“Quality and great customer service is what sets us apart.”
With extensive experience in golf course management and having managed several golf courses in Spain and abroad, Carlos Beautell returns to Finca Cortesín, one of the great European clubs that is gaining more and more international relevance thanks to the Volvo World Match Play Championship and the quality of all its facilities.
1 -What does it mean on a personal and professional level to be the director of one of the most prestigious golf courses in Spain?
-Being director of Finca Cortesín is undoubtedly a great challenge on a professional level because of the demands of the position and the responsibility that comes with continuing to improve a product that is already at the height of the best. On a personal level, it is simply a pleasure to work on the Costa del Sol and in a place like Finca Cortesín.
2 -What short-term objectives have you set for your new management phase at Finca Cortesín?
-In the short term is to maintain the level of maintenance and service we already have and of course work on achieving continuous improvement, looking for new ways to surprise and take care of our customers. In any case, our main objective is undoubtedly to increase our number of members by offering the best possible facilities and services. In the coming months we will do new activities and actions to attract the largest number of potential members to our Club.
3 -What differentiates Finca Cortesín from other great Spanish golf courses, apart from being, of course, the setting for one of the great world-class tournaments?
-I think the big difference with other great courses is undoubtedly the quality and level of customer service we offer at Finca Cortesin. Our priority is that a day of golf at Finca Cortesin is an experience for the client, a day in which they feel fantastically cared for from arrival to departure and that they feel satisfied with the treatment received. To this we must add a course maintenance comparable to any world class course, which makes the day an almost unique experience.
4 -Which is in your opinion the best hole on the course and why?
-Difficult choice…I’m good at the 13th, our signature hole for its beauty, but I think the best hole, mixing difficulty, design and beauty, is the 12th hole, par 3.
5 Along with the golf course, the resort’s award-winning hotel is becoming increasingly popular with its guests. What distinguishes it from other luxury establishments?
-Honestly, it is difficult to explain in words what the Hotel Finca Cortesín is because you simply have to come to see it and enjoy it. I don’t think there is anything similar in Spain at the moment in terms of quality of service, facilities, restoration, spaces and decoration. It is a very quiet place, very private with the utmost discretion, and a paradise to disconnect for anyone with a certain public fame.
6 – As a former professional golfer, what do you feel when you see the best players in the world playing at Finca Cortesín?
-I’m looking forward to playing against them, of course. Then I wake up and you come back to reality, which is not bad at all, and to be able to organize a tournament like this in the field you manage is a privilege and to see them up close is a pleasure.
7 -What are the aspects to be improved in the golf offer in Costa del Sol, in general terms, to make this destination even more attractive for golf tourists?
-I believe that the Costa del Sol has been for many years the main and great golf destination in Europe, because of our climate, our courses, our infrastructure, our gastronomy and many other things. But undoubtedly the world has evolved, there are many new destinations with excellent courses, designed by great players, with incredible hotels with high quality service and we must know how to compete and renew ourselves to be able to compete with them. I am talking about destinations such as Turkey, Morocco, Dubai, etc. …. We must increase our quality of service, maintenance and renovation in the design of our courses. Each course has its own level, no doubt, but it is important that the customer feels satisfied with the quality/service/price ratio he pays. This is the key to success. In my opinion, uncontrolled price cuts are not the solution. It is necessary to adapt, but without losing sight of the fact that the customer is looking for a balance between what he pays and what he receives, and in the end quality always survives in times of crisis. In my opinion, the last 5-6 years have been barbaric in the Costa del Sol.
8 -What are the main advantages of the Costa del Sol compared to other cheaper golf tourist destinations that are our most direct competitors?
-Our location is undoubtedly our main asset. We are in Europe, 3 hours or less by plane from all of Europe and we are a safe country to travel to. Other assets are the quality of infrastructure, the hotel offer, the frequency of flights from all over Europe and the fact that we have some of the best golf courses in Spain and Europe within a short distance. It is a solid destination, but it must regain its status.
9 -Can you give me a couple of tips for signing a good card at Finca Cortesín?
-I recommend calling Ignacio Soto, our greenkeeper, the day before so he can make sure to set up the tees and flags according to the wind that day. This is usually effective. In addition to this, hitting it straight and long off the tee and being a superb kicker. It is a great golf challenge for any level of player to make a good round at Finca Cortesin, and that is what makes it even more attractive.
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