Seve was fully involved in the design of what was to become the first of his golfing ‘offshoots’ to open on the Costa del Sol: Los Arqueros. Ballesteros lavished all the pampering on him and went through the estate meter by meter to see how the ideas he had sketched out on the plan would take shape on the ground according to his wishes.
The best Spanish golfer of all time was 34 years old at the time and that season, 1991, he won his sixth European Tour Order of Merit.
Seve’s name continues to be a powerful magnet that attracts thousands of golfers from all over Europe to Los Arqueros, who want to see first-hand the talent that the genius of Pedreña captured in this great course in Costa del Sol.
It is now twenty-five years since the holes of Los Arqueros were first opened for play. The Costa del Sol has changed a lot since then, and numerous golf courses have been added to the already extensive offer of golf facilities in this leading tourist destination in Andalusia. The so-called Costa del Golf then had less than half of the courses existing today, since 1991 around 40 golf courses have been opened (adding all the 27, 18 and 9-hole courses on the coast of Malaga and the Sotogrande area, there are now more than 70).
Tucked between rugged mountain ranges and just 10 minutes from Marbella, the impeccable fairways of Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club are set in a spectacular mountainous landscape where players enjoy an exceptional panoramic view of the Mediterranean.
The philosophy that marked the design of the 18 holes of Los Arqueros was to build a course that, faithfully adjusted to the contours of the terrain, would be in harmony with the natural environment. Seve developed this philosophy to the maximum in the design of the outward and return courses, giving each one of them its own personality. The result: a course that is a challenge for the experienced player and a true test for those new to the game.
The layout forces you to play with precision, especially in some tight tee-offs where you can sacrifice the distance of the drive by opting for shorter irons or woods to secure the ball in the fairway. Particularly tactical is hole 8, a long par 5 with a tight dogleg to the right, on a steep slope to the green accompanied by a dangerous out of bounds that ends in a creek crossing at the entrance to the green. The 13th hole also stands out, with its elevated tee shot that requires an accurate drive with power and direction to the drop zone, protected by bunkers, and where only a well thought out game allows to save the par. Another magnificent hole is 3, with a lake to the left of the fairway and large bunkers dotted to the right, which requires more attention than expected to finish successfully.
However, the sixth hole is the most difficult because, besides being the longest, it has its decisive stroke where the tee begins. Therefore, we find ourselves before a demanding course, with a calculated course and in which one should not be too daring if one wants to fulfill the handicap.
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