It’s a demanding task, but he has broad enough shoulders to – in the nicest sense of the word – cope with the huge membership at one of the Costa del Sol’s flagship clubs, Real Club de Golf Guadalmina in Marbella.

- 1 Running a club with so many members – more than 2,000 at Guadalmina – do you ever have the opportunity of taking a day off, or is that impossible?

–Being a golf club manager means you have to dedicate all your time to the job. During normal working hours you have to deal with any incident that occurs and, when the members go home, you remain behind reviewing matters and planning for the future, both short and mediumterm. It’s common in this job to receive more complaints than praise. If everything is working well, it goes without saying that it should be anyway, and, if something turns out bad, and with so many members the probability of that occurring is high, you have to be ready to try to solve the problem or deal with the complaints. The only way to succeed is to dedicate yourself body and soul to the job and have a good team that helps you with your work.

- 2 How is a “royal” club like yours dealing with the crisis?

- The crisis is putting all clubs in a situation most of us have never experienced before, due to the nature of this particular one. At Guadalmina we have we been making decisions since 2009 aimed at handling each year in as calm a way as possible, adjusting costs and trying to optimise revenue. At the moment, thanks to the financial structure of Guadalmina, with a very significant contribution from the membership fees, reinforced by our cost-saving policies we have been able to achieve better results in both 2010 and 2011. The current year is progressing better than the previous one, due in part to improved weather and the fact that Costa del Sol amenities are adapting to the situation, becoming more attractive to golfers from the source markets.

- 3 What, in your opinion, are the main qualities that ha- ve defined Guadalmina Golf in its 50- year history?

– Guadalmina offers a club with history and a magnificent social life, with more than 400 tournaments a year, and at the same time two layouts – the North and especially the South – of a high quality, enabling all kinds of people to enjoy a pleasant golf experience, a pitch and putt course, and practice amenities that complement Guadalmina’s other exceptional facilities. The Real Club de Golf Guadalmina team also aims to offer personalised service, both to members and visitors, and that is hugely appreciated. The restaurant/catering side is another strong aspect of Guadalmina.

- 4 What is it you like most about your profession?

- Since starting in golf club management in 1992, I have always said that this kind of work is very much a profession. In my case, being involved in a profession like this, involving service and looking after the public, is what motivates me. I have always believed that there is nothing better than trying to make other people’s lives more pleasant and, to that end, I should once again note that to fulfil this mission you need the support around you of a team. In my own case, in addition, one of the aspects of my work that is most satisfying is collaborating with the Guadalmina Children’s School. At times it is difficult work but the satisfaction of seeing youngsters become interested in golf and, why not say it, watching them triumph, fills me with pride.

5 What does a course need to do to stand out from its competition?

-In my opinion, take full advantage of that which makes you different: in some cases, the course; in others, the social life, the surroundings, the exclusivity… etc. Once you have highlighted what makes you stand out, strengthen it and let people know about it using all the means at your disposal.

- 6 What are the most common complaints by golfers playing on the Costa del Sol?

- The complaints are extremely varied. In some cases, slow play. Whether it be a golfer on holiday or a regular player, they always have the impression that the course is “playing very slow”, and they ask why we don’t do anything to prevent that. As for the state of the courses, it is true that there are complaints but I believe that, in most cases, the Costa del Sol’s courses are in good playing condition.

- 7 What does the Costa del Sol need to do to maintain its leadership as a European golf- tourism destination?

- Remain committed to providing quality service, and significantly improve its capacity to communicate that message of excellence to the source markets. Maintain the relationship between quality and price which we have at the moment, and look for activities and amenities that complement golf in order to ensure a golfer’s companion is also interested in visiting us.

- 8 How do you see the future of Andalucian golf in the short term?

- I’m calm and relaxed about the future of Andalucian golf, but at the same time I’m worried not to see any progression in the industry’s future. The authorities have still not made a decision committing themselves to the development of this great industry. It’s true that this is an activity which attracts controversial opinions, but I believe it is worth studying the possibility of devising a Management Plan for the Development of Golf in Andalucía.

- 9 Why should someone choose Guadalmina, and not other Costa del Sol courses, to play golf?

- Because you shouldn’t miss the opportunity of playing one of the Coast’s flagship clubs, and who knows… you might even end up staying, as others already have.