TRAVEL SPAIN

The Costa del Sol has not been named the Costa del Golf without good reason, it is simply a golfers paradise, there are some 69 golf courses in Andalucia , of which 45 are situated along the Costa del Sol, four of those are ranked in the top 10 in Europe, add to that a fantastic all year round climate and you are most definitely in golfing heaven !!.

This concentration of quality courses along with an excellent warm and sunny climate has proven to be a must golfing winter destination to many thousands of northern Europeans each year.

Valderama was chosen for the Ryder cup in 1997 which ironically was almost washed out due to the heavy rains, however even the unusually wet weather couldn't dampen the atmosphere during those momentous days for the European team. This year Valderrama golf club will celebrate in style as the Volvo Masters commemorates its 20th anniversary, the longest-running single sponsorship in European golf. The tournament will be played between the 1st and 4th November 2007

Due largely to the success of the Ryder Cup, golf was taken to new levels on the Costa del Sol as it gained universal recognition and along with it more quality courses where constructed to supply the ever increasing demand. Our complete guide to golf courses on the costa del Sol provides information and full details of each course.

Some of the new additions to the Coast is the excellent 9 hole par 3 Greenlife course situated in the Urb Elviria in Marbella. There is also the increasingly popular Cabopino Golf Club, a short testing 18-hole course designed by Spanish architect Juan Ligues. A short drive along the coast road towards Marbella situated in front of the prestigious Los Monteros luxury Hotel lies the beautiful Santa Clara Golf , a well maintained course with wide fairways and little rough. Another popular and family orientated course with both the local and expat community is Baviera Golf which lies east of Malaga approximately 5 minutes drive from the Village of Velez Malaga. This challenging but not over difficult course offers nice open fairways , lush greens and spectacular views to sea and mountains. Really good to see so many families out playing at this course including the younger members.

Due to the increasing demand of golfers who enjoy playing 9 holes instead of the usual 18, some excellent smaller Par 3 courses have sprung up all along the Costa del Sol. These courses are very player friendly, great value , help your short game tremendously and can be played easily in around 2 hours making them ideal for the local golfing enthusiast who's time and funds maybe limited. The pick of these courses include, Greenlife, El Candado, La Siesta, La Noria, Monte Paraiso, Magna Marbella , Alhaurin and Benalmadena Golf.

A special mention must go to the spectacular La Cala Golf Resort which is now the biggest in Spain since the third ( Europa Course ) came into play. This resort truly encumbers the spirit of a complete golfing community which includes 3 championship courses, a fabulous club house and restaurant, well structured property developments around the courses, many competitions for players all ages and standards, the elite David Leadbetter Golf Academy , a small par 3 course, great practice facilities and a well stocked pro shop. A real must on the itinerary of all players visiting the Costa del Sol.

Due to the high prices of property close to the coast and lack of building land in those areas the promoters know well the importance of Golf courses to interest an tempt future property buyers to Spain. The Spanish tourism authorities are also highly aware of the lucrative commercial benefits of offering quality golfing facilities . The average golfer will spend some 120 Euros a day whilst the conventional tourist spends little more than 38 Euros. 80% of golfing visitors will repeat the same course as well as trying others. 16 new course are planed on the Costa del Sol with a further 19 in the Cadiz region which includes the increasingly popular Costa de la Luz. This means huge investments in Spain and the creation of hundreds of Jobs which is as we all know is music to any politicians ears and so the efforts to build on and sustain manageable quality golfing tourism is of the up most
importance to all concerned.

So whether you are an experienced player or simply a beginner there are courses on the Costa del Sol to suit all tastes and requirements, playing standards and individual or group requirements....but remember during the high season to ensure your favorite course is available don't be disappointed and book your tee times early whenever possible.

Justin ended the year on high note and had cause of great celebration by winning the Volvo Masters and being crowned the winner of the European Tour Order of Merit.

I spent two days at the glorious Valderrama course and the conditions of the fairways and greens where second to none although the prevailing easterly wind that blew throughout the tournament made conditions on occasions quite tricky , the players for the most part dealt pretty well with it considering. It was never going to end on a high score and so it was with just three players finishing on just one under par over the four days. Hovever it was Justin who kept his cool on the second play off hole sinking a beautiful 20 foot putt...the rest as they say is history.

Well done Justin.

Gary

The Complete Travel and Tourism guide to Spain