It all started at Santa Maria Golf when a small group of golfers got together and decided to look for land large enough for an 18-hole golf course with driving range and also large enough to develop a small residential complex. The group was headed by John Jenkins, publisher, and Colin Mosely, an engineer and designer with 25 years of management experience.
Although the land chosen was considerably larger than anticipated, the site was particularly attractive: it offered splendid views of the mountains and the sea and was situated among dense forests of pines and cork oaks. Access from the N-340 was excellent, perhaps the best on the entire Costa del Sol. It was known that a new highway was being planned, which would further improve accessibility.
Another important consideration was the fact that the project was in the municipality of Marbella, well connected to international airports and only a two and a half hour flight from most European capitals. Despite the numerous golf courses in the area, there was a shortage of facilities, some
green fees were excessively high and some clubs did not accept group reservations.
The proliferation of time-share resorts led to an increased demand for golf. There was also a substantial increase in non-British golfers on the Coast. Previously, the golf market had been dominated by the British. However, German players,
Scandinavians and Spaniards began to create an important new market. The Andalusian tourism authorities were keen to encourage the development of golf courses in the area and wanted to see at least ten new courses on the Costa del Sol in the next five years.
It was known that 1992 would be an important year for Spain, a full member of the European Union, with the Seville Expo, the Barcelona Olympics and other activities stimulating the economy and attracting international interest.
At that time, the situation of the golf tourism market in the area was positive and gave rise to confidence for the success of the company’s development plans. In early 1987, the Spanish subsidiary of Santa Maria Holdings S.A. was incorporated and the land in Marbella was acquired.
In July 1989, the Marbella City Council granted initial approval of the project. During this process, all documents were revised to incorporate the negotiated changes and the urban plan was finally approved by the College of Architects. In 1989, a company was created in order to sell golf shares to future members of the golf club.
In 1991, the company Santa María Golf Club S.L. was established to rent the course and facilitate the long-term operation of the club.
STYLE
Some time ago, a well-known former Ryder Cup player and famous television commentator wrote: “Here at Santa Maria Golf & Country Club I look forward to watching and listening to the people, admiring the views and enjoying the beauty and tranquility, apart from the problems of trying to hit a three-footer.
“This really is a delight. The trees, the comfort, even the gentleness, which is something that is lacking today.” “Being here and enjoying it will be something very special. There are so many things to do and they all marry beautifully: the Ryder Room, the Cotton Bar, tennis and bowling.”
“I grew up in a golf environment and one of the things I miss is the club life. When I was winning tournaments I was the pro at Parkstone overlooking Poole Harbour and you had to deal with the members. To be honest, I didn’t like them all. If I had done something wrong, you always bumped into the wrong person.
“Oh, I see that didn’t go so well…”. He forgot the times I made 68 and only remembered when I signed 79. But that was all part of learning and growing, and listening to the comics and watching all the little nuances that went on in the clubhouse. The flirtations, the arguments with the manager, the vehemence of the secretary, the slightly sleepy golf pro, the greenkeeper who knew every blade of grass on the course,
but that he had no qualifications to prove he knew his job? All of those things seemed to fit into place wonderfully well.”
“But I think here at Santa Maria Golf & Country Club there is an opportunity to recreate that beautiful world that some people think sadly no longer exists today. It’s called STYLE.” Yes, you guessed it: it was Peter Allis, one of golf’s greatest global ambassadors.”
These words were written more than 20 years ago, and what has happened since then? A visit to Santa Maria confirms Allis’ words, and the golfer will find this club to be one of the most welcoming on the Coast. The aim was to maintain the family atmosphere that was created in the early days and to ensure that members continue to enjoy coming to the club, whether to play golf or to have a drink and a chat.
Santa Maria Golf has a truly international membership, which includes fourteen different nationalities. From the beginning the integration of members was encouraged by mixing with visitors at some tournaments, especially the Sunday Texas Scrambles and Stableford competitions. Members mixed with visitors and so golfers met, played, talked and became friends, and this was and still is the essence of Santa Maria. Colin Mosely has been the Director of Golf for
Santa Maria since its inception and has lived through the good times and the tough times. Although Colin is now semi-retired, he is still part of the management and works in an advisory capacity. The current Director of Golf is Alfredo Ramiro Oregui, who is well known to the members. Alfredo has been the CFO for many years and continues to perform this job now as well. We wish him all the best in his new role and know that he can count on the support of the staff.
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
In the early years, the Santa María Golf estate suffered severely from several forest fires.
The first and worst of these occurred in September 1987 and destroyed about 200 hectares. This occurred before the golf course was built, so there was very little protection. It is now recognized that a golf course and irrigation is the best way to keep fire at bay.
Another problem that has now been overcome was damage caused by wild boars. The installation of electric perimeter fencing has been successful and no damage has been recorded during the last five years.
Four projects that had a major impact on the golf course were the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the removal of the pylons and undergrounding of power lines, the construction of the highway and the new bridge, which forms the property’s link between the east and west of the original golf course.
The construction of the treatment plant caused few problems, except for occasional odors.
Now that tertiary treatment has been installed to further purify the water, there is little or no odor and tree growth effectively camouflages the facility. The recycled water is used primarily for golf course irrigation and eventually most courses will be forced to use treated water.
1998 was a difficult year for the golf course, and the maintenance staff was involved with the extra work that resulted from the construction of the highway, the installation of new subway high voltage cables on the golf course, and various repair work related to urban development. All of this diverted time normally spent on golf course maintenance.
Construction of the highway began in 1997. The works affected three holes -5, 6 and 15- and to a lesser degree 14. The company was successful in winning a battle with the builders of the Autopista del Sol in
The project was designed in relation to a tunnel of about 150 meters in length, minimizing the visual and sound impact and preserving the beauty of the surroundings. Thanks to arduous planning, it was fortunately not necessary to interrupt play on the 18 holes. Satisfactory solutions were found for the four holes affected by the highway works, and the 6th and 15th tees were considerably increased in size.
The new 130-meter-long bridge linking the property, east and west of the original golf course, has been a success and had very little impact on golf, and, like all good designs, it looks as if it has always been there.
LOCATION
Located near one of the best beaches in Marbella, Santa Maria Golf enjoys a privileged position within a beautiful natural environment. It is only a five-minute drive from the center of Marbella and a short drive from cosmopolitan Puerto Banús, and has easy access to the national highway, links and the international airports of Málaga and Gibraltar.
With only a short walk to the beach, passing through the commercial center of Elviria, the location of Santa Maria Golf is unbeatable.
THE CLUB HOUSE
The Clubhouse is an impressive two-story 19th century farmhouse surrounded by extensive gardens. Outdoor facilities include two tennis courts, two putting greens, practice nets and swimming pools.
Inside the main clubhouse are the administrative offices, a billiard room, a large lounge and a restaurant. The Ryder Restaurant is widely used for member meetings.
In recent years a new restaurant has been built overlooking the course and a large pro shop and caddy-masters area has been created.
The latest novelty has been the installation of a starter’s hut next to the tee of hole 1.
PARTNERS
The original intent was to have equal tee time availability for members and green fee paying visitors, and this goal remains in place. Benefits available to members include peak tee times, club competitions usually on Wednesdays and Sundays, and league matches. There are 18 competitions
“The Club’s Honours Board is held every year, and the Club Championship is played over two days. Other benefits include social activities and organized outings to play other golf courses. At Easter there are dinner dances in conjunction with the 007 Cup sponsored by John and Maggie Armstrong, and other events take place during Captains’ Day and the Club Championship. Tennis, billiards, swimming pool, fitness center, sauna and restaurant discounts are also available.
Work is currently underway to initiate a bridge championship and 40 members have already shown interest. Several membership options are available, including basic, unlimited and all-inclusive with buggy. The club pro offers private and group lessons in both English and Spanish, and club and grip repairs are also available.
The membership is represented by a committee that meets monthly, with the exception of the summer. The club is fortunate to have had some very good captains in recent years, and Terry Wills is no exception.
Terry is heading up Junior Golf with the help of other members of our staff.
THE PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
In early 2007, the President of Santa Maria Golf, Mr. Abdulla Saudi, announced that he would like to see an annual invitation-only event to thank all those individuals who had made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the Club.
The first edition of the President’s Trophy was played on Saturday, October 20 and 100 players, including municipal authorities, former captains and members of the Committee, golf tour operators and first members of the Club were treated to a gift bag containing many accessories, all with the logo of Santa Maria Golf, a three-masted galleon. The course was impeccable and the weather was perfect.
Nearly 200 players and accompanying persons were invited to a cocktail party at the Don Carlos Hotel in the evening, followed by the awards ceremony and a magnificent dinner.
The V President’s Trophy will be played on October 8 and will follow the same format as last year, individual stableford.
ABDULLA SAUDI
“Our quality is in our in our staff”.
Friend of King Juan Carlos, Medal of Civil Merit, successful banker, the Libyan
Abdulla Saudi is the president of Santa María Golf & Country Club, the golf resort located in Marbella, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year.
-What are your memories of Santa Maria Golf when you first came here?
-I became personally involved in the project at the end of 1997, not before, but there was a group of investors who came in during the 1990s and acquired the land.
They took it more as a real estate project than as a golf course. Of course, as is known, in these real estate projects you always need more than apartments: you need good facilities, a golf course, other special features, etc. There were only nine holes when the property was purchased, and then the other nine holes were added. We are very proud of the course because we have been able to maintain a good number of members, as well as a significant number of visitors who are using it from time to time.
-What was yourWhat relationship had you had with golf before coming to Marbella?
-I was president of the Tripoli Golf Club from 1964 to 1970. It was the only golf course of importance at that time, although I did not create it, but was only a member and then president. I was a basketball player and I was not elected president of the Tripoli Golf Club because I was a golfer, but because that club had two aspects: the social part on the beach and the golf course part. I was more active in the social aspect. When the elections were held the social side defeated the golfers’ side, and I was elected president. One day I went to the golf course and the pro, who was teaching some people, said to me, “You are the president and they don’t even know how to hit a ball with a golf club.” I told him that I was more used to shooting larger, basketball-sized balls than trying to put a small ball in a small hole. And he said, “Try it and see if you can hit it.” And instead of hitting the ball I hit the sand. That’s how I got into golf.
Since then my life has evolved and changed a lot, especially after what happened in Libya. In the 1960s there was the revolution of Gaddafi, who is a guy who doesn’t believe in sports. The land of the golf course was distributed among army officers, who built their houses there. I first came to this part of Spain in 1974, when I started at Aresbank. Then I was also appointed president of Banco Atlántico. When I retired from banking in 1995, I became associated with this group of investors here (Santa Maria Golf). So, even though I’m not a good golfer, I like to see good golf played. And that’s why I’ve continued to support this project, despite the difficulties that the real estate and golf course sectors are going through these days.
-What is Santa María Golf doing to try to overcome the crisis?
From day one, our plans were long-term. I believe in cycles, so in good times we didn’t spend money foolishly. We kept some savings and used them to ensure the continuity and survival of the club. So far things are being managed well, so we can offer all the key elements required by golfers: a very well-kept golf course, good staff, smiling faces… here we have what I like to call a small family. And I think we’ve been very successful so far.
-How long do you think this crisis could last?
-We believe that the crisis may last three years, no more than that, and that by then we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. We certainly hope that will happen: we are optimistic.
With what is happening, not only Spain is suffering, but the whole world. It is going through a real recession at the moment. These are real problems that cannot be solved in a short period, so I think the situation will continue for some years. I believe in what we call seven good years and seven difficult years. It is not going to last more than seven years. This time it is already three or four years, but this is a different situation. Spain is a big country and has great natural resources, so maybe it just needs better management. What are the main elements of a successful economy? Spain is a great tourist country, it has good agriculture, it is a good industrial country to some extent, so all these sectors could make a very successful country once we have good management and the right resources. But there are a lot of buts and not only here! I hope we can see a more aggressive direction in the coming years.
-What are the strengths of Santa Maria compared to other golf courses in the area?
-Our quality is in our staff, and the golf course itself is very well maintained.
-Whathas been your greatest satisfaction as president of Santa María Golf?
-Satisfaction is not possible these days (laughs)!
We have to accept reality. From the beginning I have not seen the golf course as a source of income. I see it as a supporting element of the whole project. As you know, there is a group of companies, Credoc, for all the real estate here. Things are quiet at the moment in the real estate sector, but we believe that Santa Maria Golf is necessary for this overall project, so we will maintain it and continue to support it.
-In your opinion, what should be done to maintain Andalusia as one of the most important golf destinations in Europe?
-I would describe this part of Spain as a prodigy, because of its climate, its location, its nature. Many people benefit from all this, and that means services, security, good roads and communications. Tourism will continue to come to Spain. Maybe we are not seeing the same flow of business, but the area is still active. All that is needed is better management and to attend to the needs of visitors, what they demand.
-What has Marbella lost and what has it gained in the last two decades since you first came here?
-Marbella has lost its image. There are some people who did a good job, regardless of their personal behavior. Gil (the former mayor), for example, I think he did a fantastic job, no one can deny that. When I arrived in 1974, it took two hours to get from the airport to the city center, with small roads. So there has been a lot of development, a lot of changes, especially in the roads, but certain events happened in Marbella, and especially some people, that left a very bad image and damaged the name of the city. This has had an effect. After all, when you leave your country for a vacation what you want is to forget about the problems you have at home. You want to go to a quiet place and enjoy a nice environment, do what you want to do, but when you read news about corruption it hurts the country. So I hope that with good management and planning the image of Marbella can be restored. This place is fantastic.
-You have made a great effort to improve the golf course facilities, but there is a lack of a driving range….
-I have to admit that this has been one of our weaknesses, but it was not our intention.
A nice golf course was planned and even the road to the north was built, but then the administrations paralyzed it. I do not understand why, despite having the licenses from the Junta de Andalucía and the Marbella Town Hall. They said it was rustic land, but a golf course is green, not buildings. Why did they stop it? The only thing we were interested in was the construction of a golf course and a clubhouse. Even the decks for the driving range were built. We changed our plans and what we are doing now, in these difficult economic times, is surviving rather than expanding.
A Very Outstanding Field
Colin Mosely has been the Director of Golf at Santa Maria Golf & Country Club since its inception and in his career has seen many dark days when money or lack of it threatened the very existence of the Club.
Now, however, mainly due to good teamwork, vision and dedication, the golf course is a cut above many others on the Costa del Sol.
With its clubhouse set on an old 18th century farmhouse, Santa María is a country club in the true sense of the word, as it includes not only golf, but also swimming pool and tennis courts, as well as a bowling club, with two bowling lanes of international standard size. From the moment you drive under the entrance arch that welcomes you to the clubhouse, you realize that Santa María is a carefully manicured complex that seeks the enjoyment of the client. The hedges are perfectly trimmed, the flowers, glistening, and the buggies stand lined up like soldiers on parade. A well-stocked store is supervised by a large and diligent team of caddymasters.
Since my last visit, some years ago, a new restaurant has opened, and its location is perfect as it overlooks both the 18th green and the 1st tee. Its spacious interior has a modern decor with a bamboo cane ceiling and a large terrace. The balanced and varied menu is moderately priced, and the club sandwich I had was very tasty and well presented.
The golf course follows the contours of two valleys, and standing on the tee of the first hole those who are nervous about being watched will not have a good time with the multitude of faces scrutinizing their game from the windows of the restaurant The opening hole at Santa Maria Golf looks more difficult than it really is. It measures only 289 yards (from yellows) and the sense of danger is given by the lake that lies in front, but all that is required to overcome it is a 3-wood and hitting preferably straight to reach a generous tree-lined fairway that features a right-to-left drop. The tee shot to avoid is the hook if we don’t want to end up with the ball soaking wet.
The green, wide and circular, is well protected by bunkers at the front and by another bunker that remains hidden at the back left.
An approach too strong could end up bouncing off the ancient olive trees and with the ball missing in action. Among the most outstanding holes at Santa Maria Golf, in my opinion, I would mention the 6th, 7th, 11th and 15th.
From the 6th tee, par 4, there is a huge fairway that seems to widen endlessly and offers the first opportunity to open the shoulders and hit the ball without appeasing our strength. The fairway, which ascends rapidly, slopes from right to left.
The large green is circular in shape, and a tree on the far left can cause problems for an approach from that side.
The 7th is a wonderful par 3 that flies over a valley and ends in a large green that is well protected by bunkers and has a small step at the bottom. Although it is short (286 meters), the par 4 11th can spoil a good card. From the tee, the view is of a small section of fairway down a valley with a lake in the background. The fairway then turns left behind some trees and heads towards the green. To a player attempting to
avoiding the corner (flying over the tall trees), if you get the shot right you will only have to make a simple pitch to a pear-shaped green protected by bunkers at the front and back. Next to the green, on the right, there is a small lake fed by the moving waters of a beautiful waterfall.
The 15th is a 154-meter par 3 that plays from an elevated tee to a heart-shaped green that is at a much lower level and, from the distance, doesn’t look much bigger than a stamp.
There is a lot of sand just short of the green on this beautiful hole. Despite the August heat, Santa Maria Golf was quite busy on the day of my visit, but the reason why it receives so many golfers became more and more evident as, during my round, I became aware of how well maintained the course is. The presentation of the course and the attention to detail all around is close to perfection, so the grenkeeper and his assistants deserve great credit.
Santa Maria Golf has a significant number of members, but the club’s management, aware of the need for income via green fees from visitors, extends to all golfers the courtesy given to members. It has all the attributes of a successful golf club, and its attitude to visiting golfers should serve as an example and lesson to a minority of clubs that fail miserably in this respect.
I must add a word of caution if you are heading to the club by car. The speed bumps on the access roads to slow down are a real hazard, so be careful if you don’t want your car’s undercarriage to suffer. You have been warned.
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