\"Carlos

“Quality and customer service make us different”

After extensive experience managing golf courses in Spain and overseas, Carlos Beautell returns to Finca Cortesín, one of Europe’s finest clubs and one that is rapidly making a name for itself on the international stage thanks to the Volvo World Match Play Championship and the exceptional quality of its amenities.

1 –What does it mean on a personal and professional level to be managing one of Spain’s most prestigious golf courses?

–Being manager of Finca Cortesín is, without a doubt, a great challenge on a professional level because of the demands of the job and the responsibility of continuing to improve a product that is already up there with the best. On a personal level, it is simply a pleasure to be working on the Costa del Sol and somewhere like Finca Cortesín.

2 –What short-term objectives do you have in your new management era at Finca Cortesín?

–In the short term, to maintain the level of maintenance and service we currently offer and, of course, to work towards continuous improvement, by seeking new ways of surprising and looking after our clients. In any event, our main objective is, without a doubt, to boost the number of members by offering the best possible amenities and services. Over the next few months we will be introducing new initiatives and activities to attract the highest number of members possible to our club.

3 –What makes Finca Cortesín stand out from other top courses in Spain, apart from – of course – being the venue for one of the world’s most important tournaments?

–I believe the main difference is, without a doubt, the quality and level of service we offer clients at Finca Cortesín. Our priority is to ensure that a day of golf at Finca Cortesín is a great experience for clients, a day when they feel they are being provided with fantastic service from arrival to departure, and are completely satisfied with the treatment received. To that we can add the maintenance of the golf course, comparable to any first-class course in the world – something that also makes a day of golf at Finca Cortesín almost a unique experience.

4 –What in your opinion is the best hole on the course?

–Difficult choice… I like the 13th, our signature course, for its sheer beauty, but I believe the best course, mixing difficulty, design and beauty, is the par-3 12th.

5 –Next to the golf course, the award-winning hotel is attracting growing recognition and renown due to its famous guests. What distinguishes the hotel from other luxury establishments?

It truly is difficult to explain in words what Hotel Finca Cortesín is all about, because you simply have to come here and see it and enjoy it. I don’t believe there is anything similar in Spain at the moment, as far as quality of service, amenities, fine dining, surroundings and decoration is concerned. It is a very peaceful place, very private with maximum discretion, and a paradise for those with a certain amount of fame who want to disconnect.

6 –You were once a golf pro. How do you feel when you see the best golfers in the world playing at Finca Cortesín?

–The desire to be playing against them, of course. Then I wake up and return to reality, which really isn’t too bad, because being able to organise a tournament such as this one, at a course you run, is a privilege and it’s a pleasure to see the players up close.

7 –What aspects need to be improved as far as golf amenities on the Costa del Sol are concerned, to make the destination even more attractive for golfing tourists?

–I believe the Costa del Sol has, for many years, been the main and best golf destination in Europe, for our climate, our golf courses, the infrastructure, our gastronomy and many other things. But without a doubt the world has evolved. There are numerous new destinations with excellent courses, designed by top players, with incredible hotels and top-quality service, and we have to know how to renew ourselves in order to compete against them. I’m speaking about such places as Turkey, Morocco, Dubai, etc. We need to boost the quality of our service and maintenance, and revamp the design of our courses. Each course has its own level, there is no doubt about that, but it is important that clients are satisfied with the relationship between quality, service and the price they pay. That is the key to success. Lowering prices in an uncontrolled manner is not the solution in my opinion. We have to adapt ourselves to the situation but without losing sight of the fact that clients are seeking a balance between what they pay and what they receive in return, and in the end quality always survives during times of crisis. In my opinion, some terrible things have been done on the Costa del Sol during the past five or six years.

8 –What are the Costa del Sol’s main trump cards in comparison with other cheaper destinations for golf tourism, that is, those that are our most direct competitors?

–Our location is, without a doubt, our main trump card. We’re in Europe, three hours or less by plane from anywhere in Europe, and it is a safe place to travel to. Other trump cards are the quality of the infrastructure, the hotel amenities, the frequency of flights from throughout Europe and the fact we have some of the best golf courses in Spain and Europe within a few kilometres of each other. It’s a solid destination, but one that needs to regain its status.

9 –Can you give me a couple of tips on how to sign a good card around Finca Cortesín?

–I recommend phoning our greenkeeper Ignacio Soto the day before to ensure he positions the tees and flags in the most appropriate place taking into account the wind we have that day. That tends to be effective. Apart from that, hit straight and long from the tee and be a magnificent putter. It’s a great challenge for players of any level to shoot a good round at Finca Cortesín, and that’s what makes it even more attractive.

 

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