[bakerg]

I am planning a trip for next year and I will have three days open towards the end of it.  I will be arriving back to Heathrow and I am trying to decide whether to go and play Valderamma or Pennard.  Pennard would be pretty straight away as far as travel goes.

Has anyone played Valderrama?  How easy is it getting from Heathrow to Gilbraltar airport and then to the course?  

What else did you play in the area and did you pony up the $150 extra to play the Par 3 course?

Thanks.

[Lloyd_Cole]

Gary

A group of us went down in January 2006.  We had wonderful weather.
We stayed at SaN Roque, which was grander than we needed, there are cheaper alternatives, but SR staff were great and bar with putting green outside was fun.
We played Valderama, San Roque and Sotogrande.
I enjoyed all 3. I don't think any one of the courses alone would merit the trip but the 3 make it an excellent destination. Valderama was the standout - very tough and placement of the tee shot was imperative to scoring. If you don't think trees should ever be integral to GCA then maybe you should go to Pennard, they are in play on almost all holes. It is also quite a beautiful walk with some stunning vistas. The club is a little snooty, which we didn't really appreciate given we were paying almost $$$ (I forget the green fee but it was steep) for the privilege, but all 4 of us were glad we made the trip and I would return.

[bakerg]

Thanks Lloyd.  I am going to be in Scotland for a while so I was looking for a change of pace with Valderamma.  I know Pennard would be easy to do on almost any trip that goes through London.  I am leaning more towards Valderamma this time since I will have the extra days.

I have heard people say good things about Val's setting just not the travel required to get there.

I was also hoping to get over to Bilbao and see the Gehry musuem but that was until I looked at a map of Spain.  Another time..

[Jon Wiggett]

Gary,

I can also recommend Valderama, San Roque and Sotogrande having played them several times. Valderama is tough so you will need to take your A game with you and although the San Roque resort is maybe not as cheap as other places in the area you do get your moneys worth.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Gary,
 I was actually on their website yesterday. The Volvo Master is coming up in a couple weeks and will be on the Golf Channel. I always enjoy seeing Valderrama on TV. I know that they have USGA built, G2 Bentgrass greens and appears they even have bentgrass approaches. One of my Spaniard classmates at Michigan State, Javier Ramos, is the golf course Superintendent. The website says the greens fees are 400 euros=$425 American.

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

[Jim Nugent]

Anthony, 400 Euros are worth a lot more than $425.  More like $560.  

Actually, I just looked on their website as well.  Here are the rates they give...

Green Fee Rates     
October 2007 - Sept 2008
Green Fee (Monday to Friday) No visitors before 10:30h    
275,00 Euros
Weekend Rate - No Visitors before 10:30 h    
300,00 Euros
PGA Professional rate (on showing accreditation)    
180,00 Euros
Valderrama Golf Day Package    
400,00 Euros
 
 
Other Rates    
October 2007 - Sept 2008
Caddy (pre-booking necessary)    
45,00 Euros
Buggy Hire (GPS included)    
60,00 Euros
Electric Trolley (GPS included)    
25,00 Euros
Hand Trolley    
8,00 Euros
Set of Callaway Clubs
(pre booking necessary)    
50,00 Euros
Change to Softspikes    
10,00 Euros

So 18 holes during the week costs a little less than $400.  On weekends a little over $400.  

[Mark Chaplin]

Gary,

I guess when you say your spending sometime in Scotland you are playing some of their great links courses and fancy a change of pace.

Personally I'd miss the "change of pace" through more time at the airport and spend your 3 days in the London area savouring some very special clubs and courses. I'd recommend any of the 3Ws, Woking, Worplesdon and West Hill. New Zealand also in Woking which is a lovely heathlined members club with a very limited membership. The Berkshire and Sunningdale are also neabrby. Apart from Sunningdale they average out around $200 a DAY not a round.

Slightly further afield are West Sussex and some very good tradional links courses on the Kent and Sussex coast at Rye, Littlestone, Sandwich and Deal.
Stay at the reasonably priced & very comfortable www.thehillsidehotel.com a stone throw from the 3Ws.

You will play some great golf, avoid airports, queues and security and may even meet a few London/ SE Based GCA'ers if you so wish.

Mark

ps. Valderrama is is a good choice if you can accept the travel hassles and huge fees.

[bakerg]

Mark,

Thanks for the suggestions.  I actually just came back a few weeks ago from two weeks in England.  I played Sunningdale,Walton Heath, and Swinley Forest while I was near London and then a slew of other courses around the country.  

I actually am going to play one English course this next trip across.  I plan to see Royal Ashdown Forest.  I wanted to get out and explore the other countries since it would be a lot easier with Heathrow's connection/proximity.

The only other route I was looking was to go to Paris for the three days and play Morfontaine.  This will take a bit of work to arrange that round so I am looking at all my options.  

I appreciate everyone's feedback to date.

[Anthony_Nysse]

[quote author]
 The website says the greens fees are 400 euros=$425 American.

Tony Nysse
Sr. Asst. Supt.
Long Cove Club
HHI, SC

Someday I'll proof read my messages...I meant 300 euros...

[JC Jones]

I, too, would highly recommend Valderrama and Sotogrande.  We stayed flew into Malaga and stayed in Marbella as part of a week long vacation.  Therefore I was able to spend alot more time driving to the courses.  I do, however, also recommend the drive along the coast from Malaga to Valderrama.

[Scott Warren]

This picture from Sergio Garcia’s Instagram made me laugh out loud.

WTF is going on with those bunker edges?!

[Thomas Dai]

This picture from Sergio Garcia’s Instagram made me laugh out loud.
WTF is going on with those bunker edges?!

Maybe, given past occurrences, if the said gentleman were get a bit peeved with both the bunker conditioning and the outcome of his subsequent shots he might 're-arrange' the edges etc with his SW?
atb

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