“Benahavís owes a lot to golf.
Living in Benahavís is a luxury. And the fact is that the residents of the municipality of Malaga bordering Marbella and Estepona enjoy an enviable standard of living thanks to the prosperity of the local Treasury. The key is the small population (about 7,500 inhabitants) and the high income collected by the Town Hall, thanks mainly to the numerous and prestigious urbanizations built on its land… and golf.
Not in vain, this town, very famous for the wide range of restaurants in its charming town center, has a dozen courses: the three courses of Villa Padierna Golf (Flamingos, Tramores and Alferini), the two of the urbanization La Zagaleta (La Zagaleta and Los Barrancos), one of the two of Atalaya Golf & Country Club (the New Course; the Old Course is in the municipality of Estepona), La Quinta, Los Arqueros, Marbella Club Golf Resort and El Higueral. In total there are 180 holes for the enjoyment of golf lovers. There is another 18-hole course, Montemayor, which has been inactive for years and could reopen in the short or medium term. At the head of this rare bird that is a Spanish City Council with healthy finances, including a surplus, is a lawyer who loves motorcycles, healthy living and golf, a sport he has been practicing for ten years. José Antonio Mena, of the Partido Popular, who is now in his third consecutive term as mayor, is well aware of the importance of golf for his municipality. “Benahavís owes a lot to golf,” he says.
In addition to the courses mentioned above, next to the village there is a splendid Municipal Golf School with magnificent facilities where the children of Benahavís receive free lessons.
But not only children learn and practice this sport for free, but adults can also play golf on several courses without paying a penny. “There are several courses whose land is municipal where those born and residents do not have to pay, and that has made the hobby has grown a lot,” says Mena. “Many years ago,” he explains, “agreements were made to build the golf courses and the consideration consisted on the one hand in an economic disbursement and, on the other hand, in a social work that was that those born in the municipality could play golf for free”.
-Besides being the third municipality in Spain in number of golf courses, only preceded by Marbella and Mijas, Benahavís is the first in golf courses per capita. What implications does this have for the town?
-It is a source of pride and also of responsibility, because we have to offer a quality product that lives up to expectations so that players are satisfied with the experience and come back to visit us again. And fortunately this is happening. Golf, besides giving us prestige as a tourist destination, generates important economic benefits for the municipality and maintains the influx of visitors throughout the year, especially from other European countries.
The fact that the mayor is a golfer gives him a broader perspective of what golf tourism represents for the local economy: “It helps me to understand the golf tourist, to know their concerns, their needs and, sometimes, even to be ahead in some aspects. A golfer is always aware of the market and its movements”.
The City Council does not neglect therefore, to maintain the interest of golfers for this destination, the promotion of golf benahavileño. “There is a lot of competition and you can’t let your guard down. It is not enough to have a great golf offer, but you have to spread it so that people know about it: it is something fundamental”, he assures.
In addition to golf, Mena emphasizes that another basic pillar of the tourist offer of the town is the gastronomy: “Half the world should already know that Benahavís offers quality cuisine at a good price. The attraction of being a village, typical of inland Andalusia despite its proximity to the coast (only seven kilometers from the coastal highway), also helps in receiving tourists every year”.
Apart from dozens of coquettish restaurants that offer a careful cuisine and a great gastronomic variety, the village has for years the so-called School of Hospitality Benahavís Sabor a Málaga, headquarters of the Hispano-Arabic Foundation of the Mediterranean Diet. Here are trained and have been trained outstanding professionals in the kitchen and hospitality. “The School is a great source of pride for our town,” emphasizes the mayor.
It was also a source of pride to have become the destination chosen by Michelle Obama to spend her vacations in Spain, specifically at the Hotel Villa Padierna, in the summer of 2010. “That visit was fantastic for Benahavís”, recalls Mena, “but also for the whole Costa del Sol”.
The bronze medal held by Benahavís in the ranking of Spanish municipalities with the most golf courses could soon become silver and become the second on the list, surpassing Mijas, once the three new courses planned for the town materialize.
my as being one other basic foundation of the municipality’s tourist appeal. “Half the world should know by now that Benahavís offers quality cuisine at good prices. The attraction of being a village, typical of inland Andalucía in spite of the proximity of the coast (just seven kilometres from the main coastal highway), also helps the municipality welcome significant numbers of tourists every year.”
Apart from dozens of charming restaurants offering stunningly created cuisine and great gastronomic variety, for several years now the municipality has also been home to the Benahavís Sabor a Málaga Academy (“Tastes of Málaga”), headquarters of the Hispano-Arab Mediterranean Diet Foundation. Top culinary and hotel professionals are training, and have trained, at the academy. “Our town is very proud of the academy,” says the mayor.
Also a matter of great pride was Michelle Obama’s choice of the municipality for her 2010 summer holidays at Hotel Villa Padierna. “That was a fantastic visit for Benahavís” recalls Mena, “but also for the whole Costa del Sol.”
Benahavís’s bronze medal in the ranking of Spanish municipalities with the highest number of golf courses could soon become silver, with the municipality set to overtake Mijas and move into second place once three new courses planned for the area are completed.
Leave a Reply