The most popular of the municipal golf courses, La Cañada, in the Cádiz enclave of San Roque, has 1,100 members from 17 countries: 300 are from the immediate surroundings (Guadiaro, the district where it is located), as many from Algeciras, and almost as many from the rest of Spain.
Thanks to the initiative of the honorary president of Valderrama, Jaime Ortiz Patiño, and to the fact that the Town Hall provided the land, the municipal course of La Cañada became a reality in 1991, with a design by none other than Robert Trent Jones senior. Ten years later, thanks to the financial support of the First Tee program and Jaime Ortiz Patiño, the second nine holes were opened, this time created by another great designer, Dave Thomas.
The president of this popular golf course, Ángel Gutiérrez López, is fully satisfied with the operation of the club, although, like everyone else, he complains about the crisis.
-Even so, La Cañada is the golf course with more tee times on the Costa del Sol…
No, we are the 18-hole course with the most tee times in Spain. Between 65,000 and 70,000 a year. Maybe in 2012 we did a little less (the year was not over yet).
-If so, the crisis does not seem to have affected them that much?
-Error. The crisis affects us as much as anyone else. In fact, this last year has not been good at all. We have lower revenues and the sale of green fees has decreased considerably. We are sustained thanks to foreign players.
It should not be forgotten that La Cañada members pay only one euro per outing and that the annual membership fee is only 420 euros.
The members barely contribute 40 percent of the annual budget, which is why we need to sell more green fees.
-What are La Cañada’s prospects for 2013?
-I don’t want to be pessimistic, but the VAT increase from 8 to 21 percent has been a blow to us. For the first time we have had to charge green fees, albeit symbolic, to members.
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