It is a mantra that echoes in my head as my golf ball makes a sickening plonk into the middle of a lake.
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The City of Dreams Mediterranean resortCredit: SuppliedSimon sinks a putt on the Limassol Greens courseCredit: SuppliedThe resort opened to the public in 2025Credit: Supplied
I’m hacking my way around Limassol Greens, the Mediterranean’s newest sporting crown jewel.
It only opened to the public in late 2025, but it is already making a splash (literally, in my case).
I might have lost three balls but the sun is out, the air is crisp and, true to the local spirit, I’ll survive.
The vibe is “modern luxury” from the second you pull up to the pristine clubhouse near Cyprus’s second city. We are greeted by smiley, attentive staff who make us feel more than welcome.
My hired Callaway clubs appear brand new and the Trackman technology on the range ensures my swing is dialled in before I hit the first tee.
Once on the course, the tech stays with you. Our buggy comes equipped with a GPS screen that acts as both a sat nav directing us around the 71-par course and a digital caddie, calculating yardage to the pin.
Carved out of an old orange grove, the still course has some citrus trees around the perimeter.
This is Cyprus’s fifth course, meaning the island can truly claim to be a “golf destination” for holidaymakers.
Limassol Greens is curated by the same course designer as Aphrodite Hills, the best-known course on the island, and its mix of challenging holes coupled with forgiving fairways and fast-running greens means it may soon be challenging its more established neighbour for supremacy.
After 18 holes we retreat to clubhouse restaurant The Roost. It’s a bright sanctuary serving exactly the kind of high-protein fuel a weary golfer needs.
Another restaurant is under construction, suggesting that, like the golf course itself, Limassol Greens will only flourish with time.
I’m staying at the City Of Dreams Mediterranean resort, a five-minute transfer away.
Dominated by the lively casino at its heart, the 500-room hotel is a playground for adults and a fantastic base for playing golf.
My room was a masterclass in high-spec comfort, featuring a huge comfortable bed perfect for relaxing after hours out on the course.
The pièce de résistance? A free-standing bathtub separated from the bedroom by a glass wall.
The rooms are a masterclass in high-spec comfortCredit: SuppliedThe 500-room hotel is a playground for adults and a fantastic base for playing golfCredit: Supplied
You can soak in the suds while staring at the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.
Keen to fuel up before heading out for 18 holes, the options and quality at breakfast are faultless.
The orange juice tastes as fresh as if it’s come from the groves by the golf course.
Among three premium restaurants is Prime Steakhouse, where I tackled a cut of wagyu steak imported from the US so tender it practically melted on the fork.
The next night, I swapped the steak knife for chopsticks at Amber Dragon.
The roasted duck truffle puffs — flaky, buttery and decadent — are the stars of the show.
The variation of food and inventive presentation make for a memorable evening.
The hotel provides free transfers to the popular Lady’s Mile beach during the summer months.
But I head to the spa instead. It exudes calmness with low lighting and soothing music.
I’ve booked an express treatment, with my masseuse happy to focus on my legs and shoulder, which are feeling achy after so much golf. While only 25 minutes long, I feel rejuvenated by the time I leave.
Even in January, the main city of Limassol — about 15 minutes from the hotel by taxi — feels alive. I took a breather from the greens to explore the historic centre.
While the medieval castle where Richard the Lionheart had his wedding is impressive, I was more captivated by the city’s feline residents.
Legend says St Helena imported 1,000 cats in the 4th century to hunt snakes. Today, their descendants rule the sun-drenched streets like royalty.
I finished my trip with a stroll along the marina as the sun dipped behind a forest of multi-million-pound yachts.
With a cold Keo beer in hand and the feel of a breeze blowing over the Mediterranean sea, I realised the Cypriots aren’t quite right. You don’t just survive here — you thrive.
GO: LIMASSOL
GETTING THERE: Fly to Paphos or Larnaca with easyJet from Luton, Gatwick and Bristol in May with fares from £34.99 one way.
STAYING/GOLFING THERE: Packages at the City Of Dreams Mediterranean start from £743pp in winter and £978pp in summer, including two nights’ half-board and drinks and one round of golf at Limassol Greens.
Her players, though, were as excited for their coach as they were for themselves after defeating South Carolina 79-51 to claim the first NCAA national title in program history.
“I’m super proud of her as well, the way she responded as a leader last year,” UCLA senior guard Gabriela Jaquez said. “We responded well. Obviously we’re here now. I think it started with Coach Cori and the way she wanted to make a change in our program and get us back here, get this result.”
Close, who has been with the Bruins since 2011, got UCLA close last season, when the Bruins reached the Final Four and were blown out by Connecticut in the semifinal.
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But they turned the tables on South Carolina on Sunday, and Close said the best feeling was knowing that her process could work.
“This has been a calling, not a job,” Close said. “I’ve been saying it all day, but I don’t even know how else to say it, it’s immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine. I’m really grateful.”
UCLA coach Cori Close points across the court and talks with guard Kiki Rice during a win over South Carolina in the NCAA national title game Sunday in Phoenix.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
At times during her career, Close was viewed as an excellent recruiter and strong motivational speaker, but her tactical decisions were easy to question every time her team faltered during big moments. During the course of UCLA’s win over South Carolina, Close demonstrated every weakness her team showed during the past four years had been corrected. The result, was a lopsided victory that announced her arrival as one of women’s college basketball’s top coaches.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark on posted on X, “Not many care about the game as much as Coach Close … couldn’t be happier for her!!”
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said Close and her Bruins deserved all the praise.
“Cori is one of those people who really works at making our game better. Not just UCLA, but our entire game,” Staley said. “She’s always speaking out, uplifting our game in so many areas that it’s hard to continue to do that while maintaining the job that you have to do every day. But she finds the time.
UCLA coach Cori Close hugs South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley before their teams faced off for a national title Sunday in Phoenix.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
“Although we didn’t win, I can swallow it because we lost to a really good human being and a good team that represent women’s basketball well.”
Close will have to face a rebuild and likely have to work the transfer portal hard in the coming weeks to replace her six seniors and graduate students. But now, it might be a little bit easier since she’s proven her players bought in and she can win.
“Coach Cori really stayed patient with me,” said senior Lauren Betts, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. “She wanted to see me accomplish everything that I’d ever dreamed of. They just continued to remind me, they want me to see myself the way they all see me. I feel like now at this point I can finally truly do that. I think that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Not only win, either, but in such joyous fashion that it kept many of the players committed to the program and each other. Close’s approach ultimately carried them to a national championship.
UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez dribbles under pressure from South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards Sunday in Phoenix.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s about their work and their habits yielding,” Close said while tearing up. “We say this, we want to recruit courageous. There were a lot of times we wondered if it could be true. I said I wanted to find uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result, and today it did.”
More love for the national champions
The UCLA women’s basketball team’s win sparked celebrations throughout the country.
UCLA two-sport star Megan Grant, who spent part of the fall practicing and playing on the Bruins’ basketball team, helped the softball team sweep Indiana before catching a flight to Phoenix. She greeted the basketball team at its hotel and joined the celebration, getting decked in UCLA national championship gear and receiving a piece of the title net from Close.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a proud UCLA alum, recorded a video congratulating the team on its title win from one champion to another. “You guys made the entire Bruin nation so proud,” he said.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, former U.S. Soccer star Abby Wambach, former President Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass and many others congratulated the Bruins on social media. The state capital was lit in UCLA colors Sunday night in honor of the Bruins’ win. Fans greeted the team when the Bruins’ bus from the airport arrived on campus Sunday night.
UCLA is inviting fans to a national title celebration at Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday night. The official start time has not yet been announced.
Gymnastics advances to NCAA championships
The UCLA gymnastics team was locked in a tight battle Sunday in Corvallis, Ore., for a spot in the national championship meet.
The Bruins, however, were confident their super-power event — the floor exercise, their final rotation — would keep alive their goal of winning a national title.
Ciena Alipio scored a 9.875; Mika Webster-Longin, Sydney Barros and Ashlee Sullivan all scored a 9.900; and Tiana Sumanasekera added a 9.925.
Then it was time for senior Jordan Chiles to close out the meet for the Bruins.
Chiles delivered the same dynamic floor routine that has earned high scores all season, bursting into tears as soon as she stuck the final landing. She was rewarded with her eighth perfect 10 of the season and clinched the regional victory for the Bruins.
It was UCLA’s 25th NCAA regional title and the program’s first since 2019.
UCLA’s final team score was 197.725. Minnesota was next in line with 197.625 and will join the Bruins as the teams advancing to the national title meet.
Longtime UCLA rival Utah placed third with 197.500 and Alabama was fourth with 197.175.
Louisiana State, Stanford, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Arkansas are the other six teams that advanced to the national championships, which will be held April 16 and 18 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
No. 1 UCLA baseball sweeps No. 12 USC
The No. 1 UCLA baseball team completed a three-game sweep of No. 12 USC at Jackie Robinson Field, rolling to a 10-4 victory.
With the score tied 3-3 in the fifth inning, Will Gasparino hit a two-run homer. Mulivai Levu added a two-run homer in the sixth, and Roch Cholowsky tacked on a three-run blast in the eighth.
UCLA earned a 12-4 win over USC on Friday, then had to rally for a 9-8 win Saturday.
The Bruins (29-2, 15-0 Big Ten) are riding a 23-game win streak. The Trojans (27-6, 10-5) started the season on a 19-game win streak but have been challenged by Big Ten competition.
The UCLA football team kicked off spring workouts this past week. We’ll get our first chance to talk with players this week and promise to have more football coverage in the newsletters to come.
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
