LA QUINTA GOLF
& COUNTRY CLUB
Finally, it is down into the bedrock of Spanish golf where the game really
took off in the 1960s and '70s, as golfers from northern Europe descended in
search of the sun. In addition to a magnificently scenic coastline, this region
is home to the likes of Valderrama, host
of the 1997 Ryder Cup, and Sotogrande,
the first Robert Trent Jones course on
the continent. As you drive to La Quinta
from Malaga airport, the signposts are a
roll-call of recent golfing history.
Named Costa Del Sol (Coast of the
Sun) for good reason, this area boasts
more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
In winter, the climate is temperate with
a daytime average of about 16 degrees
Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit); whilst
at the height of summer, it is more like
30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and there is very little rain.
The architect at La Quinta, and still
a resident, is Manuel Piñero, a two-time Ryder Cup participant in the
1980s. He has designed and regularly
upgraded 27 holes that are among the
best in the area. The three very pretty
and at times dramatic loops of nine are
not blessed with the most inspirational
of names, but the A, B and C loops do
each have their own character.
The A nine is on the lowest land and
starts with a tough par- 5, downhill and
narrow. Not that you would know it, but
as you drive to la quinta from malaga airport, the signposts are a roll-call of recent golfing history.
the third green has a motorway run-
ning right underneath it. The B nine
twists and turns through a sumptuous
and palatial neighborhood and has a
pair of very exciting risk-reward holes to
start and finish. The C loop runs out to
the east in less developed land and has
some recent changes to accommodate
an expanded lake that will allow the
club to be self-sufficient on its water-
ing supply, a requirement of imminent
changes to Spanish law.
In October, the A and C loops combine
to stage the Benahavis Senior Masters
on the European Tour. At the northern
end of the estate is the Golf School with
its 2-tiered driving range, a chipping
area and a putting green surrounded by
bunkers, a video room for digital swing-
analysis sessions and a pro-shop.
At the center of the three nines is the
excellent Melia La Quinta Hotel and
Spa which is beautifully appointed, spa-
cious and airy, and has a couple of excel-
lent dining choices. Special mention
must be made of the excellent Japanese
restaurant, Kaede, with its fabulous
array of tempting teppanyaki dishes
cooked right in front of you by its real
showman of a chef. This makes a perfect
place to reflect on an intriguing, varied
and interesting tour of Spain, one that
will whet your appetite for more. n
