Golf - La Reserva de Sotogrande Club de Golf

This modern course occupying two valleys was opened in 2004, but is already one of the prestigious courses in the area. It complements others in Sotogrande including Valderrama. The open views look down to the Mediterranean Sea.

This is a 6700 metres long course, and very spacious. The greens and fairways are large and wide. Five starting tees are available at each hole. Water and bunker hazards exist.

The hotel Sotogrande, a riding centre and a future golf course are close by.

Address: Avda. de La Reserva, s/n. 11310 Sotogrande, San Roque, Cádiz.
Directions: from both Marbella and Algeciras turn off at km. 133 and take the 130 exit marked Sotogrande-Guadiaro-Castellar.

A COURSE THAT WILL CAPTIVATE AND FILL THE MEMORY BANK

By Eamonn Power

La Reserva de Sotogrande is unashamedly exclusive and intends catering to the upper-end of the market. The clubhouse is built around a central patio area with a fountain, antique benches and potted lemon trees while the building has a distinct Arabic flavour which exudes luxury. One-third of the clubhouse area is reserved for members who have their own locker rooms, restaurant and lounge areas. Particularly impressive are the earthen flooring and the discreet wrought iron wall lighting, all of which creates a distinct feeling of having strayed into somebody’s country mansion.

MEMORABLE HOLES

The opening hole measures 329-metres and is played from an elevated tee down into a valley where a vast expanse of fairway awaits, provided the tee shot is relatively straight; a hooked drive will dive into a water hazard on the left while the opposite side is no bargain either. The big green slopes from back to front and is banked on the right. Bunkers guard the left-side but missing them will see the ball whiz off the buggy path and into the hazard.

Standing on the tee of the par-5 fourth the eye is immediately caught by a string of bunkers lining both sides of the landing area while the ancient trees in the background create a delightful picture. The fairway meanders along in waves of humps and hollows until it reaches a green which is severely bunkered on the left but relatively free on the opposite side.

The tee of the final hole on the outward journey sits nicely beside the shimmering water of a lake. From a valley the fairway climbs sharply upwards and exactly at the 150 marker a gaping circular bunker on the left greedily awaits its prey while one of its relations lies on the opposite side and, yet another one, just 30-metres further on. The wide but shallow green slopes from right to left and has ample run-off areas at the back and sides.

The right-hand side should be favoured for the drive from the 11th tee in order to avoid the water hazard on the opposite side. Longer hitters should take care as, at the 200-metre mark, the landing area between a bunker on the right and disaster on the left is a mere 25-metres. After that the fairway opens up again and the designer’s trade mark can clearly be seen in the number of bunkers scattered hither and yon. Particular care should be taken to avoid the two set into the face of the elevated green. A hazard area at the back right of the putting surface has been the home of two majestic cork oak trees since Adam was a boy and provides a fine feature.

The 17th is a par-4 measuring 386-metres which easily earns its index 1 rating. While the best line for the somewhat daunting tee-shot would be straight out over trees and the arroyo behind them, it would need to be some hit (a carry of about 250) and left would be the safer option. Although this will leave a considerably longer second shot, at least the ball is still in play and not in the arroyo runs up the right until it swings away from the green. On the left of the putting surface an old cork oak trees leans over, as if drunk, while the green slopes from back to front.

THE 19TH HOLE

Lunch, of a standard in keeping with the surroundings, may be enjoyed on a terrace overlooking a putting green. The day’s golf will have provided memories of exciting drives from elevated tees onto fairways which plunged downwards, sometimes at an alarming rate. Memories also of greens which varied in shape from circular, to kidney bowl to heart shaped; the contours of which simply added to the torture of trying to read the correct lines for the putts. Then there were the peculiarly shaped bunkers filled with white sand, the personal hallmark of the designer Cabell Robinson, while trees, bushes and heather gave a feeling of maturity which belied the relative youth of the golf course.

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