Best golf courses in Bulgaria: Thracian Cliffs, Lighthouse and more

Looking for a rising star of European golf holidays? Look no further than Bulgaria, in eastern Europe.

Golf is very much in its early years here, only played on a handful of courses. But don’t let its exclusivity fool you.

In fact, Bulgaria is a far cheaper alternative to the golf hotspots of Spain and Portugal, while boasting similar quality.

Here are five of our favourites…

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• 6 of the best golf courses in Spain

Thracian Cliffs

Green fee: From €79

Readers of issue 211 will know all about Thracian Cliffs, a Gary Player design that is dubbed ‘Europe’s Pebble Beach’. The European Tour held the Volvo Match Play here until 2013, but it can surely be only a matter of time before the circuit returns. Up against the Black Sea Coast, Thracian Cliffs has it all.

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BlackSeaRama

Green fee: From €95

You’ll have already realised how cheap world-class golf in Bulgaria is. A round at Gary Player’s BlackSeaRama is no exception, with majestic ocean views afforded from the country’s first and only true links test. The on-site accomodation and leisure facilities make a trip here unforgettable.

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Lighthouse

Green fee: From €85

The award-winning Lighthouse Golf and Spa Resort arguably offers the best view of the breathtaking Black Sea. That means the wind is often the biggest factor in a round dominated by wide fairways and large greens. Ian Woosnam played a part in the design and the Welshman succeeded.

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Pirin

Green fee: From €69

Another from the former Masters champion, Woosnam. Pirin Golf & Country Club is arguably the best in and around Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. Far different to the aforementioned courses in that this one is set against the backdrop of the towering Pirin Mountains. Free lunch with your green fee is a nice treat.

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St Sofia

Green fee: From €76

You guessed it, one of the other golf courses in Sofia. After opening in 2004, it staged the first ever Bulgarian Amateur Championship and was redesigned eight years later by Paul McGinley. On a flat site just half an hour east of the capital, St Sofia is a stunning course that meanders around lakes.