“To lead such a prestigious club is a real privilege and a great honor.”
It could be said of Javier Reviriego that he is a lucky man, that he has known how to be in the right place at the right time, or that, and this is the most likely, he offers an ideal profile that has made him reach the peak of his career in a short time, and at the height of his youth.
He has recently taken over the management of Valderrama, the best golf course in Continental Europe. From now on it will be difficult for him to climb up the rankings. What other course could he aspire to manage?
He studied Business Administration in the United States on a golf scholarship, then did a Masters in Course Management and for six or seven years he put his knowledge aside to dedicate himself to professional golf. During that time he combined competition with teaching at the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande. “It was then,” he says, “when I had the opportunity to go as manager to Fuerteventura, to a relatively new course there, and the truth is that I liked my first experience as a director.
“From there,” Reviriego continues, “and after a rigorous selection process, I was offered to come to Finca Cortesín. That was six years ago. It has really been there where I have been able to develop all my previously acquired management knowledge and many others that I have learned working with a magnificent team that I greatly appreciate. Both the company and its employees have given me a lot. I am grateful to them for these six years that they have allowed me to share”.
-And from Cortesín to Valderrama directly, a meteoric career, right?
-Yes, because I am relatively young. I am 37 years old and I cannot have the experience of someone who is 60. It is evident that the work developed at Finca Cortesín has transcended and had a great weight for the new Board of Directors of Valderrama to have taken notice of me.
They have valued positively the work done there, my experience and my link to Sotogrande for years. Let’s say that I have been lucky enough to fit perfectly with the profile they were looking for.
-His experience could be considered unique because in such a short time he has reached the top, managing the most emblematic golf course in Spain?
-I consider myself privileged. I have worked at R.C.de Golf Sotogrande and Finca Cortesin, two great places, and now I am at Valderrama, a club that for its history and for what it represents in European and world golf can be considered as the pinnacle for the career of a Director of golf clubs. It is an enormous privilege to manage a club like this.
-A new stage begins in Valderrama with a new President…
-There is a new board of directors that came in in April and they are very clear about Valderrama’s objectives for the future. I am very clear about what we need to meet those objectives. Valderrama must always be associated with quality; and Valderrama, if it can and if the right conditions are met, must always host a great tournament every year. We are going to work with these basic ideas.
-Are there any priority objectives that the Board of Directors has set for this new stage?
-Above all, we intend to modernize the business structure in terms of procedures, the image of Valderrama, and the improvement of service. My concept of service, which I was able to develop at Finca Cortesín, is very similar to that of the best American courses, and this is the idea I have for this club.
We already have the best playing field and the best maintenance, and my goal is to have the best service for both members and visitors.
-As for maintenance, which has given so much prestige to this field, I imagine there will be continuity…
-Of course, we have to continue with the level of maintenance we have, and if we can improve it, we will.
-Are there any major changes or transformations planned for the club?
-No major renovations. There is a plan to improve the clubhouse, which is already a few years old, and in which we will have to invest during the next few years to update it.
-Your course is also hosting the Andalucía Valderrama Masters this year. Will this have continuity?
-I hope so. We have the sponsorship of Turismo Andaluz and a great venue, all the requirements are met to make a great tournament and even improve it in the future.
-Will there be any changes from last year?
-We are going to host the Andalucía Valderrama Masters under different conditions than in 2010. We are not going to participate in the organization or promotion of the event…. I will be on the steering committee of the tournament but not as a promoter or organizer, just representing the venue.
-What are the expectations for this year’s tournament?
-I have only been in office for a short time and I cannot answer this question with full knowledge. I know that the public company of Andalusian Tourism and Sport has been working for a long time and, logically, the expectations have to be good for a tournament with three million euros in prize money. It is a great event and the last tournament to be played in Continental Europe before the Race to Dubai, so I expect great players to come.
It is well known that all of them love to come to Valderrama and compete on this course, which, by the way, has once again been chosen as the best in Continental Europe. Last year there was already a magnificent line-up of players competing and this edition will undoubtedly be the same or better in this respect.
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