The 1980s were drawing to a close when a small group of golfers headed by engineer Colin Mosely decided to embark on the adventure of building a golf course in Marbella. The first step was to find a plot, and they ended up choosing one of the most attractive areas in the municipality, Elviria. At the time, the Costa del Sol had barely 20 golf courses – not even one-third of the current total – and Marbella had the highest number of courses of any municipality in Spain.

Although the chosen site was considerably larger than intended, it was considered to be particularly appealing, offering superb views of the mountains and sea and situated amongst dense pine and cork oak forests. 

Access to the site from the N340 coastal highway was excellent and perhaps the best along the whole coast. It was known that a new motorway network was planned and this would further enhance accessibility. Another major consideration was the fact that the project was in Marbella municipality, and was well served by international airports and only two and a half hours air travel from most European capitals.

Despite the existing large number of golf courses in the area, there remained a shortfall in supply and some green fees were excessively high, with some clubs not accepting group bookings.

The proliferation of time-share developments was resulting in a higher market demand for golf. Equally, there was a substantial increase in the number of non-British golfers playing the sport. Previously, the golf market had been dominated by the British. However, German, Scandinavian and Spanish players were beginning to create an important new market. Andalucía’s tourism authorities were encouraging golf course development in the area and they wanted to see at least 10 new courses on the Costa del Sol over the next five years.

It was known that 1992 would be an important year for Spain with the Sevilla Expo, the Olympic Games in Barcelona and other activities which would stimulate the economy and attract international interest. At the time, market influences for the area were all positive and gave rise to confidence for the successful outcome of the company’s development plans.

In July 1989, initial planning approval for the entire scheme was granted by Marbella Town Hall. During this process, all the documents were revised to incorporate negotiated changes and the scheme was finally approved through the College of Architects.

A Question of Style

Some time ago, a well-known ex-Ryder Cup player and famous TV golf commentator wrote:

“Here at Santa María Golf & Country Club I’m looking forward to watching and listening to people, admiring the views and enjoying the beauty and tranquillity without the hassle of trying to hole that three-footer. This really is a delight. The trees, the comfort, even the gentility which is something missing in life today. To be here and to enjoy it will be something very special. There are so many things to do and they all marry in beautifully – the Ryder Room, the Cotton Bar, the tennis and the bowls.

“I was brought up in a golfing atmosphere and one of the things I miss is the club life. When I was winning tournaments I was the professional at Parkstone overlooking Poole Harbour and one had to face the members. To be truthful, one did not love them at all. If you had done badly you always bumped into the wrong person. ‘Oh, I see you didn’t do very well…?’ They forgot the times you did 68 and only remembered when you did 79. But that was all part of learning and growing up and listening to the tales and watching all the little nuances that went on in the clubhouse. The mild flirtation… the arguments with the steward… the fiery secretary… the slightly dozy golf pro… the green-keeper who knew every blade of grass on the course but did not have a mass of diplomas to prove that he knew his job. All those things seemed to fit into place so wonderfully well.

“But I think here at Santa María Golf & County Club there is an opportunity of recreating that lovely world which some people nowadays sadly think is gone. It is called – STYLE.” 

Yes, you guessed right: it was Peter Allis, one of the world’s best ambassadors for our game of golf.

These words were written more than 20 years ago, so what has happened since?

Well, a visit to Santa María will confirm these words and you will find the club to be one of the friendliest on the Coast. The aim was to maintain the family atmosphere that was created in the early days and to ensure that members still enjoyed coming to the club, either to play golf or for a drink and a chat.

Santa María Golf has a truly international membership with a wide range of different nationalities. From the very beginning, the integration of members was encouraged by mixing people in some of the tournaments, particularly the Sunday Texas scrambles and stableford competitions. Members were mixed with visitors and so golfers met each other – they played, they talked and made friends – and that was and still is the essence of Santa María.

The president Mr Abdullah Saudi is a well-known banker and also a keen golfer.

Colin Mosely was the golf director at Santa María Golf & Country Club from its very inception and has seen it through the good and the difficult times. Although Colin is now semi-retired, he remains a member of the management team and works in a consultative capacity.

The current golf director is Alfredo Ramiro Oregui, who is well known to the members. Alfredo was the accountant for many years and continues to provide this service. 

Problems and Solutions

In the early years, the company suffered badly from several forest fires. The first and worst of these happened in September 1987 and destroyed about 200 hectares. This occurred before the golf course was built so there was little protection. It is now recognised that a well-irrigated golf course is the best form of fire break.

Other problems dealt with concerned damage caused by wild boar. The installation of electric perimeter fencing has proved successful, with no damage for the last decade.

Four projects which had a major impact on the golf course included the depuradora (sewage treatment plant), the removal of pylons and re-routing high tension power cables underground, the construction of the autopista (tollway) and the new bridge which provides the link between property to the east and west of the original golf course.

Construction of the depuradora caused few problems except for the occasional smell. Now that third stage treatment has been installed to purify the water, there is little or no smell and the growth of trees serves to effectively camouflage the installation. The recycled water is mainly for golf course irrigation, and most golf courses on the Costa del Sol now use treated water.

The year 1998 was a difficult one for the golf course, and the maintenance staff were involved with abnormal work concerned with the autopista, the installation of new underground high tension cables across the golf course, and various repair works associated with the real estate infrastructure building programme. 

Construction of the autopista started in 1997. Three holes were affected by the work: the fifth, sixth and 15th, and to a small extent the 14th.

The company was successful in winning a battle with the builders, Autopista del Sol, to have a tunnel of about 150 metres in length built to minimise the visual and sound impact and to preserve the beauty of the environment. A great deal of planning was involved and, thankfully, there was no break in the continuous play of 18 holes. Satisfactory solutions were reached concerning the four holes affected, and the tees of the sixth and 15th were substantially increased in size.

The bridge, 130 metres in length, linking the property to the east and west of the original golf course has proved a success with very little impact on golf and, like all good designs, it looks as if it has always been there.

Location

Situated near one of Marbella’s best beaches, Santa María enjoys a privileged position within a beautiful natural environment. Only five minutes drive from the very heart of Marbella and the cosmopolitan Puerto Banús, it has easy access to national road links and international airports at Málaga and Gibraltar.

With only a short walk to the beach, past the convenient Elviria shopping centre, the location is second to none.

Clubhouse

The clubhouse is an impressive two-storey 19th century Spanish cortijo (country house) and is surrounded by extensive mature gardens. The outdoor facilities include two tennis hard courts, two practice putting greens and practice nets. Inside the main clubhouse are the administration offices, a billiards room and a large lounge area. 

A few years ago, a new restaurant was built, Hoyo 19 (19th Hole), offering stunning views over the golf course, and a spacious and well-stocked pro shop and caddy master’s area was created. Recently a major refurbishment of the shop and changing rooms has been carried out.

Members

The benefits available to members include peak tee times, club competitions (normally on Wednesday and Sundays) and league matches. There are 18 Honours Board competitions each year, with the club championship played over two days. Other benefits include social activities and organised away days to other golf venues. Dinner dances are held at Easter in conjunction with the 007 Cup sponsored by Maggie Bond, and other events take place on Captain’s Day and during the club championship. Also available are tennis, billiards, sauna and restaurant discounts. 

There are several membership options available including basic and unlimited. The club’s professional offers private or group coaching in English and Spanish, and club repairs/re-gripping is also available.

The membership is represented by a committee who meet monthly, with the exception of summer. 

In the early part of 2007, the president of Santa María, Abdullah Saudi, announced that he would like to see organised an annual event by invitation to thank all those people who had made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the club.

Thus was born the President’s Trophy, which has been held every year, at the start of autumn, for a decade and is now a major sporting and social event.