5 Day Greece and the Islands Golf Itinerary
Greek golf grew up around one extraordinary resort, Costa Navarino on the southwest Peloponnese, where four championship courses by Langer, Trent Jones and Olazabal share a coastline of olive groves and Ionian blue. Add an island and you have a trip no one expects from Greece. Here is the five-day shape, three days at Navarino then a flight to Crete, with the courses, the 2026 fees and the travel between them.
Photograph: The Dunes Course, Costa Navarino, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the itinerary for golfers who want sun, scenery and a destination their group has never ticked off, combined with five star resort comfort and a side of ancient history. It suits couples, buddies trips and anyone pairing golf with a Mediterranean holiday, because the courses are excellent without being brutal and the surroundings, beaches, tavernas, Olympia and Messene, give non-golfers plenty to do. The mainland leg is pure resort golf; the island leg is the adventure.
The structure is built around the reality of Greek golf: the great concentration is at Costa Navarino, so you base there for three days and play four distinct courses, then fly to an island for the final two. For wider context see our Greece golf hub, the best courses in Greece and the Greece golf holidays page; longer groups can extend with the 3 day Costa Navarino itinerary as the core.
The 5 day plan
| Day | The golf | The travel | The night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive Kalamata, check in at Costa Navarino, afternoon round on The Dunes, Bernhard Langer's 2010 design and Greece's first signature course, with dunes, the Selas river and sea views | Kalamata airport to the resort, about 50 minutes | Costa Navarino |
| Day 2 | The Bay, Robert Trent Jones Junior's seaside course with two holes along the historic Bay of Navarino and the most spectacular finishes on the property | Within the resort area, short drive | Costa Navarino |
| Day 3 | Navarino Hills, Jose Maria Olazabal's pair from 2022, the International Olympic Academy course and The Hills, set high over the bay; play one and bank the other for next time | Resort shuttle to Navarino Hills; evening flight toward the island via Athens | In transit or Crete |
| Day 4 | Crete Golf Club at Hersonissos, Bob Hunt's par 72 carved into a dramatic, arid hillside, the strongest of the island courses and a complete change of character | Heraklion airport to Hersonissos, about 30 minutes | Crete |
| Day 5 | A relaxed second loop at Crete Golf Club or a morning by the sea before departure; groups chasing variety swap the island leg to Rhodes for Afandou or Corfu for its Ropa Valley course | Hersonissos to Heraklion airport, about 30 minutes | Homeward |
Course designers and opening years verified June 2026 from the resorts and recognized course databases; green fees are indicative for 2026 and seasonal. Always confirm directly before booking. Check Greece tee time availability.
Why this routing works
The three nights at Costa Navarino do the heavy lifting. Four championship courses in one place mean no packing and repacking, a single luxurious base, and enough variety that the golf never repeats itself: the Dunes for the signature drama, the Bay for the coastline, and the Olazabal pair high on the hills for a different, more modern test. It is the rare resort where you can play world-class golf for three days without a transfer, then treat the island as the bonus rather than the bulk of the trip.
The island leg is what turns a good golf break into a story. Crete Golf Club is the pick because it is the most striking and the easiest to slot in, a flight via Athens to Heraklion and a half-hour transfer, with a course that looks more like Arizona than the Aegean. If your group wants the islands to lead, the same five-day frame swaps neatly to Rhodes, where Afandou is the long-standing island course, or to Corfu and the green Ropa Valley. Time it for spring or autumn and you get warm, dry golf, soft green fees and a Mediterranean holiday wrapped around the rounds. Compare the angles in our Rhodes vs Crete for golf guide and the Greece green fee guide.
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Greece itinerary questions
Where do you play golf in Greece?
The heart of Greek golf is Costa Navarino in Messenia on the southwest Peloponnese, which has four championship courses: The Dunes by Bernhard Langer, The Bay by Robert Trent Jones Junior, and The Hills and the International Olympic Academy course by Jose Maria Olazabal. The islands add the rest: Crete Golf Club at Hersonissos, Afandou on Rhodes and Corfu Golf Club in the Ropa Valley.
How much does a Greece golf trip cost in 2026?
Costa Navarino green fees sit at the premium end for Greece, typically well over 100 euros per round in high season with resort-guest and multi-round rates that soften the total, while the island courses are more modest. Spring and autumn are the value windows. All fees are indicative and move by season, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can you combine Costa Navarino with a Greek island?
Yes. The natural five-day shape is three days at Costa Navarino, where four courses keep the golf varied, then a flight to an island for the final two days. Crete Golf Club at Hersonissos is the strongest island round and the easiest to reach; Rhodes with Afandou and Corfu with its Ropa Valley course are the alternative island legs.
When is the best time to play golf in Greece?
April to June and September to early November are ideal: warm, dry and far cooler than the July and August peak, when midday heat makes golf an early-morning affair. The shoulder seasons also bring lower green fees and quieter resorts, which is why most traveling golfers target spring and autumn.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.