Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer golf courses being built like those of yesteryear, where the quality of the course was paramount and the golfers were the first priority. In the first great stage of golf development on the Costa del Sol, in the 60’s and 70’s, some of the best courses of the Old Continent proliferated in this Andalusian land, the result of the privileged creative minds of the most prestigious designers of international stature. Among them was Los Naranjos, which its creator, the American Robert Trent Jones, one of the most renowned golf course designers in history, considered one of his best creations in Europe.
Los Naranjos belongs to a select group of golf courses on the Costa Sol designed by Robert Trent Jones, and was built at a time when suitable land was still available. The American was contracted by José Banus’ company, developer of Puerto Banús, the Nueva Andalucia macro-urbanization and the Las Brisas golf course, to design and build a second course, to the north of the latter. The site could not be better: 70 hectares of perfect golfing terrain, with gentle undulations, a river running through it and an orange grove, which inspired the name of the golf course. The instructions were clear: Banus wanted a true championship course of classic design, long, with wide fairways and large greens, suitable for international tournaments but enjoyable for all levels of play. And Robert Trent Jones delivered exactly that.
When the course opened in 1977, it was managed jointly with the Las Brisas Club. The first tee was the current 3rd, being the closest hole to Las Brisas. The 18th was the current 2nd and the clubhouse at the time is now a private villa near the 2nd green.
In 1982 the Banús company sold both courses to the Romero-Sauer business group. Las Brisas became a members’ club and Los Naranjos continued as a commercial pay and play course.
In 1989 the golf course was sold to a Swedish businessman. Los Naranjos was transformed into what it is today, a mixed club, with a very limited number of members and open to visitors. The new clubhouse was opened in 1991 and the two rounds were reversed to the course as it is today.
In 2007 four members of the club acquired the majority of the shares from the Swedish businessman. Since then, many improvements have been made to the course in order to ensure that it is always of the highest quality, which is the goal of the current owners of Los Naranjos.
And golfers notice the results, as evidenced for example by the Certificate of Excellence for the Year 2012 awarded by tripadvisor.com in response to the very high rating of the course made on the popular website by customers who have played at Los Naranjos.
Sports history
Los Naranjos has hosted several important tournaments, both professional and amateur, throughout its history. In 1988 the Marbella Ladies Open, the first tournament of the Women’s European Tour to be played in Spain, was played on this course and was won by the South African Laurette Maritz, who won with 283 strokes. In 1989 the Spanish PGA Championship was played here, in which Pepín Rivero and Seve Ballesteros tied for the lead with 278 strokes. Rivero won the tournament on the first playoff hole.
Other important championships played at Los Naranjos include the European Senior Amateur Championship, the Spanish Junior Championship and the International Women’s Amateur Championship.
Substantial investments
Today, after having undergone substantial investments in recent years that have involved the updating of the course (greens, fairways, tees, bunkers…), the construction of new practice facilities and the renovation of the splendid clubhouse, Los Naranjos continues to stand out among the top quality courses on the Costa del Sol. It can be said that it is one of the essential ones, one of those that the good golfer cannot miss.
The opinions of the players who have had the pleasure of ‘tasting’ it are unanimously praiseworthy and, apart from praising its design, they highlight the exceptional maintenance and presentation of the course, with a careful ‘manicure’ work on its greens and fairways.
This summer, this prestigious club in the Marbella Golf Valley, three minutes from Puerto Banús, has launched exceptional offers on green fees and buggies that should not be missed, especially because the golfer will pay a very reasonable price to play in one of the possibly best courses in Spain.
A clubhouse like no other
There are some golf clubs that are worth a visit if only to enjoy their clubhouse …. and if the course is also of high quality, then all the better. Los Naranjos combines both circumstances: an extraordinary course and a clubhouse out of the ordinary. Enjoying the manicured greens and fairways of this course is a very pleasant experience, but so is enjoying its elegant and comfortable clubhouse, whether you are a golfer or not.
The majestic building of this mixed club, with members but also open to the public, includes among its facilities the Los Naranjos Restaurant, an ideal place both for a quick refreshment to regain strength and to quietly enjoy a delicious lunch or an elaborate dinner. The restaurant consists of a main room, two private rooms with fireplace, terrace and wine cellar. On the upper floor there is a lounge for events, a large terrace, an exotic palapa and an area with a fireplace.
The restaurant is open from very early in the morning, to serve breakfast to the early risers, until late at night, to enjoy the best dinners.
The menu features international cuisine and Swedish specialties. In addition, there is a daily breakfast buffet, as well as daily menus at very attractive prices.
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