The professional golf circuit has many players trained in the Costa del Golf. It is no coincidence that the destination is a breeding ground for outstanding golfers, because of the extensive equipment available in the province of Malaga and the Cadiz area of Sotogrande, with around 70 courses.
Because of their profession, these champions travel around the world to compete in different environments, but few like the Costa del Golf for the practice of this sport. At least that’s what two outstanding golfers tell us, such as Álvaro Quirós and Noemí Jiménez. The former from Guadiaro (Cádiz) and the latter from Marbella, agree in pointing out the destination as “unique” for the practice of the sport in which they are a reference and recognized talents.
“The assessment of golf professionals is as important as honest,” said Elías Bendodo, president of Costa del Sol Tourism, “because their level of demand about the equipment and care of the green is the highest. That is why we are proud that two players of the stature of Quirós and Noemí Jiménez have in such good consideration the courses of the Costa del Golf”.
Bendodo also stressed that evaluations such as these “also support the work of the clubs and companies that strive throughout the year to maintain a level of excellence in our fields, making them an international reference.
Noemí Jiménez will return to the Costa del Golf to participate in the Andalucía Costa del Sol Women’s Golf Open, which last year was won by her countrywoman Azahara Muñoz, whom Noemí considers “a sporting reference to follow”, and with whom she has a very good relationship.
For Jiménez, who is from Marbella, it is very special that this edition is being held in Guadalmina, “a course that I know very well since it was there where I started playing as a child”. Noemí Jiménez has doubly valued the celebration of the Women’s Open in the destination, because it will be “a great occasion for the tourist promotion of the Costa del Golf thanks to the diffusion that it will have; in addition, this type of tournaments are very important so that the level of women’s golf continues to grow”.
In the case of Alvaro Quiros, his stay in Dubai this season has taken him away from the Costa del Golf destination, however he says he is fond of the land, and values the Valderrama course: “it is a course where your game is very demanding, it is a very special place for me because I am from Guadiaro, which is three and a half minutes from Sotogrande. I know the local public and I am very excited to play the Andalucía Valderrama Masters,” said Quirós.
“There is no better place in the world for golf.”
In continuous travel, golf professionals are well aware of the facilities that are spread around the world. Quirós and Jiménez are categorical: “There is no place in the world like the Costa del Sol to play golf because of all it has to offer.”
Álvaro Quirós goes on to enumerate arguments: “good hotels, great climate, the best gastronomic offer, the possibility of playing with sea and mountain views or the nearby presence of an airport”.
Noemí Jiménez underlines the attraction of the destination for the female quota: “many European Tour players come to the Costa del Sol to train here because the climate is perfect for golf all year round, with very good temperatures. And there are others who have settled and live in the province”.
The two professionals, who are locals, know that human treatment is fundamental in the south of Spain.
In short, “Andalusia remains committed to the development of the golf industry with reference courses and a complete offer, where the service sector is very oriented to foreign players, those seeking sun, comfort, relaxation and sport, with an exquisite treatment,” said Alvaro Quiros.
When asked about their favorite courses, these two champions get wet. Noemí Jiménez recalls that she has grown up in Guadalmina “which is ideal for families because it has the academy for children”, but she stays with Finca Cortesín in Casares, which she considers “a privileged course and the service is magnificent, they treat me like a queen”. She also has words for Las Brisas, Los Naranjos, Magna Marbella or La Reserva.
Quirós, for his part, is a native of his homeland: “every time I can I train at Valderrama, the best course in Spain, very awarded and which has hosted the best tournaments, basically because of the conditions in which it is located and because its design is very competitive”. However, he also has other favorites, such as La Cañada, La Reserva Club Sotogrande, San Roque Golf Club, Aloha Golf or Las Brisas.
Two champions formed in destiny
Noemí Jiménez was born in Marbella in 1993. When she was just over a year old she made her first swings with the mop stick and the balls from the Christmas tree. At the age of 6 she started playing at the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, following her father’s passion. After her time at the University of Arizona and turning professional, the Malaga native has become one of the jewels of Spanish women’s golf, one of the players with the greatest international projection. Her goal this season is to reach the top 20 of the Ladies European Tour ranking and fight for a title.
Alvaro Quiros was born in Guadiaro (San Roque) in 1983. He has been one of the most important Spanish players of the last two decades. With his powerful drive, he chained 6 victories between 2006 and 2011, including the Dubai World Championship, and reached number 21 in the world ranking. After several wrist injuries, he is back on course, since after more than 5 years he has returned to win a European Tour tournament that guarantees him the tour card.
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