Don Juan de Borbón, father of King Juan Carlos, inaugurated the Cadiz club in 1990 together with Severiano Ballesteros, who inaugurated the first course designed by him in Europe. Now Novo Sancti Petri Golf Club receives the title of Royal granted by the Royal House presided over by his grandson, Felipe VI.
The director of the renowned golf club on the Costa de la Luz, Rafael Hernandez, says that this ‘royal’ distinction is “above all a great responsibility, and also a recognition of the history of a club with twenty-five years, a recognition by the Royal House to a job well done, to the development of a tourist destination, to one of the most important pillars of the country’s economy, which is tourism”.
“I want to thank of course the Royal House,” he continues, “but above all the partners, who from the beginning believed in Novo Sancti Petri and its development. I sincerely believe that we have one of the best golf resorts in Europe, and the Iberostar Group has managed to consolidate it over time”.
-In its day, Novo Sancti Petri was certainly the spearhead for the development of tourism in this area, which was practically virgin at the time in this sense?
-No doubt about it. It was decisive the bet of some visionaries who invested in this project twenty-five years ago. They had the full support of the Chiclana City Council and of Severiano Ballesteros, who designed his first course in Europe here and bid to host the 1997 Ryder Cup, which was finally played at Valderrama.
-What is it that attracts the most attention, what do the resort’s customers appreciate the most?
-There are many things, but the two golf courses at Novo Sancti Petri are key, for their design and level of maintenance, as well as their location, next to the stunning Barrosa beach. Together with our hotels and our practice facilities, they make this destination truly unique in Spain.
In Sancti Petri there are fourteen hotels, of which we have two (Iberostar Royal Andalus, four stars, and Iberostar Andalucía Playa, five stars) and with the advantage that they are next to our golf courses. It is a five-minute walk to the golf course from our hotels, which is a great convenience for the client; the clubhouse is in the center of the golf courses and the practice area, which is undoubtedly one of the best in Spain, with an area of more than eight hectares. Everything is close by.
-What nationalities predominate among the golfers in Novo Sancti Petri?
-Fundamentally the Atlantic destination was originally a destination for German tourism. Today, over the years, part of our golfers are German, but Golf Novo Sancti Petri is becoming known in many other markets. For years we have been diversifying in the Danish, Norwegian, French, English, etc. markets, which are giving very good results. And we also have Spanish, of course.
-Besides golf, what other things do tourists who come to Novo Sancti Petri like to do in the area?
-Winter seasonality has in my opinion a very good thing: it is a quiet destination. The golfer can find within walking distance a city like Jerez, a beautiful city like Cadiz, our Tacita de Plata… There are many interesting visits, and we are not the only golf courses in the destination, so you can play in many other courses in the area, and that encourages to come to the destination in winter.
-What can you tell us about the Real Novo Sancti Petri Golf Club Academy?
-The Academy teaches the Jack Nicklaus method and there are classes throughout the year, from beginners to the most advanced levels. Our professionals are recognized by the PGA, so quality teaching is guaranteed.
-What about the beach that bathes the resort?
-La Barrosa beach, like many of the Atlantic part of Andalusia, is incredible. Here we have eight kilometers of white sandy beach and a magnificent sea of internationally recognized quality.
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