Vicente Rubio, president of Finca Cortesín Hotel, Golf & Spa

“WE DON’T RULE OUT ONCE AGAIN HOSTING THE VOLVO WOLD MATCH PLAY CHA”

Finca Cortesín could be the venue for a future edition of the Volvo World Match Play Championship – the international tournament held at the spectacular Costa del Sol resort on three occasions. According to president Vicente Rubio, the quality and format of the championship make it the ideal competition for Finca Cortesín. He also doesn’t rule out the possibility of hosting another major, international-level tournament.

Vicente Rubio says he is satisfied with the resort’s progress in 2012. “It was a good year for Finca Cortesín in general. In spite of the delicate economic situation we experienced growth in number of clients and revenue during 2012, which is a very positive result. We also increased our average prices, both for the hotel and the golf course, which is our main objective in order to position the Finca Cortesín brand as a standard-bearer for hospitality, quality and service on the Costa del Sol and Spain.”

- Could it be said that Finca Cortesín’s philosophy hasn’t changed in these years since its inauguration?

- After six years running the golf course and four years the hotel, we are certain that offering our clients maximum quality, both amenities and services, is the correct formula to make us stand out from the rest and achieve the objectives that the company has set. Our philosophy has been the same right from the start and we are convinced it works – and the results show that. We have probably one of the best resorts in Europe, offering a level of service that is difficult to match.

On the golf course we take care to ensure maintenance is of the highest quality possible – a key reason for our success – and we offer a service that is a first for Spain and has been copied by many, which gives us a lot of satisfaction. At Finca Cortesín we don’t sell rooms and green fees: we sell a unique experience that our clients remember for a long time, and that is why they always want to return. We have a very high rate of return guests, which indicates that we are doing things correctly and are on the right track. It’s a perfect combination for the most demanding and discerning clients.

- Last year was the last Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesín. How do you value the tournament, and what has been its effect on the resort?

- Holding the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship was for us a great success, taking into account the fact that it was the only major tournament held in Spain with a world-class field. This was even more meritorious bearing in mind that in 2012 various other European Tour events scheduled for Spain were cancelled.

All the editions of the Volvo World Match Play held at Finca Cortesín lacked institutional support, which was disappointing for us, and after the last edition a major handicap in negotiating a new contract. This year’s tournament is being held in Bulgaria, thanks to the great support received from the Bulgarian government, which is providing three million euros to hold this prestigious tournament in its country.

With more institutional support it’s quite possible we would have been able to keep this great tournament at Finca Cortesín. It should be pointed out that, unfortunately, in 2013 Spain is hosting only one European Tour event, of the seven originally planned for 2012, and that’s bad news for golf and tourism in Spain.

As a general evaluation of those three years, holding a tournament of that category at Finca Cortesín has enabled us to position our resort in the golf and tourism industry much quicker and more effectively at a global level. It was also an enriching experience, which has helped us improve the course in a significant way, establishing it at the same level as the best courses in Europe when it comes to maintenance and design.

- Is Finca Cortesín planning to host another international-level tournament?

- As I have observed on many occasions, holding a major tournament has had a very positive impact on how the Finca Cortesín brand has been created and positioned. Our idea, in the not too distant future, is to host a top-level international that fits in with our profile and work philosophy. We also don’t rule out once again hosting the Volvo World Match Play in its new format moving around different venues, but we need to see how it develops over the next few editions. We believe the quality and format of the championship make it the ideal competition for Finca Cortesín.