The Real Club Valderrama, thanks to the change of dates of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, will host the first event that the 2020 European Tour will play in the Old Continent. It will take place from April 30 to May 3 and it is expected that with this added attraction, the number of 45,000 spectators who enjoyed the tournament last year in the mythical setting of the 1997 Ryder Cup will be surpassed.
The course is, as always, in the best conditions to host a new edition (the sixth) of this competition won last year by South African Christiaan Bezuindehout after a head to head with Jon Rahm, who finished second tied with three other Spaniards (Eduardo de la Riva, Álvaro Quirós and Adriá Arnaus) and Frenchman MikeLorenzo-Vera. Sergio García, three-time tournament champion and host of the tournament with the charity foundation that bears his name, was seventh, one stroke behind his compatriots.
The course designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones is simply spectacular and undoubtedly one of his best works. Valderrama is a world reference in golf course architecture. The layout, inaugurated in 1974 under the name of Las Aves, was redesigned in the early 80’s by Trent Jones himself to host major professional events. It can be said that it was the first European course in which the designer had the special task of designing a course that was truly demanding for professionals and in which power never took precedence over creativity.
The routing is designed so that the player encounters the wind in several directions. It is impossible to find two holes facing the same direction.
In general terms, it is a very demanding design in which it is necessary to be very precise from the tee (not always a characteristic of Robert Trent Jones courses). The immense cork grove protects all the rough areas and narrows considerably the drive drop zones.
The shots to the green also require great placement, as they are small, elevated and very well protected by deep bunkers. The slopes of the greens are undoubtedly the jewel of Valderrama; in many cases, they are practically unnoticeable, making them very difficult to read.
Robert Trent Jones introduced new concepts in course architecture when he redesigned Valderrama. Some of them were, without a doubt, the placement of the bunkers and the elevated approach areas at the entrance to the green.
And if the design -as well as the maintenance- is extraordinary, the same can be said of the curriculum of the Real Club Valderrama. There is no course in continental Europe with a better sporting background than Valderrama. It has always been said that the great professional events are the ones that elevate the courses to a world level. The case of Valderrama is only comparable to some of the courses that host majors: it has hosted the first Ryder Cup played outside the British Isles, two World Championships, fourteen Volvo Masters, five Andalusia Masters, a Women’s Spanish Open… The best players in the modern history of golf have passed through Valderrama and have faced the harshness of its course.
.
Tickets on sale
Thanks to special rates available for a limited time, fans can enjoy this elite competition on one of Europe’s most iconic courses for just €7. Tickets for the Pro-Am (day 29) are available for €7 for youngsters (with free entry for accompanied children under 12) and €9 for adults, while it is possible to access each of the first two days (Thursday and Friday) for just €10. Saturday and Sunday prices are 10 € for young people and 15 € for adults, and there is also a weekend pass for only 20 €. Season tickets, with which you can enjoy the Pro-Am on Wednesday and the four days of competition, can be purchased for 30 € (youth) and 55 € (adults). All prices and sales periods can be consulted at the following link: www.andaluciavalderramamasters.com.
Leave a Reply