It was the end of the 1980s when a small group of golfers led by engineer Colin Mosely decided to embark on the adventure of building a golf course in Marbella. The first thing was to find the land, and they chose one of the best areas of the municipality, Elviria. At that time, the Costa del Sol had barely twenty golf courses, not even a third of those existing today, and Marbella had already become the town with the most golf courses in Spain.
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 located among dense forests of pines and cork oaks. Access from the N-340 national highway 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 bookings.
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, Scandinavian and Spanish players 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, 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 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.
QUESTION OF STYLE
Some time ago, a well-known former Ryder Cup player and famous British 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 tranquillity, apart from the problems of trying to hole out from three feet”.
“This really is a treat…. 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’d done something wrong, you always bumped into the wrong person. “Oh, I see you didn’t do very well…”. You forgot the times I did 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 director, the vehemence of the secretary, the slightly sleepy golf pro, the greenkeeper who knew every blade of grass on the course, but didn’t have degrees to prove he knew his job…. All of those things seemed to fall 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 25 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 a wide range of 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.
Mr Abdullah Saudi is the chairman, well known banker and also a keen golfer, Colin Mosely was the director of Santa Maria Golf from 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 serves in an advisory capacity. The current director of Golf is Alfredo Ramiro Oregui, who is well known to the members. Alfredo was CFO for many years and continues to serve in this capacity now as well.
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 been overcome is the damage caused by wild boars. The installation of electric perimeter fencing was successful and no damage has been recorded for a decade.
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 construction of the bridge that 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. Years ago tertiary treatment was installed to further purify the water, there is little or no odor and tree growth effectively camouflages the installation. The recycled water is mainly used for irrigation of golf courses and most courses on the Costa del Sol use the 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 works related to the urban development.
Construction of the highway began in 1997. The works affected three holes (5, 6 and 15) and to a lesser extent 14. The company succeeded in winning a battle with the builders of the Autopista del Sol regarding a 150-meter long tunnel, managing to minimize the visual and sound impact and preserve 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 130-meter bridge built to link the property, east and west of the original golf course, was a success and had very little impact on golf. 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. Just eight minutes drive from the center of Marbella and a little more from the cosmopolitan Puerto Banus, and has easy access to the national road, links and international airports of Malaga and Gibraltar.
With only a short walk to the beach (the finest sand in all of Marbella) via 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 and practice nets. Inside the main clubhouse are the administrative offices, a billiard room and a large lounge.
Years ago a new restaurant, Hoyo 19, was built with splendid views of the course and a large pro-shop and caddy-masters area was created. Recently a major renovation of the pro-shop and changing rooms has been carried out.
PARTNERS
Benefits available to members include peak time outings, club competitions usually on Wednesdays and Sundays, and league matches. There are 18 Honours Board competitions each year, and the Club Championship is played over two days. Other benefits include social activities and arranging outings to play other golf courses. At Easter there are dinner dances in conjunction with the 007 Cup sponsored by Maggie Bond, and other events take place during Captains’ Day and the Club Championship. Tennis, billiards, sauna and restaurant discounts are also available.
Several membership options are available, including basic and unlimited membership. The club pro offers private or group lessons in English or Spanish, and club and grip repairs are also available.
The members are represented by a Committee that meets monthly, with the exception of the summer.
In early 2007, Santa Maria Golf’s president, Abdullah Saudi, announced that he would like to see an annual invitational event to thank all those who had made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the club. Thus was born the President’s Trophy, which has been held every year for the past decade at the beginning of autumn and is a major sporting and social event.
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