He has the honor of being the mayor of the municipality in Spain with the most golf courses per capita and third in total number of courses. And that fills him with legitimate pride because he himself is a great fan of this sport, which he has been practicing – not as much as he would like – for more than 20 years.
José Antonio Mena Castilla also holds the position of president of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol, whose territory encompasses the vast majority of towns in Malaga that make up the leading golf tourist destination in Europe, known as the Costa del Golf. Lawyer, very sporty, jovial character, is a lover of motorcycles and a great lover of Benahavís, as it could not be otherwise.
The love affair of most of the town’s residents with him is reciprocal, as attested by the fact that he has been elected mayor on three consecutive occasions.
Living in Benahavís (about 7,800 inhabitants) has many advantages, since apart from living in a municipality with numerous attractions (beautiful natural landscapes, a wide variety of restaurants, a charming town center…), golfers have an enviable plus: children receive free lessons at the Municipal Golf School and adults can play without paying at any of the golf courses in the town.
Benahavís is, after Marbella and Mijas, the third municipality in Spain in number of golf courses, with a dozen spread over seven clubs: three courses in Villa Padierna, two in La Zagaleta and one each in La Quinta, Marbella Club Resort, Los Arqueros, El Higueral and Atalala (the Old Course).
International professional tournaments such as the Ladies European Tour’s Open de España Femenino, and the Seniors Match Play and Benahavís Senior Masters, of the European Senior Tour, have been played in the municipality’s courses, such as Flamingos and La Quinta.
And in a very short time the Old Course of Zagaleta will host the Junior Solheim Cup, as part of the great sporting event that marks the calendar of the best international golf in the world, its ‘big sister’ the Solheim Cup, to be held in September a few days later in another Costa del Sol course, Finca Cortesin.
-Golf is one of the tourist pillars of Benahavís. How important is it for the municipality?
-Golf is a substantial part of our municipality. Practically 80 or 90 percent of its activity is linked to this sport, and that is why from the Town Hall we try to promote it. We always try to participate in events that take place in the municipality. In November we had a very important one, The Spanish Women’s Open, and this year will be equally important due to the celebration of the Junior Solheim Cup in La Zagaleta.
-Are there plans for new golf courses in Benahavís?
-Yes, work has already begun on the construction of another golf course: Real de La Quinta, a very nice project around a lake, and we are also waiting for the expansion of El Higueral (it currently has 9 holes). Golf courses are always welcome.
-Benahavís has the advantage of being one of the largest municipalities of the Costa del Sol and of the whole province of Málaga…
-Yes, and it is also one of the municipalities with the highest relative population growth in Spain, and from an urbanistic point of view it is also experiencing an important development, taking into account that only 5 percent of its surface is developed from an urbanistic point of view. The municipal area is very large and two thirds of its surface are specially protected, that is to say, absolutely nothing can be built.
-What attractions, besides golf, would you highlight in Benahavís for a tourist who has not yet been here?
-Benahavís has many attractions: its climate, its location, in the heart of the Costa del Sol, practically 80 percent of its land has views of the Mediterranean Sea, its wide range of accommodation and restaurants -we are known as the Gastronomic Corner of the Costa del Sol-, its beautiful natural landscapes, we are the second municipality that contributes the most land to the Sierra de las Nieves National Park… In short, a great quality and variety in all leisure activities, including golf, of course.
-The town has had a Municipal Golf School for years. What is your assessment of it?
-The truth is that it is already many years and it is a pride for Benahavís to have this school and its practice field in the sports facilities of the municipality (located next to the town center). It is very popular, and not only with the children, who are the ones who belong to the school, but also with the adults, as classes are given for them in the afternoon.
-And the School is also being a breeding ground for promising young Spanish golfers?
-Since the School started, a few figures have emerged, especially girls, who are the ones who are triumphing now, and some at a high level, such as Julia Lopez, who is in the United States. For the first time an amateur from Benahavís and the Costa del Sol is going to play the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (the winner of this tournament, which includes the 45 best in the world ranking -Julia was 14th in February), will obtain invitations to play in three professional majors). So we are delighted.
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