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Description of the Course
Valderrama has great natural beauty. The club is
especially proud of its gnarled old Cork Oak trees, some of which
were there when Columbus set sail. They number well over two thousand
and Trent Jones went to great lengths to disturb as few as possible.
The golfing qualities of the course can be simply
stated. It has no hole less than championship standard and is always
in superb condition. Number 17, once a long slogging par 5 was remodelled
under the direction of Seve Ballesteros, whose advice was suggested
by Trent Jones after the designer felt that he could no longer travel
regularly form his Florida home to Valderrama. That hole is now
an engrossing test of skill for club players and championship contenders
alike. And for spectators, there are magnificent viewing opportunities
at a hole where tournaments can be won or lost.
In championship golf, the quality of the last four
holes is very important. At Valderrama, each of these is superb.
And yet they - and all the other holes, too - can be played with
satisfaction by the Club member, because Trent Jones achieved to
an unusual degree a goal he pursued throughout his career: "hard
par, easy bogey." The golfer who plays from the tee that suits
his or her game is sure to have an enjoyable round.
The greens are immaculate, and for championship
play can be brought to the very slickest condition. Some are quite
severely contoured, and others can be difficult to read.
On any golf course, especially near the sea, the
wind can be a factor. Valderrama is unusual in that it has two prevailing
winds. The Poniente (from the West) is hot and dry in summer after
crossing the plains. The humid and more temperate Levante (easterly,
from the sea) causes less of a problem.
The superb condition of the course is owed partly
to the fact that Ortiz-Patiño´s commitment to it is
total, extending literally to the grass-roots level. The president
of Valderrama has an expert knowledge of all aspects of golf course
management. He personally supervises every maintenance routine,
as well as the design and carrying out of improvements. His standing
in the specialized field of course superintendent is attested to
by the membership of official working groups and research committees
at the highest level, including the USGA and Royal & Ancient.
Ortiz-Patiño keeps his expertise up-to-date and is as much
at home at a superintendents´ convention or seminar in the
U.S. as anywhere else.
As a result, Valderrama´s fairways have been
described by top professionals and leading writers as the best in
Europe, if not the world. They are covered with the finest strain
of grass, Tifway 419, as are the tees and roughs. On the greens
and aprons, the grass is Penncross, a variety of creeping Bentgrass.
The roughs around the greens are Penncross mixed with three varieties
of Ryegrass.
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