Minthis Golf Club

The verdict

Minthis is the most characterful golf in Cyprus, and the most senior. Donald Steel routed the original course in 1994 in the hills near Tsada, about a twenty five minute drive up from the coast at Paphos, around the ruins of a 12th century monastery whose stone still stands beside the clubhouse. Years later Mackenzie and Ebert renovated the layout, applying their philosophy that a course should sit naturally in its setting, and the result follows the land rather than fighting it.

The altitude matters. Set well above the sea, Minthis is noticeably cooler and greener than the resort courses on the shore, which makes it the pick of the island in the warmer months and a serene, almost rural place to play. Olive groves, fruit orchards and views to the Troodos foothills frame holes that feel a world away from the beach, and the monastery gives the round a sense of place few resort courses can match.

The holes worth the trip

Minthis is a course of touch and judgement rather than brute length. The two nines loop out and back through gently rolling, terraced ground, so the player is forever adjusting for the slope, the stance and the half clubs that altitude and elevation change demand. Wide corridors of olive and carob give the round a generous feel off the tee, but the approaches are where the work is done, into greens set into the hillside and defended by the contours of the land itself.

The signature moment is the par 3 15th, played to the only island green in Cyprus, a tee shot all carry to a green ringed by water with the hills behind, the kind of hole that decides matches and lives long in the memory. It is the punctuation mark in a back nine that climbs and falls with the terrain, asking the golfer to think their way around rather than overpower the course.

For all its beauty, Minthis rewards good iron play and a steady head. The greens are subtle and the breezes that funnel through the hills can be deceptive, so distance control and a sensible game plan beat heroics. It is a course you want to play more than once, learning its angles and its quirks, and an easy highlight of any golf trip to western Cyprus.

Where to stay nearby

The simplest base is Minthis itself, whose suites and villas sit among the hills with the golf on the doorstep and a spa and restaurants on site, ideal for a quiet, golf focused stay. For more variety, the resort hotels along the Paphos coast put you near the harbour, the archaeology and the beaches, a short drive from the first tee.

Minthis pairs naturally with the other Paphos courses for a full Cyprus golf week, the cool, characterful hill course balanced against the warmer coastal layouts. With a hire car you can combine golf with the Tombs of the Kings, the Troodos villages and long Cypriot lunches, the easy mix of sport and culture that makes the island such a rewarding shoulder season trip.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Minthis and Paphos.