I am seeing some expansion of discussion here.
I played about 10 rounds in this area on my trip in 2011.
I have played a lot of courses in Southern California with significant elevation changes and courses in the Pacific Northwest with elevation changes and an abundance of trees. Finca Cortesin reminded me of an exaggerated version some of the sites in Southern California such as Maderas Golf Club, The Crosby Club, or Golf Club of California. I was glad to play it once but would be unlikely to return to the course if I went back to the atea.
Valderrama was about 300 euros. I played it about three weeks before a European Tour event, won by Sergio Garcia and I followed one round of the event. It included many of the design features of Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses I have played in North America. Sprawling, lower growing oaks with large canopies reduce the area of fairways from which greens are accessible and require careful placement of tee shots. Rough had grown in long to prepare for the tournament and fairways were narrowed. It had lots of striking elevation changes but not to to the scale of Finca Cortesin. I think Valderrama was the most beautiful very
difficult course I have ever played.
Sotogrande had a lot of the design features of Valderrama and some of the beauty and less of the difficulty for about half the price. I would happily play it again if I returned to the area.
I considered myself fortunate to be able to play both of these RTJ courses.
La Reserva had a back nine that had elevation changes which were less severe than FInca Cortesin. I would call the front nine hilly but less so than the back nine. I played it twice. The cost was about 3/4 the cost of Sotogrande. The Cabell Robinson design had some of the look and feel of what I like about RTJ designs. I really enjoyed the hilliness of the back nine and the tree lined fairways on many of the holes. The tee shot on number 15 is one of the most memorable tee shots I have had to hit. I looked forward to my return a few days later to play the hole again. I also enjoyed the uphill par five of the same nine, along with 12 and 13. The front nine was quite enjoyable and challenging and provided a prolonged introduction to the course but the back nine was my favorite of the two. It was a difficult walk but I did walk it twice.
After reading this thread, the other day, I went to sleep at night and dreamed I was playing the back nine at La Reserva.
San Roque Old was the first course I played. It had many challenging holes, less severe than Pete Dye courses in California in the desert. It was designed by a Dye family member I think, with collaboration from Seve Ballesteros. A par three had Seve's tee and a monument on the front nine. The course had beautiful vistas of the Mediterranean. I would play it again and liked it better than the other San Roque course.
There was a local muni course called Rancho Canada. The back nine was built by Robert Trent Jones for the employees of other clubs. The course at the time of a group of some of the best junior players in Spain. Alvaro Quiros learned to play there. The back nine was not well maintained but had some of the same distinctive elements as other RTJ courses. I enjoyed my time playing there. The employees I spoke with at other courses beamed when I expressed my fondness for what was their club.
I stayed at Club Maritimo de Sotogrande and could see The Rock of Gibraltar. I did one day trip to Ronda, an old town in the hills frequented by Ernest Hemingway for many years. It is one of several towns called the white towns due to stuckoed white dwellings built on cliffs.
There was another course, then called Arcos Gardens, near Arcos de la Frontera where I stayed and played twice on my way to Portugal. The course was built by Landmark and was quite hilly with olive groves on nearby hillsides and Arcos de la Frontera visible in the distance. It would be too far for a day trip from Marbella.
I think this is a good area to travel to for someone interested in seeing Robert Trent Jones courses.
Charles Lund