Aloha brought Lee Westwood luck when he set the record in 2007. of the course with 64 strokes and won the Open de Andalucía, of the European Tour. The English player ended in the magnificent Marbella golf club with a drought of victories and then began a streak of victories and good results that would lead him to become number one in the world.
Nestled in Marbella’s Golf Valley, in the Nueva Andalucía macro-urbanization, behind the famous Puerto Banús, Aloha Golf Club, the posthumous work of Javier Arana, was born in 1975. In parkland style, this par 72 of 6,293 meters sits on an undulating terrain dotted with some lakes and runs between a colorful and varied grove that gives the course a great scenic beauty, also seasoned with spectacular views of the Sierra de La Concha and the Mediterranean. The seal of the brilliant Basque designer was not only reflected in the splendid route, but also in the choice of the type of trees and plants that would populate the course, with the idea of being able to enjoy flowering species at any time of the year.
This course has been the scene of several major international professional tournaments. The first was the Benson and Hedges Trophy in 1989, a mixed competition sanctioned by the men’s and women’s European Tours, which resulted in a Spanish triumph for the couple formed by Xonia Wunsch and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
Aloha has also hosted three times the Andalusia Open, a European Tour tournament, and also a Women’s Spanish Open, belonging to the Ladies European Tour. The first Open de Andalucía, held in 2007, was won by Englishman Lee Westwood with a total of 268 strokes, 20 under par. That victory was a turning point in his career, which culminated in his elevation to world number one, dethroning Tiger Woods himself a couple of years after his victory at Aloha.
In 2008, the victory at the Marbella club went to the Frenchman Thomas Levet, with 272 strokes, after a playoff against Oliver Fisher. The third event of that tournament in Aloha took place in 2012 and ended with another French victory, that of Julien Quesne, with an overall score of 271 strokes.
The Women’s Spanish Open, held here in 2016, was won for the first time by a Spaniard, and also by a player from Malaga who grew up very close to Aloha, Azahara Muñoz. The great golfer from Marbella won, with 278 strokes, 10 under par, to the American Beth Allen by one stroke difference in a very exciting end of the tournament.
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THE FIELD
The Aloha course stands out for the exuberant nature dotted along the layout, which features wide fairways and difficult greens. To complicate the game, majestic trees stand in the middle of some of the fairways. For players who play the fairways straight, Aloha should not present any major complications, but strong hitters will have to think more than once when hitting the ball. Hole 1 is unique in its beauty. The player will have to place all his shots to the right to avoid the out of bounds and to be able to access a green covered by bunkers.
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PRO-AM MIGUEL ÁNGEL JIMÉNEZ ANDRÉS JIMÉNEZ MEMORIAL
This emblematic Marbella club, directed by the agronomist Juan Alvarez, hosts one of the oldest pro-ams in Spain, the Pro-Am Miguel Angel Jimenez – Memorial Andres Jimenez, formerly Memorial Salvador Balbuena. By the way, the great golfer from Churriana gives his name to the first hole of Aloha. The tournament has celebrated its fortieth anniversary this year.
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SOCIAL LIFE
In addition to a course of undoubted quality, Aloha is renowned for its lively, intense and cosmopolitan social life. The club is private – it has around 1,200 members, with multiple nationalities represented, predominantly British, Scandinavian and Spanish – but is also open to green fee visitors. Among other facilities, it has a gym, outdoor swimming pool, pro shop, golf school and restaurant. Andrés Jiménez, Juanjo Mangas and Iván Mangas give individual, couples and group lessons. On weekends and in the summer months, the children’s school plays an important role, allowing the youngest players to practice all the game’s strokes both on the driving range and on the 9-hole short course, ideal for these purposes.
The meeting place for members is located in the magnificent clubhouse, where a large terrace overlooking the countryside, as well as the comfortable interior lounges, make up a very cozy set, which makes it difficult to leave and not extend our stay a little more.
In an adjoining building are the caddy master’s facilities and the locker rooms. The latter have been described, in the words of the professional Gonzalo Fernández Castaño, as “some of the best changing rooms on the European Tour”, which says everything about their spaciousness (they have a sauna and a relaxation room), their design, quality and service.
To stay in shape, the club has the Aloha Fitness Club, where you can practice a multitude of activities (pilates, yoga, strength training, bike, corebar, outdoor…) and has a personal trainer.
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THE PRESIDENT’S VISION
The president of Aloha Golf, Rafael Fontán, whose successful work at the head of the club has been endorsed by the majority and repeatedly by the members since 2010, is very excited about the celebration of the Open de España Femenino in this course. “For us,” he says, “it is an honor and a joy that the great players of the Ladies European Tour compete here and enjoy our hospitality.”
“This year,” he continues, “the prize money has been increased and we hope it will be a success in terms of participation of quality players. We also believe that the success of Europe in the Solheim Cup can encourage many fans to attend the Open de España Femenino”.
Regarding the course designed by Javier Arana, he comments that “it is in very good condition” and points out that “everyone has congratulated us during the summer”. He emphasizes that “we have a complete Bermuda course, with wall and perfect Agrostis greens”.
Regarding the in-depth refurbishment and redecoration of the clubhouse, he says that “we now have the 21st century facilities that Aloha required”.
Regarding the club’s progress, its president says that “it is going very well, we are very happy, we have a significant number of new members this year and I sincerely believe that everything we have done is contributing to this increase”.
“The club,” he adds, “continues to have social events with record participation, because the truth is that it is incredible how many members and friends of members come. It has been a very positive summer, the restaurant has had a lot of customers and we are very satisfied with how the club is doing.
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POSTHUMOUS WORK OF JAVIER ARANA
Basque designer Javier Arana is an essential figure in Spanish golf. Aloha was his last work, inaugurated a few months after his death in 1975, at the age of 70.
Arana was a pioneer in the modernization of Spanish golf, a sport to which he arrived after a brilliant career in the world of sailing (he participated in this discipline in the Amsterdam Olympic Games in 1926). International amateur champion, captain of national teams, international referee, founder of the Spanish Golf Federation, leading designer of golf courses in Spain and one of the most internationally recognized, some of his works are included in many lists of the best courses in the world.
The designer from Bilbao was directly responsible for a dozen courses, among the best in Spain, all of them designed to attract players of all levels thanks to the intelligent use of design elements to defend the par at a time when it was essential to combine good design with economy in construction and conservation, a fundamental element for Arana to enjoy golf.
Among the great courses designed by Arana are, in addition to Aloha, El Saler, Cerdanya, Ulzama, El Prat, Neguri, Río Real, RACE, the black course of the Club de Campo de Madrid and the south course of Guadalmina.
With no academic training in engineering or architecture (he was a lawyer), he learned from the English a style that he would put into practice by making a third of the fields that were built in Spain from after the Civil War until 1962. “The least interference with nature is desirable, since nature is the best architect in most cases,” Arana reflected in one of his rare writings on his principles. They are courses designed not only for the player’s physical effort, but also for his mental ability, courses of “difficult par, easy bogey,” the author emphasizes.
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