\"Felipe

“I’m very calm and relaxed about not continuing as Valderrama president”

After six years in the position, Felipe Ortiz-Patiño has stepped aside as president of Valderrama Golf Club. He did not put his name forward to head any list of candidates in the recent elections to choose a new executive committee.

From the start of May, Nuno de Brito e Cunha is the new president of Spain’s most iconic club – for many years recognised by experts as the number one course in continental Europe.

What do you have planned for the future?

–My future remains in the world of golf. I will continue to be associated with Andalucía and Spain and, even though I’m not at the helm of Valderrama any more, I will be close to the club.

At what stage is the sale of Valderrama S.A. or its headquarters – that is, the tenancy of the club’s installations?

–I don’t know. I have no involvement in this operation, nor have I previously been involved at any time, so I don’t know what is happening. What I do know, because this is what all the members and some sections of the media know, is that a sales pre-agreement was announced in July and the final agreement in September, with payment due in December. It’s now the end of April and still nothing has been done.

“Valderrama is the best championship course in Europe and I believe our club will continue to be the venue for major events”

Does this all mean that, in some way, the Patiño family is leaving Valderrama?

–No, as I just noted, nothing has been done yet; and, in any event, if my father decides to sell the ownership, the club – of which I am a member – will have a very special interest in buying it.

You have been a part of the club’s life for a long time…

–Yes, I joined the executive committee in 1994, I believe. I was vice president for more than 10 years, and president from 2006.

Under your presidency, the same as under your father’s, major tournaments have been held here: the Ryder Cup, American Express World Golf Championships, Volvo Masters, Andalucía Valderrama Masters, etc. Do you believe this will continue, that this iconic club will still host major tournaments?

–Valderrama is the best championship course in Europe – it has a unique history – and in that respect I believe our club will continue to be the venue for major events. I know the members of the new executive committee very well and I believe the club will continue to follow the same line. The Andalucía Valderrama Masters was the most important tournament held in Spain last year so, if it is possible and eco- nomically viable, the tournament should continue.

So it’s true you want to organise this tournament?

–The club knows perfectly well my position in relation to the tournament. I believe we have demonstrated our capacity to hold these kinds of tournaments. So, if the club decides to continue with the tournament, I have offered my services to help them and organise it.

What was the response?

–The elections have just been held recently and it is still too soon for the club to make a decision in this respect. The new committee will have to study the whole situation.

On a personal level, do you feel you have ended an important stage in your life? Does all this make you sad or nostalgic or, on the contrary, do you feel relaxed, as if you have been freed from a significant responsibility?

–I’m very relaxed. I have the feeling that during all these years my contribution to the club has been very positive, first as vice president, allowing our president to take centre stage and have the prominence that his position and experience warranted, and from 2006 as president. I’m convinced that without my contribution Valderrama would not be what it is. We have achieved very good things before and after I became president – for example, the Ryder Cup, the American Express World Golf Championships, the return of the Volvo Masters in 2002, the creation of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters – as well as maintaining the level of quality and service, and the rankings in which Valderrama appears as the best course in Europe, etc.

We have also consolidated a very privileged relationship with the Andalucian regional government, one that I believe is unique. That a golf club like ours has such a relationship with the government is relevant and worth highlighting. I am very proud of the fact that our importance in the tourism industry and promotion of the region, and country, is recognised at a government level.

The club has also consolidated its status. In the most recent European ranking published over Easter, Valderrama was once again in first place among continental European courses, which represents an endorsement of our work and the way we do things. I’m relaxed and calm about leaving the presidency.

In that respect, do you believe the club will not let down its guard, that it will be determined to remain a reference point in Europe?

–I’m convinced it will. There are other examples of legendary clubs that have changed their president and have continued on the same path. Even though I don’t have any official responsibility in the club I will contribute in any way I can to ensure Valderrama remains what it is today: the best golf course in Spain and continental Europe, and one of the best in the world.