Valderrama Golf Club
PGA European Tour, and continued to do so until 1996. In 1997 the Club hosted the 32nd Ryder Cup, won by Europe in a most thrilling finish. Valderrama remains today the only club ever to have hosted golf’s pinnacle event outside its traditional homelands, USA and Britain. Finca Cortesin Golf Resort between Sotogrande and Marbella and home of The Volvo World Match Play Championships from 2009 – 2011 is a fabulous golf course. Designed by Cabell Robinson recognized as one of Europe’s top golf course designers, standing at 6800 meters with 18 holes and more than 100 bunkers this is one of the finest golf courses in Spain. Players have magnificent views of both the mountains and the sea. It’s a highly enjoyable course for beginners and can be a serious challenge for pros. It has several tee boxes on each hole, keeping the difficulty of the course in balance offering great variety for all levels of player. When you finish playing all 18 holes, you’ll notice that you have played all your clubs! Nearby there are several more upscale resort golf courses that are easier (and cheaper) to get on: San Roque’s Old and New courses, Almanara Golf Club and the new La Reserva Golf Club. The San Roque Club, formerly home of the Domecq Sherry family sits on an enviable backdrop surrounded by lush hills and historic cork oak woods. The centerpiece of the club is the magnificent
Domecq mansion which oozes character. San Roque first opened its doors in 1991 and quickly became the golf resort of choice in Sotogrande, designed by Dave Thomas the Old Course along with Valderrama and Real Club de Sotogrande became known as the golden triangle of golf. In 1997 when the Ryder Cup was held at neighboring Valderrama San Roque hosted both the European and American teams and their families and to this day the plaques with the players’ names remain on the door to the suites they occupied. In 2003, San Roque opened a further 18 holes and so the New Course was born. The course designed by Perry Dye and Seve Ballesteros is a perfect contrast to the Old course as it is extremely different in design, yet presents the same challenges as its older sister! In 2005 the Old course hosted the Spanish Open which was eventually won by Peter Hanson after a play off with fellow Swede Peter Gustafsson. The tournament returned in 2006, this time on the new course. The course continues to welcome elite players from across the globe who come to take advantage of the outstanding conditions, as for amateurs the two course offer some of the most beautiful holes they will ever play and if they can’t master the course itself they can take pleasure in the wonderful weather Spain has to offer and hope they get the chance to play alongside they idols…
SUNSEARCH MAGAZINE
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