Course construction, hilly Spain

[Thomas Dai]

I recently made a trip to South Eastern Spain. An interesting golfing experience, very different to my usual preferred brand of remoter/rustic GB&I courses.

As I'd not been to the area before I wanted to play a few courses of differing character and differing pricing, as although the flights to get there might be cheap, the cost of playing top-end golf in Spain is anything but. Having also seen plenty of magazine photos of Spanish courses built on what seemed pretty extreme terrain, I wanted to experience them at firsthand.

Ignoring the golf itself and any comparisons to the sort of classic courses regularly discussed herein, the aspect that really intrigued me was the routing and course construction of some of the hilly courses, and they are hilly, really hilly, buggy or no play style, mountain goat territory, with what looked like very poor soil too and not much rain water either.

Below are a few general photos. The courses are Calanova and La Cala. The former I played, and was a laugh a minute, crazy hoot of the once in a lifetime never to be forgotten variety. The latter, which is a bit more upmarket, I just walked around parts of. I also played some flatter courses, the best being San Roque New, which I thought very fine indeed. Much flatter than the two mentioned above, indeed very walkable, and although very different to my usual slightly rural rustic GB&I favourites, nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable. I'll post some photos of SR-N in due course. I didn't play any of the main big name courses in the area, the Valderama's and Sotogrande's etc, there greenfee's being far too high.

As I mentioned above, it's the routing/construction/maintenance aspects of courses like these that intrigue me so if anyone could throw some light on the processes involved in laying out, building and maintaining courses on such terrain it would be appreciated.

I'd also like to mention the grass type. No idea of it's name but several of the courses I played had think, clingy style of grass for the fairways and rough - the ball would sit up nicely, but there was no roll on a shot to the extent that the chase and bounce game was out of the question. What grass type would this have been? SR-N had different grasses, so roll and chase was possible.

atb



As you can see, hundreds of feet of elevation change.



Many terraced holes.



Continuous change in height.



Apartments on some of the surrounding hillsides - mostly unoccupied, such is the present economic situation



Below - photo taken from above the 18th green at Calanova. The slope from the green up the clubhouse is ski-slope like.



Below - a general photo La Cala



atb

[Adrian_Stiff]

Thomas - When were you here? I live within a mile of Calanova and play a bit at La Cala for half the winter.

The land is very steep, too steep for the sort of courses that spark the flames for the GCAer, though 90% probably more will think they are great. La Cala Europa the newer of the three courses is actually pretty good, I quite like the front nine on the America (old name was North) but the back nine and almost all off the Asia (old name South) needs a bloody good reconstruction and IMO a lot could be done to improve it.

But why? its a money maker and on a good day takes €50,000 in green fees and cart income......so there are enough likers.

Myself I always think of this equation. In January would I rather walk around Porthcawl in a squall, where you can hardly feel your hands or would I like to sit in a buggy and drive around a Costa del soller in a pair of shorts, drink a couple of bottle of water, then pop into 'fish on the beach' have a grilled swordfish, bottle of red wine then back to the local pub to watch the football with the Britts. I know what 90% (perhaps more) would choose.....that SUN really helps make up for some Doak2 golf.

The economy down here is okay, house prices are well off the bottom and in 12-18 months we could be back to boomtown.

Only 10% of houses are occupied as they are often second homes. From Gibralta to Torremolinos its virtually one city 100 miles long and 2 miles wide, the better flatter land is towards Gib.

I don't think Calanova is too bad when you get to know it, its quite quirky, but totally unwalkable....that up to 18 is 200 feet I think. I have to applaud the design in many ways as the land is so steep the result is good, the downhill 4th hole just needs to be played sensibily though that green must be tempting for some off the tee.

San Roque New I like, for me its one of the best. Some really nice holes that dont rely on two big shots. The older one I am not so keen.

Bermuda is main grass, but yes you dont get much run, greens are mainly creeping bent and chipping as we know it is a no-no, but thats pretty normal for the rest of the world.

[Thomas Dai]

Just back Adrian, and jeez it was bloody cold. Never thought it would be so cold. Jackets mostly and even woolly hats at times. Strong wind blowing over snow covered mountains probably had something to do with it. The bright Spanish sun was a redeeming feature though.

Like you mention, I also admire the construction etc of courses on such extreme land. Driving up some of those steep hills I half expected to meet Franz Klammer, circa 1976, skiing downhill towards me. To get any kind of course on such terrain seems to be an achievement and to produce one that raises the kind of revenue you mention is a damn good effort, even though some folk may dismiss it in pure golfing terms. As to the golf, it's different, which makes it thought provoking, like the 4th at Calanova, no easy up-n-down if you miss the green even after laying up, and some occasional variety is always nice.

Would I be correct in assuming that they bulldoze/blast the tops off the ridges to make them flattish and push down the spoil to make the terraces etc? Quite a construction effort however they do it. Must be interesting from the irrigation-pipework perspective and also from any storm run-off water which must move pretty quickly downhill on such terrain.

Looked like there were some pretty nice pitch-n-putt courses around too, more suited to such terrain maybe (?), the ones at La Cala and Alhaurin, the main course of which I didn't play, looked like the kind of places you could really sharpen up your short game and have a whole bunch of fun at the same time. Cheap to play too I was told.

Bermuda grass. Thank you for this. I'm a ground game player for choice so it took a little adjustment, but then again, some occasional variety to the norm is nice.

I'll PM you some other details.

Atb

[Ben Lovett]

I don't see to,enjoy playing La Cala North, the tee shot from up near the old lake driving range was always fun. It is one of the better designed hilly courses but I believe new buildings have infringed on play a fair bit. I've seen the par 5 18th play drive wedge with the drive going over some apartments!
Alhaurin is the course the course if legend has it Seve turned up asked who designed this dump, only to be told it was him!
Santana is probably the best course in the area although I hear good things about the remodeled Lagos at Mijas