In June 1992, the first of the two 18-hole courses of the Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort was inaugurated, the only links-type course in southern Europe, enjoying exceptional views of the Rock of Gibraltar and the African coast. On the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary, the Cadiz resort has been the scene of a splendid party that gathered in the spacious facilities of its clubhouse more than 300 guests, among whom were prominent figures from the political, business, social and sporting life of the Campo de Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol.
The party was attended, among other authorities, by the mayors of La Línea de la Concepción, Juan Franco, and San Roque, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, as well as directors and other representatives of golf courses in the area. The director of Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort, Juan Pablo Arriaga, spoke about the birth of the resort in 1992 as a distinct golf and residential tourism project and the evolution of the resort to its current configuration with two 18-hole courses (Alcaidesa Links and Alcaidesa Heathland).
The evening celebration, consisting of a phenomenal cocktail-dinner with live music, was preceded in the morning by a pro-am that was won by Sergio Gutiérrez, with Juan Quirós in second place.
Alcaidesa Links
Alcaidesa Links, a course offering spectacular views of Gibraltar and the mountains of northern Morocco, was designed by Peter Allis and Clive Clark. This course has been considerably modified over the years to become one of the most fashionable on the Andalusian coast. The layout has water hazards, especially significant on hole 2, a par 3. The wind also often comes into play, sometimes creating great difficulties for the ball to stay on the fairways, even though they are generally wide.
Alcaidesa Heathland
The prestigious British designer Dave Thomas was the author of the resort’s second course, Alcaidesa Heathland, opened in 2007. The highest part provides a great tee-off to the course, with magnificent views of the surrounding landscape. There is a general movement on this part of the course that encourages attacking golf. The valley provides most of the most spectacular holes, because existing streams could be used in the design and several lakes with waterfalls were created.
Photos courtesy of the digital newspaper alsoldelacosta.com
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