The journey down to Sousse from Hammarmet took about 45 minutes and after a hearty breakfast sitting in the sun by the beach in our hotel and a warm up on the fantastic practice facilities at El Kantoui, I am heading to the 1st tee on the Panorama course.
I manage to get a good drive away down the fairway of this 398-yard, par 4 dogleg right that has palms and olive trees lining the fairways, the green has a large bunker guarding the right hand side. Like all the courses so far the greens are in great conditions, but run slower than they look.
As I make my way round the sun is out. The course is a good design, but to be honest nothing screams panoramic to me at the moment. After playing the 5th hole you head through a tunnel under a road and the second of the par 3s on this nine appears, which is played over water, to a fairly large green with subtle contours.
Left to right: 6th 8th and 9th holes
But, the par 4, 7th suddenly takes on a different look and feel, played from an elevated tee to a dogleg right fairway, I can feel I am about to get into the heart of the course. The 8th starts taking you uphill and my second shot is played uphill to a raised green, but it is on reaching that green that you start to see the amazing views across Sousse and out to sea.
I would make sure you take water with you as there is no half-way hut on the 9th and you’re a long way from the clubhouse. The back nine starts with a short dogleg right, par 4 of 319 yards and I am sure some of the longer hitters will fancy their chances of flying it over the olive trees, but bunkers protect both sides of the green and, short left, there is also fairway bunkers both sides so those laying up have to choose their club wisely to avoid those hazards.
The first of the par 3s arrives at the 12th and is played to a raised saucer-like green that has the ocean as its backdrop and bunkers right and left protecting it and at 182 yards, par is a good score here. The 14th is certainly one of those wow holes, played from an elevated tee to the fairway below with more of those stunning views. What’s not to like as you see your ball sailing through the air.
I do feel the 15th missed a chance of using the ocean backdrop similar to the 12th hole and the tee and green should be swapped around instead of having the view behind you. The 17th is another tee. This time it’s all risk and reward, depending on how much of the water on the right you want to cut off.
Left to right: The 11th, 12th and 13th holes
It’s another one of those holes for the longer hitters who fancy their chances of clearing the water and driving the green, and at 341 yards no matter what option you choose it’s a wonderful golf hole.
The 18th sees you coming back through the tunnel and a beast of a par 5 to finish on. Weighing in at 630 yards with water front left of the green and bunkers right, it really is a tough finishing hole especially when you are hitting 7 iron as your third shot!
This is the first time I have played the Panorama course and sitting down over lunch and running the course though my head, I know you will enjoy the holes on the other side of the road. It really is a great course and doesn’t get the recognition it deserves because of the sea course, but with some extra TLC, I feel this course could really give the sea course a good run for its money.
Above: Wonderful views from the elevated tee at the par 4, 14th
