By Luis Navarro Álvarez
Under the impetus of José Juan Hidalgo, the founder and president of the Globalia group, the Estepona Golf course is destined to be reborn and find the place it deserves in the number one golf destination in Europe. It has what is most important to be transformed into a success story: location and design.
Estepona Golf has always been a very popular course, especially among visiting players who were looking for a more than reasonable golf offer at very reasonable prices.
The potential of the field encourages to be more ambitious.
The design is terribly varied. No two holes are alike. The course is short (5,520 meters from white bars) and is a good challenge for all players. It is a course that does not require a great punch, but it does require a good game strategy and precision in the shots. It has everything for the enjoyment of all.
The greens are straightforward and not excessively moved. Your defense is to put them fast.
Another feature that makes this course very special is that almost every hole offers sea views. In addition, the estate is slightly elevated and the temperatures are always milder than a little lower down.
It can be played walking perfectly, with the holes with very gentle slopes, except in some specific points and with some steps from green to tee somewhat longer, as is the case from 2 to 3, from 11 to 12 and, above all, from 7 to 8, since hole 8 was redesigned and went from par 4 to par 3, greatly improving the hole and avoiding a tee shot that was more than complicated. In any case, I would recommend renting a buggy to fully enjoy the experience.
As a result of the redesign, and by now having 5 pairs 3, 4 pairs 5 and 9 pairs 4, the field torque is 71.
The clubhouse has an unbeatable terrace, very spacious, where you can have a snack or a meal after the game, with sea views, once again, and with a more than pleasant environment.
The store is quite well stocked and, next to it, models and presentations of the impressive real estate development that the ownership group is carrying out in the surrounding countryside and in other national and international locations are on display.
As for the game, the course has some fairways with side slopes that must be taken into account when deciding the shot. Also, on certain holes, it is necessary to choose the right club, which is not always the driver. It is a strategic course that demands to play with head.
The holes are measured at the entrance to the green with double stakes, on each side of the fairway, in red at 150 meters from the entrance to the green and in blue at 100 meters from the point in the center of the fairway of the line joining the stakes.
Many greens are slightly elevated, but they are noble and there are no escape areas in case the ball does not stay on the surface of the green. There are no hidden traps or artificial elements to punish shots that are not perfect. It is a very pleasant course, noble and one that you can make a good result and enjoy a lot.
The first three holes are a prelude to the great variability of the course, the first one, a short par 4, with a dog leg to the left, is followed by a stupendous par 5 in which it is advisable not to hurry because an ambitious shot to the right may not reach the fairway. The third hole, with a steep downhill slope, warns that on this course the fairway must be secured and it would be the first hole where we can leave the driver in the bag.
Hole four is a short par 4 that turns right with a high green. After it we reach the first par 3, the beautiful hole with a high tee that we see when accessing the clubhouse from the road.
The par 3’s of this course are fantastic and very varied, on this hole five its feature is a bunker that surrounds a palm tree to the left of the green.
Another characteristic of this course is the scarcity of fairway bunkers; almost all the holes lack them, which facilitates the pace of play. This situation is found on the next hole, the par 5 second, hole 6, where there is a penalty area with a lateral water hazard on the right that only comes into play for short and deflected shots.
On this hole, as on many others on the course, excessive penalties for less experienced players are avoided.
The end of the first round is peculiar, since the 7 par 3 is followed by another par 3 due to the aforementioned remodeling that we have already mentioned. These holes are very different from each other and this particularity is not at all shocking.
Hole 9 is an arc to the right in which a shot decided on the right can have a great prize, although it is important not to overdo it since there is an out of bounds on the right. If instead of opening the ball straight, we can cross the fairway and end up in the penalty area on the left. Perhaps the recommendation is to be more conservative. It has several ways of being played, which makes it very interesting.
The 10th tee is under the clubhouse and has a chiringuito where you can recharge your batteries.
This 10th hole has been selected by Rod Bastard to make up his ideal course by taking his favorite holes on the Costa del Sol.
It is a par 4 with a very high shot and water on the right. A hitter can reach one of the best defended greens on the course in a single stroke. The recommendation would be to go out with an iron or a hybrid to avoid risks. Great risk and prize hole.
The 11th hole is a nice straight par 5, teeing off from a long tee next to a lake and a raised green; after it there will be a not too long walk to the 12th tee, a short par 4 with a very interesting green.
The 14th tee is the highest point of the estate. As in almost all the holes, we have a view of the sea and you can breathe nature. There is a rock in the center of the fairway that should be passed on the right. A hitter can even reach the green, although the shot from the tee is blind and we do not see the ball until we get close to the green.
The 16th is a spectacular par 3, one of the most beautiful on the coast, well protected by bunkers but with a very noble green that invites you to try for birdie.
The end of the round is spectacular. First we go up from the 16th green to the 17th tee, the longest par 5 of the course. The fairway has a lateral slope from left to right and, in addition, there are out of bounds on the right, so it is better to lean to the left; the green slopes towards the back.
The par 4 18th is a dogleg right with a bunker that serves as a reference to the left of the fairway (one of the few that this course has). The green is very protected and has a different shape from the other greens, with very varied flag positions.
A slight ramp takes us back to the Club House where we must stop to enjoy the fantastic terrace and its views.
Highly recommended visit to a very fun and interesting course. A very pleasant golf experience that should not be missed by anyone visiting the area.
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