By Michael Green

When we spotted the on-course marquees and the sponsors signage all set up for a golf tournament welcoming amateur golfers from around the world, it was clear this was going to be a fun week !

Players from as far as Mexico, France, Sweden and Italy had qualified to represent their country in the Amateur World Golf Cup in New Caledonia – but it felt like a professional event giving these amateur golfers a taste of tournament golf.

The golfers weren’t the only ones being treated like kings. The venue for the third Amateur World Golf Cup was the golf course at Sheraton Deva, a stunning slice of heaven situated around two hours drive north of Noumea.

Attending the event with my family, we were going to get a great look at what this magnificent venue would have in store for kids, and we were not disappointed. The door less, open-air reception area is a magnificent place to arrive. Our eyes were drawn up to the incredible wooden roof structure that sits above the reception area  golf shop and then flows down towards the bar at the other end of the building.

The kids were already having a ball as somehow the concierge squeezed all of us, our baggage and my golf clubs, onto a golf cart to be driven to our accommodation for the week.

The Sheraton Deva is spread out over a wide piece of land bordering the ocean. Villas and apartments are nestled among tropical forest and across lush grass that lends itself beautifully to this isolated and relaxed environment. We were blown away by our spacious apartment with a huge balcony that overlooked the golf course and which the photos of the accommodation simply do not do justice to.

The Course

The brand new Dye Design Championship golf course is very good and a serious test of golf for any level of golfer. Set inland from the resort, there is plenty of thinking to do off the tees with the centre of the green the smartest option on many approach shots.

The set of par-3’s are fantastic, each offering their own unique challenge from the exposed 8th that becomes a beast in the wind to the signature 11th hole that requires a solid tee shot to find a green nestled among many bunkers with a water hazard on the right.

Many holes require a long carry over deep rough so make sure you’re playing off the tees that best suit your playing ability, and make sure you have your driving skills ready by the time you get to the 18th hole, it’s a tee shot you won’t forget.

Activities

Time spent on the golf course prompted time for the kids to test out the Kids Club that is located a five-minute walk from the reception area, but conveniently placed between the larger accommodation suites where most families will stay.

Without doubt our favourite place to relax at the Sheraton Deva was beside the lagoon style pool which is within sight of the beach through the trees that line the shore.  The pool was the best place to keep the kids entertained and to relax in the Jacuzzi after a round of golf.

We can’t recommend enough the walking track up the hills that surround the resort, even with kids. A number of very well maintained tracks loop across the peaks making it a great place for exercise or simply a place to watch the sunset. It offers some stunning views across the resort and beyond and out to the coral reefs that surround the island of New Caledonia and the mountains that lay further inland.

It’s not the only place to catch a magnificent sunset. On several evenings we just stepped on to the beach, just a few metres from the lagoon pool to see the sunset reflect off the sea. It’s also the place where we took a glass bottom boat ride out to the reef to see some giant turtles, sting rays, coral and of course, clown fish that made the kids’ day.

Even with kids, we found that a combination of the kids club, the lagoon pool and the gorgeous tropical surrounds made for a super-relaxing getaway.

While it’s certainly not somewhere you would go if you were looking for a cheap holiday, the Sheraton Deva is a fabulous place to completely relax and take yourself away from the rest of the world – all with a top-notch golf course on your doorstep to keep any golfer very happy.

Source: Iseekgolf