Last Saturday was a day full of emotions in the facilities of El Chaparral Golf, which celebrated in style the tenth anniversary of his club, with a tournament that was a great success of participation and an emotional gala dinner during which an affectionate tribute was paid to the career of Angel de la Riva, President of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation.
On the evening of Saturday, August 6, the wonderful clubhouse of El Chaparral Golf – the work of the Malaga architect Salvador Moreno Peralta – was dressed in its best clothes to receive more than 100 guests who, together with Antonio Rubio – owner of the course – and his family, enjoyed a pleasant evening on the wonderful terrace and lounges of the club.
Among those attending the event was the Mayor of Mijas, Juan Carlos Maldonado, who did not want to miss the opportunity to accompany this emblematic club of the Costa del Sol on such an important date.
The evening was full of surprises and moments full of emotion, and throughout the evening the recently deceased Pepe Gancedo, an amateur golf figure of his time, designer of the 18 magnificent holes of El Chaparral and, in turn, cousin of the honoree Ángel de la Riva, to whom he was very close.
Domingo Gavira -director of El Chaparral Golf for seven years- opened the ceremony thanking the Rubio family for the trust placed in him during these years of work, confessing to be a true lover of El Chaparral and also highlighting the career of the honoree, Angel de la Riva as a key figure in the development of Andalusian and national golf for more than fifty years.
The Rubio family also wanted to acknowledge the work of the great team that every day makes it possible for El Chaparral to grow and that, today, after having been closed before Antonio Rubio acquired it in 2003, it is in magnificent condition and offers an excellent service to the golfers who visit it.
After some heartfelt words, Antonio Rubio presented Ángel de la Riva with a commemorative plaque in recognition of a life of service and love for the sport of golf. The honoree could not hide his emotion on receiving it, on a night he described as “unforgettable”.
During his speech, de la Riva wanted to highlight the human quality of the Rubio family and the staff of the course – with its director, Domingo Gavira, at the head – thanks to whom El Chaparral is today a magnificent course, which maintains a close relationship of collaboration with the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, and which contributes to make Andalusia and the Costa del Sol a leading destination in golf tourism, offering a wonderful course and an excellent service to our visitors.
Especially moving were the words that Ángel de la Riva had to remember his cousin and friend, Pepe Gancedo, to whom he confessed to have been very close throughout his life, since childhood, and whom he described as a “gentleman knight, a genius, noble and lover of the arts, an artisan designer, who designed his fields with care, at the foot of machines and that above all, will always be a source of pride for those who love him”. Precisely, he recalled that -referring to El Chaparral- its designer defined it as “a marvel of a field”.
Along with the Rubio and de la Riva families, it is worth mentioning the presence of Pepe Gancedo’s widow and children, as well as his brother Félix, a four-time Olympian – precisely on a night that coincided with the start of the Games in Rio de Janeiro – and a living history of Spanish sailing, with three World Sailing Championships to his credit.
A little history about El Chaparral Golf
El Chaparral Golf was built in 1991 by a Spanish and British consortium that had a great vision for the future by entrusting the design of this course to the renowned golf course architect Pepe Gancedo, who put all his wisdom into these demanding 18 holes.
In 2003, Antonio Rubio acquired the golf course and decided to involve Pepe Gancedo again to update it and, thus, the golf course was reborn with all its splendor. While maintaining the charm of yesteryear, he added that particular touch that makes El Chaparral is today considered one of the most prestigious golf courses in the area, known for its spectacular beauty, lush vegetation and green fairways and greens.
Since its reopening, El Chaparral Golf Club has become one of the most attractive golf courses on the Costa del Sol. All this is due to the determination and tenacity of Mr. Antonio Rubio and his family business in placing El Chaparral Golf Club as one of the preferred golf courses on the Costa del Sol, being the only one with 6 par 3, 6 par 4 and 6 par 5.
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