Benahavís can legitimately boast of being the Spanish municipality with the most golf courses per inhabitant. With a population of less than six thousand people, this Costa del Sol town has eleven golf courses and a splendid municipal golf school.
For us, golf,” says María José Guerrero, local tourism councilwoman, “is one of the essential bases of the local economy. This sport is the gateway for most of the tourists who visit us, because our courses are internationally recognized.”
“For this reason, among other things,” he continues, “the City Council of Benahavís created the Municipal Golf School: on the one hand, to promote this sport, and on the other, to provide another service to citizens. And this, to popularize the practice and knowledge of golf, is a very important service, because thanks to golf we also live”.
The Benahavís Golf School, owned by the municipality, has first class facilities for the practice of this sport. Located next to the village, in a sports area next to the river, the driving range has a length of about 180 meters, twelve shooting positions, half of them covered, a large putting green, and an approach area with bunker. It remains open from nine in the morning until almost nine in the evening in summer, and access is free of charge. A bucket of thirty-five balls costs approximately one euro.
The great advantage for the residents of Benahavís is that children registered in the town can receive free lessons in the courses organized by the Municipal Golf School, which is masterfully directed by a young and enthusiastic professional, Manuel Araujo.
“This school is an idea I proposed to the City Council about six years ago,” he says. “We started with four or five children and now we have about seventy. The first ones I started with have grown up, they are now between thirteen and fourteen years old, and have very low handicaps. They have become the reference points for the little ones who start at the age of five or six. They all want to imitate Lurdes, Julio, Jose or Jose Benitez… and be like them, because they are already starting to win tournaments, to have a name on the Andalusian circuit…”
“In addition to the children,” he continues, “also on Wednesdays from ten to one and from five to six there are free classes for adults registered in Benahavís, and on the last Friday of each month we organize a children’s tournament in Tramores, the “executive course” of Villa Padierna.
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