The Parque Deportivo La Garza course in Linares (Jaén) made a hugely successful debut on the Andalucía Golf Challenge-Destination PGA Riviera Maya by Bahía Príncipe Circuit.

Starting with tee times at 8.30am and 1.45pm, participants enjoyed a superb day of golf enhanced by magnificent weather, with sunny and pleasant temperatures, and excellent conditions on the course. 

The fairways were simply perfect, and the greens were excellent in both appearance and speed. It is especially worth noting that the nine-hole course has the good fortune of having different tees for playing the first and second nines, so that each hole is played differently. For example, the 1st is a par-5 for the first nine and a par-4 for the second.

Players who were not familiar with the course were pleasantly surprised and impressed, and indicated they were keen to return.

The course at Parque Deportivo La Garza is certainly a highly recommended stop for golfers who would like to travel by car between the centre or north and the south of Spain, as it is very close to Bailén.

After the competition a wonderful cocktail reception was arranged by the club's restaurant manager, José María López. The dining establishment offers an excellent range of cuisine at moderate prices, similar to others in this fabulous public sports park managed by the Junta de Andalucía (regional government).

There was a great gifts raffle, reinforced by contributions from Parque Deportivo La Garza, which also contributed to the welcome packs with a Callaway cap. The raffle included, for example, bottles of Hacienda El Palo virgin olive oil, Bridgestone Tiger Woods balls, and thermos, belt and glove kits.

The sports park where the golf course is integrated has a comprehensive range of leisure and sports options, with facilities for football, tennis  and swimming, among others, and many activities for children.

It also offers accommodation in wooden bungalows that are perfectly equipped for stays in spectacular natural surroundings, only five minutes from the city of Linares.

The scratch and first and second category winners won a place in the final of the Circuit organised by Andalucía Golf/España Golf magazine, where the main prizes of five magnificent trips to the Riviera Maya next October will be decided.

As for the competition, the scratch winner was David Michael Doyle (with 32 points). Antonio Manuel Quesada Ruiz won category one (38 points), followed by Yaqub Kahn (also 38) and Jose Luis Sánchez Amezcua (35). In category two, Andrés Jesús Martínez Rivero led the way (42 points), Juan José Ruz Soto (38) was second and Ángel Gabriel Alfaro Piqueras was third (also 38). 

In addition to prizes for the top three in each category and the scratch winner, there was a special prize for nearest to the pin on the 18th hole, won by Yaqub Kahn.

(PHOTO GALLERY AT THE END OF THIS TOURNAMENT REPORT)  

The La Garza event was the seventh of as many as 30 tournaments scheduled to be held during the 13th edition of this hugely popular open amateur circuit, organised by Andalucía Golf/España Golf magazine. The Circuit will cover most Andalucian provinces, in addition to other areas of central Spain, with the majority of events being held on the Costa del Sol.

The Circuit’s grand finale, which will decide the five winners of trips to the Mexican Caribbean, will be held at Almenara on 30 September, followed by a gala dinner at Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús

Access to the final will be direct for the winners of each category and the leading scratch player in all the qualifying tournaments, while the rest of the places in the final will be awarded based on the Benahavís Ranking, calculated from points obtained in each leg.

The next event will be on 13 May at Zarapicos (Salamanca) and 31 May at La Dehesa (Madrid).

ENTRY REGISTRATION

DESTINATION PGA RIVIERA MAYA by BAHÍA PRÍNCIPE

The grand finale of the circuit will decide the five winners of one-week all-inclusive trips to the Bahía Príncipe resort in Riviera Maya, with golf at PGA Riviera Maya, El Camaleón Mayakoba and Playa Paraíso. The top two finishers in each category and the scratch winner in the final, to be played on 30 September at Almenara, will travel to the Mexican Caribbean.

PLANNED DATE FOR THE TRIP

28 October to 4 November 2023

The PRIZE INCLUDES:

- Flights from Málaga or Madrid to Cancun (round trip)

- Transfers between the airport and hotel

- All-inclusive accommodation at the 5-star Grand Tulum Bahía Príncipe hotel

- Golf at PGA Riviera Maya, El Camaleón Mayakoba and Playa Paraís

.

The Circuit is sponsored by AIR EUROPA, BENAHAVÍS TOWN HALL, TURISMO COSTA DEL SOL, BAHÍA PRÍNCIPE, GRAN HOTEL GUADALPÍN BANÚS, VIVIENDO DEL TRADING and MARBELLA TOWN HALL. The main collaborators are Fairway+blue, D.O. Somontano, IdeaTerrazas and Holiday Golf Estates. Cadena SER and Andalucía Golf/España Golf magazine are the Circuit's official media outlets.

.

AIR EUROPA

Air Europa is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, made up of 19 airlines that have been working together as a major global network for 20 years, serving more than 630 million passengers annually. Air Europa's fleet is one of the most modern on the continent. It comprises 38 aircraft whose average age does not exceed four years. The company is a leader in environmental conservation processes. In 2018, the German environmental organisation Atmosfair rated Air Europa as the most efficient European network airline.

BENAHAVÍS

Benahavís is a town with a rich Andalucian flavour, highlighted by narrow white streets, typically Arab, most of which lead to sunny squares. It is a welcoming town where you can enjoy nature and luxury developments, carefully integrated into the natural landscape and enveloped by golf courses meandering around the slopes of the Serranía de Ronda mountain range. Founded by the Arabs, under the protection of a 10th century fortress, Benahavís today is a perfect combination of tradition and modernity – a charming town that offers endless possibilities as a first-class tourist destination.

COSTA DEL SOL TOURISM

Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning is a public-owned company operating under the auspices of the Málaga provincial government (Diputación) and whose main objective is to promote the province as a tourist destination and to support economic growth, by designing and undertaking projects at the service of private companies and public entities. It is dedicated to providing professional consultancy, advice and services in the following areas: tourist and business development, tourist and territorial planning, new technologies and modernisation of the tourism industry, and tourism marketing. It is a technical instrument set up for departments of the Diputación and municipalities, municipal authorities, associations and other public or private organisations associated with the development of Málaga province.

BAHÍA PRÍNCIPE

Bahía Príncipe Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain owned by Grupo Piñero, a prestigious Spanish family group that has interests throughout the high-end holiday industry network. Managed entirely by the Piñero family, the company has 27 hotels with more than 14,000 rooms, and is grouped under four categories: Bahía Príncipe Sunlight, Bahía Príncipe Grand, Bahía Príncipe Luxury and Bahía Príncipe Fantasia. The hotel chain has a presence in the most attractive locations in the Dominican Republic, Mexico), Jamaica and Spain.

GRAN HOTEL GUADALPÍN BANÚS

This five-star, frontline beach resort is located in the Nueva Andalucía (Marbella) area, just a 15-minute walk from the famous Puerto Banús marina. Offering tailor-made golf packs, Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús and CostaSol Deluxe can organise your golf getaway so you don't have to worry about anything. Gran Hotel Guadalpín Banús is recognised as an elite and cosmopolitan option for those who are looking for the best hotels in Marbella. Only six kilometres separate it from Marbella’s town centre, highlighted by its charming Old Town with cobble-stoned streets and ancient churches – a wonderful place to visit.

VIVIENDODELTRADING.COM

The best manager of your capital is you. Learn to invest in a diversified and efficient way so that your money works for you. Viviendo del Trading has been training people for more than 10 years to manage their own capital with realistic expectations – and to enjoy a simple, easy and calm management process. Viviendo del Trading currently comprises seven people, six of whom are traders and investors. It is tremendously difficult and quite rare to bring together a team of traders with different profiles and specialities.

MARCA MARBELLA

Marbella is synonymous above all else with quality of life, an exceptional tourist destination that has been recognised worldwide for decades – with its image associated with the luxury, glamour and social status of other iconic resorts such as Monte Carlo and Saint Tropez. The keys to its success, attracting millions of visitors every year, are varied, highlighted by its extraordinary climate, its hotel infrastructure, its marinas, its beaches extending along 27 kilometres of coastline, its wide and varied range of leisure activities, and its many sports facilities, including 15 golf courses in the municipality.