Why Not Try A Spot of Golf in Cyprus?

Although the art of golf first reached the shores of Cyprus quite a few decades ago with the opening of the first course within the British Sovereign Base at Akrotiri, it was the opening of the Tsada golf Course in 1994 which truly marks the beginning of the games spread across Aphrodites Isle.

Since those days, golf in Cyprus has experienced a veritable explosion in popularity especially due to the growing influx of immigrants and holidaymakers from the UK.

Now, just 13 years after Tsadas opening, Cyprus already features three additional courses (not including those in the British bases), with another eleven to fourteen being constructed during the coming 3 to 5 years in a concerted effort to put the Republic of Cyprus firmly on the international golfing map.

What about the Republics existing golf courses?

The Aphrodite hills Golf and Country club:

Located near the village of Kouklia, about halfway between Limassol and Paphos, this spectacular complex is currently considered to be the jewel in the crown of golf in Cyprus. This 6269 metres spectacular course is located on two plateaux separated by a ravine running down to the nearby coast, plays to a par 70/71 and offers some truly spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Secret Valley golf and Country club:

First opened in 1996, Secret Valley was the second golf course to be opened in Cyprus. As the name implies, it is located in a secluded little valley, so close to Aphrodite hills that some of Aphrodite Hills golf properties actually overlook the Secret Valley course. This particular venue is currently undergoing a major expansion programme which is set to make it one of the finest golf resorts in the Mediterranean, but more of these plans shortly.

Tsada golf Course:

Cyprus original golf course is still considered by many to provide the best playing experience of any course on the island. Set at an altitude of around 500 metres above sea level in the hills above Paphos, Tsada is never without a cooling breeze. Its elevation also puts it well above the coastal humidity zone, so it offers a pleasant playing experience, even in the heat of the Cypriot summer.

Vikla golf Course:

Unlike the Republics three other courses; Vikla is not located in the Paphos area. Instead it is set in the hills above Limassol, just a few miles north-east of the town. Originally designed as a 9-hole course, Vikla was later extended and now offers a decidedly family-orientated playing experience. With no handicap certificate required, this course provides an ideal starting point for novice golfers.

But what of the new golf courses in Cyprus?

Some time ago, the Cypriot government, in association with the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), declared its unswerving commitment to firmly establish Cyprus place on the international golfing scene by issuing licences for the construction of a further eleven golf courses across the island.

Whilst there can be no doubt that all of these courses will be well designed and thought out, there are nevertheless two venues which have attracted more attention from golfers (and indeed overseas homebuyers) than any of the others.

Secret Valley:

With the addition of a further three courses to the existing facility, this is easily the most ambitious and luxurious golf development in Cyprus and, once finished will see the resort rivalling such exclusive destinations as Vale dos Lobos, Sun City and La Manga.

But golf courses are not the only thing being constructed at Secret Valley. In addition, the resort will also include a large number of highly exclusive golf properties, a retail village, leisure & fitness centre, football & tennis academies, two 5-star hotels, a seafront entertainment & water sports complex and 500 metres of manmade beach.

There is no question that, once works have been completed, the Secret Valley golf and Country club will become the Jewel in the Crown of golf in Cyprus, if not the entire Mediterranean.

Larnaca golf Course and Country club:

Whilst not as grand a plan as Secret Valley, the Larnaca golf course has nevertheless attracted an awful lot of attention, simply because it is set to become the first 18-hole grass course in the islands east. Set just outside the small village of Tersefanou near Larnaca, this course will form the heart of a large scale leisure and residential golf complex, including hotels, shops, bars, restaurants and more which is sure to turn it into a main attraction for the Larnaca area.

If, like many avid golfers, you are tired of the rain, floods, fog and the generally damp playing environment found in the UK, you might want to consider taking a look at Cyprus. With an average 326 days of sunshine each year, there is certainly no shortage of opportunities to play its courses, both current and future.

As an avid golfer, Brian Rettendon has been living in Cyprus since 2001. Since 2005, he has been working as a sales manager for Aphrodite Property sales, the 100% independent Cyprus property specialist. To find out more about Golf in Cyprus or any of the courses featured in this article, please visit the Aphrodite Property sales website.

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Weight Loss: The Key to Discipline

Recently, two co-workers of mine were discussing their weight loss efforts and part of that conversation stuck with me. One of them said, "It sure is a lot harder to lose weight than it is to gain it." The other one answered, "Yeah, thats because gaining weight is fun." I laughed with them, because there is some truth to that statement.

Yes, it can be fun to eat with abandonment and not think about whether what you are eating is healthy or not; it is only the consequences that are painful. Examples of shorter term consequences are pain in your stomach, indigestion, and sluggishness. The longer term consequences are high blood pressure, heart disease, and shortness of breath. Seeing your appearance change for the worse is painful too. Focusing on these consequences is key to developing self-discipline.

Discipline is necessary to achieve your weight loss goals and any goal that you want to achieve in life. after all, you dont have to employ discipline to do those things that you enjoy. For example, I wouldnt have to discipline myself to eat chocolate bars because I enjoy them, however I do have to discipline myself to limit them in my life. How do I do it? Discipline requires two skills: Desire and diversion.

Desire means that you have to want the goal that your discipline will help you achieve more than anything. For example, I wanted to lose weight and get healthy more than I wanted the chocolate bars. Each time I desired the chocolate bar, I had to remind myself of the alternate goal and make it real and vivid. I had to see myself with that goal already achieved and experience the pleasure of it. I had to make that pleasure more intense than the pleasure I imagined I would receive from eating the chocolate bar.

The second skill is diversion, which is simply engaging in an activity that diverted my attention away from the undesirable activity. In the chocolate bar example, I had to either give myself something that I would enjoy eating that was healthier for me or perform an alternate activity that would help me better meet my needs. For example, if I was angry, eating a chocolate bar would not help me, but taking a long walk to cool off likely would.

My co-worker was right: For many of us, losing weight is harder than gaining it. But we need to remind ourselves that, although it is harder to lose weight, it is not impossible. It is also worth the effort. Then we use our key of discipline to help us achieve what we want. It is the only way to get the body that we deserve.

A Registered Nurse for many years, Kimberly Floyd battled obesity for much of her adult life. She achieved her ideal weight and has written a new book entitled 'Moneywise Weight Loss' which teaches others how to lose weight and save money--at the same time.

Kim has written articles for the georgia Nurses Association publication and nursing Spectrum online. now a technical writer, she has written training programs for corporate clients, including IBM, U.S. Bank, and Cingular.

Kim also teaches an online course called 'Goodbye to Shy'. This course is distributed to over 1100 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia through Thomson Learning. An accomplished speaker and trainer, she delivers presentations on health-related topics to enthusiastic audiences.

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