Gloria Verde Resort

Golf can be played on the Gloria Old Course, a Michel Gayon design with Bermuda fairways and greens and seven lakes scattered across the layout. Water comes into play regularly, both off the tee and around the greens, so course management matters more than raw distance. The fairways are generous enough to reward good driving, but the lakes are positioned to punish anything loose, particularly on the back nine where the routing tightens up.

The Old is the more open of the two, but do not be fooled into thinking it is a free swing all day. The lakes are placed exactly where your safe line wants to be, especially when you are shaping something off the tee. If you are playing from the middle tees, it is a course where plotting beats bullying it. Keep the ball dry, take your pars and you will have plenty of chances coming in.

The greens are quick and true, so you will need to be sharp with your approach play and putting. Miss the green and you are often looking at a tricky up-and-down, particularly if you have gone long or left where the run-offs can be severe. The course rewards accuracy and patience, and if you can keep your ball-striking tight, you will post a decent score. Try to overpower it and the water will find you.

Right, the Old Course is a proper test of your course management and it suits mid-handicappers who can shape the ball and think their way round. If you are a big hitter who struggles with discipline, you might find it frustrating. Play smart, respect the hazards and you will enjoy it.

The New Course at Gloria runs through mature umbrella pines and plays quite differently to the Old. The fairways undulate more, the trees frame each hole tightly and there is plenty of water in play, though it tends to come at you from different angles. The New Course rewards accuracy and shot-shaping over power, and the greens are quick and true, so you will need to be sharp with your approach play and putting.

I will admit that the New Course is my favourite of the two. The routing through the pines gives you a sense of seclusion and the elevation changes add interest to what could otherwise be a flat layout. You are constantly adjusting your stance and club selection, and the trees force you to think about your angles rather than just aiming down the middle and hoping for the best.

The water hazards are more strategic here. They are not always visible from the tee, so you need to know where they are and plan accordingly. If you are playing the course for the first time, take a moment to study the layout card or ask your caddie, because a blind tee shot into water is a frustrating way to drop a shot.

The greens are well-protected, often with bunkers short and water long, so you need to be precise with your distance control. Miss the green and you are often chipping from a tight lie or playing out of sand, so getting your approach dialled in is key. The New Course is a thinking player's layout, and if you enjoy working the ball and plotting your way round, you will have a great time.

Fancy taking on both Gloria layouts? You can include the Gloria Old Course and the New Course at Gloria in your next Turkey golf holiday.