On this occasion I am heading to the heart of the Bay of Cadiz. There and very close to towns like Puerto Real, San Fernando and the city of Cadiz, which evoke the essence of the purest of the Andalusian soul, is Villa Nueva Golf, a course opened in 2006 that has already become a benchmark in the area.
From the Costa del Sol, where I live, is just an hour and a half, taking the always attractive Ruta del Toro and turning to the coast at the height of Medina Sidonia. From there you can also reach the Sancti Petri golf courses, which is an added attraction for a golf getaway or vacation.
When I arrived at Villa Nueva on a cloudy morning in mid-February, with the threat of rain that later became a reality, I was surprised by the large number of people who occupied the practice area, despite the conditions of the day and the fact that it was also in the middle of a week that was not exactly high season. The course also had an above-average occupancy rate, which unfortunately is becoming common in these times of crisis.
As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed by the course manager, Oliver Günther, a German who has been living in and loving Andalusia for decades. And, although it is not usual for me, I would later play a round with him. “In this area,” he tells me, “we savor more the typical and authentic Andalusian culture: wine, flamenco, bullfighting, gastronomy…. It is a different world from that of the Costa del Sol. In addition, just a few minutes away we have one of the best beaches in the world, La Barrosa, with more than nine kilometers long and an average width of more than two hundred meters, with the best sand in southern Europe”.
The course is wide, ample, it gives the impression at first sight of not being too complicated, with a slight movement of the terrain and, yes, plenty of water. But this first impression can be a mirage if the wind blows from the east or west: it doesn’t matter. Villa Nueva Golf can sometimes become a real link, although it is not next to the sea. Swedish and German players abound here, sometimes arriving with their own pro, in addition to the locals.
The greens of this course are very wide and fast. Some say that they are among the best in Andalusia, with a lot of movement and the danger of making three putts if you do not read the slopes well and overestimate your skills. They are planted with pencross and the fairways with bermuda 419, although there is a medium-term project to incorporate paspalum, the famous American grass, which allows less irrigation, better supports the salinity of the water and remains greener throughout the year. The vegetation, still in the process of growth in some areas, consists mainly of olive trees, pines, palms and casuelinas.
On this course, every time a game is over, you inevitably feel the need to play it again because your expectations are rarely met here, and you always have the feeling that you could have done something more, as the course lends itself to it.
Hole 1 is a par 4 of 326 meters (we will always speak from yellow) with a marked dogleg to the right. The drive to this area has the difficulty of being out of bounds and a bunker that lurks. We have to fly over it. A shot to the left takes us too far from the green and forces us to take a long shot. The green is well protected by two bunkers on the left and right.
The 2nd, another par 4 of 339 meters, has a large space to the right of the drive, but be careful with the rough, which can make the second shot very difficult. On the left, a large tree can create problems. The best thing to do, as almost always, is to go down the center of the fairway. Also here the green, high up, is guarded by two bunkers on each side.
The 3rd can be considered a recovery hole. It is a par 5 of 463 meters, straight, without many complications.
The 4th is the first par 3 of the course. Not very long, 144 meters, but with a large lateral lake that occupies almost the entire hole, including the green on the right. On the left it is out. The only solution is to hit a green with a lot of movement. The hole is beautiful.
The 5th, a 348-meter par 4, has a large grove of trees on the right and a lake on the left. Again, it is necessary to look for the center of the fairway to avoid problems. From there the shot to the green is not too long or complicated.
The 6th is a par 5 of 459 meters with a fairway very delimited by trees. It is not a bad option to tee off with an iron to be sure. The green, once again high, is very moving, with a tremendous piano and a bunker in front of it. It is not an easy hole, although with luck you can get a good result.
The next hole is a 179-meter par 3 that can be very long on a windy day. If it is against the wind, as usual, you have to sweat to get there.
The 8th, a par 4 of 388 meters, handicap 2 of the course, is quite complicated. It’s very difficult to get in two with the wind. The bogey is not a bad result.
The 9th is a slight dogleg to the right, with the driving range on that side behind a large row of trees. To the left is a very large tree at the drop of the drive, so better to tee off with iron or a shorter wood if you are not a big hitter and very confident. The green is surrounded by bunkers. It is not an easy hole.
The 10th hole, a par 5 of 436 meters, is another of Villa Nueva Golf’s recovery holes. The only difficulty is on the tee because you have water practically in front of you, which can intimidate some players. With a good tee shot you can try to attack the green. However, it is very protected with bunkers in front and a lake behind. If you don’t take any risks, there shouldn’t be any problems.
The 11th is a short par 3 of 139 meters. The only difficulty depends on the position of the flag. To the right and behind, there are two large bunkers. The fairway is crossed by a stream. The green is very busy. Par is not a bad result.
The 12th, a par 4 of 368 meters, seems very easy at first sight, but it has many obstacles. On the left there is a water channel and on the right many olive trees. There are bunkers on the drive downhill, so you have to be careful. A complicated hole.
On the 13th, a 322-meter par 4, you have to look for the fairway and you are sure to win the hole, despite the large bunker protecting the green on the left.
The next hole is the course’s handicap 1. It is complicated. The first shot must be played carefully to the right because there is a danger of out and on the other side there is water. Halfway down the fairway, the stream appears again and crosses several holes. Almost inevitably, it is necessary to fly over the lake on the left, without falling short, otherwise it is difficult to get from three to the green on this par 5 of 513 meters.
To compensate, the 15th is an easy par 3 hole of 132 meters. It is fun and lends itself to play a beer for the best score.
On the 16th, another par 4 of 370 meters, we find a lot of native trees. At the tee we have the typical corridor of trees that forces us to go very straight. On the green you have the sensation of going to the lake on the left because it is a little inclined in that direction. Problems on all sides on this hole.
The 17th, a 129-meter par 3, is really nice, with a large lake on the left that comes into play quite a bit. It does not offer excessive difficulties.
The 18th, a 448-meter par 5, could be considered the most emblematic of the course. It is a steep dogleg to the left, where there is a lot of water. It is preferable to tee off with iron to find the fairway. If you go too far to the right, you will be far from the green. Many try to fly over the lake, but that requires a drive of more than 230 meters of flight, which usually ends up with the ball in the water. If you overdo it here, you can end up in trouble.
In front of the green of this hole will be built the hotel and the definitive clubhouse of this course that leaves no one indifferent.
Undoubtedly, it is worth coming to Villa Nueva Golf and, if you have time, since it is only a few minutes away, take a walk around Cadiz, the Havana of Andalusia, as the poet defined it.
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