLC. As a holiday golfer, Yasmin might be perfectly fine, certainly its layout was good, nothing at all wrong with the holes and their design, but sadly the condition did let it down.  As one stood on the first tee, all looked well, but as you got into the belly of the course, the grass wasn’t grass- more a mat of weeds. In some cases the weeds had turned into flowering weeds - and whilst quite attractive off the tee, it was a nightmare to find the ball - white or yellow - on the fairway.  Happily not all of the holes were like that - some had been mowed some had not - the bunkers contained little sand, some had weeds taking over the bunkers, affecting their definition.  It was all very sad to see as I did remember it better five years ago.  So looking at the positives - the greens had been mowed and ran very quickly, the edge of some of the fairways had allowed flowers to establish which outlined the

fairways but were a bit of a nightmare if you went off piste.  It was also lovely to see a tortoise wandering along the back of the green.  If their desire was to re-wild and benefit the flora and fauna - they did it well.  We were given a caddy on this course as they only had a couple of buggies, and whilst a good caddy, I don’t believe a caddy should tell you how to play your game, more give you directions for lines where necessary or when asked.  That said, he turned out to be such a nice chatty man who did indeed have lots of knowledge of the course and how it played.  In all I have mixed feelings about this course, as it really could be something much better but it did give me the opportunity to develop a new category of golf course - we have parkland, heathland and links - this one was in the newly developed category of meadowland.

Being whisked off immediately after golf to the Hasdrubal Spa Hotel I was treated like royalty in this highly regarded beautiful spa hotel.  Two treatments ensued with with me being plonked into a salt flotation tank - again wearing the obligatory paper thongs - which by now I’d got the measure of as to which way round they went on!!  A warm feeling overtakes the body as you gently get pummelled and rocked back and forth in this massage water bath.  In another treatment room I’m wrapped up after being smothered with a body detoxifying ‘mud’ - lying there thinking I could get used to this, I must have dozed off as the next thing the water is being drained from underneath the ‘mattress’ and I’m unwrapped - all sticky like a toffee which had been left out in the sun.  The cleansing shower at the end meant I was ready once again feeling great but heaven knows what I looked like!

On this elastic schedule week long trip the next day I’m back on the course.  El Kantaoui in  Sousse .  There are two 18 hole course here, the Sea Course and the Panorama Course.   Starting on the Sea course, I found it amazing how quickly my memory returned from playing here previously.  The take you away first hole, a par 5, SI10 450/372 meter hole begs the question why a par 5?  I have the theory that it was just being kind to get you going with ease.  I really liked the way the course appeared to have embraced the natural landscape and palm trees, which looked good splitting the fairways plus the odd white buildings of yesteryear made for a pleasant Tunisian scenes.  Residential buildings edge the course in places, without themselves being intrusive, the road noise on the opening holes provided a buzz, until a lorry came along that is!  But once you’d played a live game of ‘frogger’ to cross the road after the 4th, the road noise soon faded.   Good greens, narrow entrances to some of the greens and some deep sided bunkers.  El Kantaoui, Sea course  was shaping up to be a good thought provoking course to play.  Water in play, eucalyptus and olive trees make you realise you’re in a nice warm country enjoying some golf.

The Sea course takes on a different  appearance once you’ve taken the tunnel under the road to the 12th hole - this is the start of the sea views with 12 leading you towards the Mediterranean ocean.  Whilst your eye is drawn to the blue sea, the course slips gently away for the next few holes.  Before you realise it, you’re heading back down the 15th with the ocean behind you.  These few holes did show signs of heavy play or maybe in need of some water.  I thought hole 14 was a hole of stand out hole.  A par 4, 370/304 meters the tee box sits with the sea to the left.  A slight dog leg left, the drive is important to place centre right.  Too far left and the inside of the angle is fraught with danger by way of palm trees and a bunker to the raised green which in itself takes a slight turn left closer to the sea.  

Despite these few holes being ocean side, it was a shame the high fencing was a little tatty and giving you the feeling of being locked up.

As mentioned, I did love the huge palm trees taking centre stage on the fairways, but I also noticed that playing the forward tees actually put these palms in play, so think about the best tees for you and your game so you can just enjoy the experience.

Quick lunch and onto the Panorama Course.  Of a similar condition the the Sea course with big structural olive trees and the same great tee box boards showing the hole ahead in clear detail.  Although more built up with residences the course is worth taking some time to play - time wasn’t something we had, so a quick round was needed once again!

I recall the 7th a 371/312 meter dog leg right to a narrowish olive tree lined fairway, bunker right to a nicely elevated green.  Despite the warm weather turning the grass brown, both courses played well although there were a few bare lies.  That said the greens weren’t too bad and did play well.    Also worth a mention is hole 17, par 4 312/269 meters SI13) with its panoramic elevated tee.  The fairway makes it way around the water in the shape of an orange segment with water on the inside of the crescent.  Visually it was a pretty hole to play.  A small stream runs across the front of the green, so a decent tee shot and a careful approach shot is best for an easy two putt par.    The 18th - SI1 par 5 hole  (576/474 meters) is fairly wide off the tee box, but narrows as the water shrinks the approach into a narrow entrance to the green.  The Panoramic course is slightly shorter than the Sea Course by approx 300 meters, depending on which tee box you play from.   This could mean you’d leave your driver in the bag for a few holes.

Coming up next - Gammarth, Tabarka and Tunis via Sidi Bou Said