One of Spain’s most prestigious and award-winning resorts, Finca Cortesin, has just unveiled a new golf facility: a new practice area. At its premiere, it was connected with a luxury master of ceremonies, the award-winning Spanish golfer José María Cañizares.
This new short game practice area is located to the right of the driving range, in the lower area, and overlooks the sea.
Ignacio Soto, head greenkeeper at Finca Cortesin, explains how the project was developed.
“The first step we took was to contact our designer, Cabell Robinson, to show him the area and explain the project we had in mind. After several conversations with our pro and director of our Nicklaus Academy, Ricardo Jimenez, we were pretty clear on what kind of playing area we wanted. It would have to be an area that would allow you to practice all kinds of shots around a green, with slopes, bunkers, different grass heights, etc. It was also important for the shape and form to be as similar as possible to what you find on the course”.
“Once we had our ideas clear,” Soto continues, “the important thing was to have a qualified construction company for the job. Jerigolf carried out the integral construction of the entire area, from shaping to final refining, with excellent results”.
These new constructions,” continues the head greenkeeper, “also serve to advance Finca Cortesín’s commitment to innovation in construction systems and new materials. As proof of this, we have installed the latest generation of Toro Infinity sprinklers, which are highly versatile and easy to use”.
“With respect to new varieties,” details Soto, “we have built a green of 800 square meters and have chosen as grass the ultradwarf bermudagrass variety tifeagle. We want to see how this grass adapts to the greens on our golf course as we believe the future environmental advantages will be significant compared to the agrostis used to date. The rest of the area is composed of 419 bermudagrass just like on the course.”
In addition to the new short game area, the resort has another putting green and another chipping green, as well as a practice fairway.
Francisco de Lancastre, director of golf at the resort located in the Costa del Sol municipality of Casares, highlights the importance of the new practice area for the Jack Nicklaus Academy at Finca Cortesín.
“The new short game area,” he explains, “will be fundamental for our Jack Nicklaus Academy professionals and their growth in the future. It is an area that Ricardo Jiménez (Academy director) and Rubén Holgado (golf professional) will be able to use and enjoy with their clients and club members to work on and improve an aspect of the game that is so important for all players, whether amateurs or professionals.”
-For the inauguration of the new area you had a very special guest, José María Cañizares, who acted as master of ceremonies. How did the experience turn out?
-It was fantastic for us to have José María Cañizares as our guest, a true legend of European golf for whom everyone at Finca Cortesín, from management to ownership, has a very special affection. The inauguration of the new area coincided with another edition of the Finca Cortesin Cup, an event that has members from various national and international clubs. José María Cañizares gave a fantastic clinic, with which we all enjoyed his experience very much, and the feedback from all the guests has been tremendous.
-Finca Cortesín is one of the most prestigious and renowned golf courses in Spain. Apart from its extraordinary sporting background, with three Match Play World Championships behind it, what are the keys to its success?
I think the key is to have a well-defined vision and strategy of what we want to be and where we want to go, and that has been and is fundamental in a project as ambitious as Finca Cortesín. As you mentioned, the golf course has a legacy of three World Match Play Championships, an important legacy that when combined with excellent service, maintenance and constant investment to improve in all areas, gives us a formula for success and guarantees for the future.
In addition to the golf course, Finca Cortesin has a truly phenomenal by Deal Top”> hotel
that offers everything a client can expect in a quality environment. Its Spa, its Beach Club and its gastronomic offer, which has just been recognized with a Michelin star in the Kabuki Raw Restaurant, together with its decoration and gardens, make it a fantastic setting for a vacation or a few days of rest.
Nor can we forget the real estate project at Finca Cortesín, which has been a success in its own right and continues to grow, with the property investing in new projects that have already begun this year. All of this helps us to create a destination at Finca Cortesín and project our brand in the markets that we believe are important for our future development.
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