“NICKLAUS IS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF HIS MONTECASTILLO COURSE”.
Nestled in one of the cities with the most winemaking tradition in Spain and also famous for its horses, Barceló Montecastillo Resort is a real luxury for Andalusia, among other things because it has the only golf course designed in this region by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. The resort’s director, Ignacio Martín Ondé, talks about the benefits of this complete tourist and sports complex.
-To what extent does the fact that the design of your course bears Nicklaus’ signature influence golfers’ choices?
-Having a Jack Nicklaus Signature course is, without a doubt, a determining factor for our clients to feel attracted to visit us. In addition, it is the only one in Andalusia that bears his signature, which makes it doubly attractive. In addition, it is not only an exclusive design, but, as Nicklaus himself has acknowledged, he feels especially proud of it, given the challenges he had to face when designing the course and the spectacular result obtained. His imprint is felt in every corner, allowing the player to perceive all the challenges in each hole. For this and many other reasons, our clients visit us year after year, which is why we have such a high repetition rate.
-Besides having a course with the signature of the best player of all time, what other facilities and services does Montecastillo offer golfers?
-At the Barceló Montecastillo Golf Club the golfer will find all the services he may need, whatever his level. For professionals or more advanced players, as one can imagine in a course that has hosted the best international tournaments, it offers the highest quality in its driving range, putting & chipping green and approach areas. In addition, we have an academy for those who are starting in this sport or want to continue perfecting their game. On the other hand, we have a complete Pro Shop, a large fleet of buggies, hand carts and a range of rental clubs of the most recognized brands. All these services are complemented by the wide variety of facilities offered by a five-star resort.
-What is the typology of the Montecastillo golf client?
-We have a fairly balanced mix of customers. We could say that 50% is national and the other 50% is international. Within the international market, the British market is the main one, closely followed by the German and Scandinavian markets. However, in our efforts to diversify our clients, we have focused on France in recent years and we are obtaining excellent results, which leads us to believe that it could soon become one of our key markets.
-The 18th, with its spectacular views from the elevated tee and the lake that borders the fairway and green, is undoubtedly the star hole of the course, but what other holes would you highlight on the course?
-I would dare to say that the 18th hole is one of the most recognized in Spain. To say goodbye to the course in such a spectacular way is something that our players remember. However, there are holes that are as emblematic and challenging as the 18th, for example the 9th or the 13th, where there are magnificent views from the tee and where the drop of the drive plays a decisive role in the final result. Another part of the course that I would highlight is holes 10, 16 and 17, which surround the impressive Lago de la Isla. These are holes where the essence of Nicklaus’ Signature design can be appreciated, with a perfect combination of water hazards and the wide bunkers that characterize it.
-This course has hosted six European Tour events: five Volvo Masters and one Turespaña Masters. Is there a possibility that a tournament of this level will be held here again?
Indeed, we are talking about a course designed to host top-level competitions. Although in recent years, the scenario was not the most encouraging to be able to aspire to organize the best tournaments, now we have proposed to opt again to host some important competition and we are working in that direction. Everyone agrees that Montecastillo is a course that, because of its design and history, has to be back on the Tour.
Soccer, with two regulation-size fields and other complementary facilities, attracts many national and foreign professional teams. Which are the most important ones that have trained here?
One of the most important challenges facing the sector is to achieve the longed-for deseasonalization. To this end, at the Barceló Montecastillo we set out from the beginning to provide a series of facilities and services designed to offer leisure alternatives throughout the year. One of the facilities created for this purpose was our soccer fields. Designed according to Sir Alex Fergusson’s instructions, they are regularly used by the best teams in the world. The Spanish National Team, Real Madrid, Barça, Manchester, Bayern and a long etcetera of teams, think that our sports facilities are unique to organize their training camps. That is why many teams visit us every year, both in winter and summer.
-The spa is a service increasingly demanded by tourists and all types of clients, especially in the winter months. What facilities and services does the Montecastillo spa have?
-The spa is already a classic complementary offer to golf in hotels. Nowadays, a hotel focused on golfers cannot be conceived without this type of facility. In our case, in addition to having a 1,400 m2 U-Spa, as the Barceló Spa brand is called, which offers a complete water circuit and cabins for all kinds of treatments, we now offer a new service specialized in health. We have created the Barceló Montecastillo Sports Clinic by Beiman, a unique center where, with the help of the best specialists, our clients can be treated for any pathology or discomfort related to sports. We have several wellness-oriented programs and a specific one for golfers. For those who wish to be treated for any ailment that prevents them from practicing this sport in perfect conditions. It is undoubtedly one of our strongest bets in the last year to try to further diversify our already complete range of services.
-The hotel has been awarded the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence three years in a row. What does this recognition based on customer reviews mean for Montecastillo?
-Listening to the voice of our customers is a priority at Barceló Montecastillo. Tripadvisor has become an indispensable tool, which complements the ones we already use to gather these opinions and take them into account when considering our improvements or new services. Having obtained this award for three consecutive years, only makes us more committed, if possible, with the self-demand to give our customers a service of excellence, based on offering unique experiences. We are immersed in a transformation process, which began two years ago with the renovation of the rooms and continues in 2015 with the remodeling of common areas and our Convention Center. These actions have served to position us as one of the leading Golf Resorts at an international level.
-Jerez is a city with many tourist attractions, but which ones would you recommend as a must for hotel guests?
-Montecastillo is for many reasons a destination in itself, since we have all the ingredients to not need to leave our facilities. However, our privileged location in Jerez, 20 minutes from the beaches and at the gates of the route of the white villages, makes us an exceptional enclave to get to know an area of great tourist interest. I would definitely recommend visiting our wineries, the equestrian shows and, above all, strolling through the center of Jerez which, for me, is one of the cities you should not miss if you come to Andalusia.
Leave a Reply