I had been at Arcos Gardens a few years before, shortly after the inauguration of the first nine holes – when a start was still to be made to the meticulously developed real estate project which is now underway.
I was keen to see and play the course, as everyone had spoken highly of it. Located just over three kilometres from the lovely town of Arcos de la Frontera and about 20 from Jerez, the resort leaves a big impression as soon as you arrive – exceeding expectations. The entrance, its magnificent clubhouse, inaugurated a little under a year ago, the architectural uniformity of the complex’s Andalucian style, the relaxing and elegant ambience… it all envelops you right from the start and encourages you to spend a pleasant day at the club, or even more if you decide to stay overnight in the renovated cortijo-hotel or one of the available villas or semi-detached townhouses.
The course was designed by the prestigious US company Landmark, the golf developer behind – for example – PGA West, Palm Beach Polo and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.
The complex also comprises a large, superbly maintained practice area used by the Swedish Golf Federation, English Golf Union and other associations as their winter training headquarters. In addition, numerous Tour players “isolate” themselves here to train and practise. I’m not surprised!
Those who have been here recently include Peter Hanson, Johan Edfors, Mikko Ilonen and Joakim Haeggman. “They find peace and quiet, and can completely concentrate on their game,” explains sales manager Ana Rodríguez Lara, who welcomed me on my arrival and looked after me during my brief stay at Arcos Gardens. It was also an opportunity to meet up with the managing director, Ashley Northridge, who runs everything with masterful aplomb.
The greens are, in general, large, very undulating and fast. It is in this aspect where the designers have aimed to make life slightly complicated for players, as the fairways are very wide and difficult to miss.
Nearly all the holes have five tee positions: depending on the circumstances, making the conditions easier or more difficult. There is hardly any rough – but quite a few bunkers.
As the course was built on a former olive farm, the fairways are lined by olive trees, which only come into play if you hit a particularly bad shot. Neither do the houses already built here affect play, being far enough away not to become a nuisance.
The Levante (easterly) wind, which blows frequently, makes two or three holes very long – as it is a headwind. This is when they can move around the tee positions, to moderate this handicap or, if necessary, accentuate it.
The water – three lakes, on the 6th, 16th and 18th, and a stream running along the 7th and across the 9th – does not make the course any more difficult, barely having an effect except for on the 18th, where a large lake borders the fairway on the left, extending from the landing area to the back part of the green.
The day I visited Arcos Gardens, the sun was shining and the blue sky was so clear it almost made the light seem unreal. From the clubhouse, the layout looked stunning and in perfect condition. Later, I discovered it certainly was!
The greenkeeper, Lorenzo Basco, with whom I had arranged to play, was clearly proud of his work and, of course, the results achieved – the course is already widely acclaimed and a pleasure for all who play it.
So to start the round… the 1st, a 305-metre par-4 (all distances quoted here are from the yellow markers), is a slight dogleg to the right. It is not a difficult fairway, but a bunker looms at the landing area on the right. If you want to risk it, you need to hit down the left. If not, you have to hit short of the bunker and from there it’s about 120 metres to a very undulating green, protected by two bunkers on the left.
The 2nd is a short par-3, 126 metres, with the green below the tee. The only difficulty resides in hitting past the right hand side, as there is a steep incline and recovery is complicated.
The 3rd, a 328-metre par-4, is fairly straight, albeit with a moderate dogleg left. A large tree on this part of the fairway can cause problems if you leave your second shot short, and two bunkers await you if you hit too far to the right. Your shot to the green is influenced by a large bunker running all along the left hand side of the green – which is narrow and long.
The uphill 438-metre fourth is the first par-5 on the course. There is a bunker in the middle of the fairway, at the landing area, though out of reach for most. The best option here is to go for the green in three: driver, 3 or 5 wood, and wedge, at the most. Par is a great result.
A 352-metre par-4, the fifth tends to be influenced by the Levante, which blows in your face. This makes the hole play quite long. You need to beware of two bunkers on the left, at the landing area. For the second shot, you should take into account the slope to the right, preferably hitting to the left and ensuring your ball doesn’t skip away. The green slopes steeply from left to right.
The sixth is a par-3 of 137 metres, and the first hole on the course with water on the left of the fairway and green. The most difficult pin position is back-left, forcing you to hit over the water. If you decide to hit towards the right, you have to avoid various bunkers. And if you find yourself on the wrong tier the ridge in the centre of the green can complicate your chances of escaping with two putts.
The 7th is a short par-4 of 267 metres. The main difficulty here comes from the stream bordering the fairway on the left. The safest option is a 3 or 4-iron, leaving at the most a 9-iron to the green for your second. Trying to make it in one can be risky, as you need to negotiate a gap of only five or six metres, and the steep left to right slope can send your ball into the stream.
The 363-metre 8th, on the other hand, can be very, very long – with a headwind to contend with. The green is raised and on the left of the fairway – blind from the tee. It is large and wide but extremely undulating, over three different tiers. The fairway is a dogleg left, uphill, and you need to aim to the right to ensure the best angle for attacking the green. The second shot, when wind comes into play, is always very long. This is the toughest hole on the first nine.
The 467-metre 9th is a superb hole. A brook crosses the fairway in two places. If you hit a good drive it is possible to reach the green in two, as the fairway is slightly downhill, but it’s fairly risky. The most likely result is ending up in the water, even though the Levante wind is at your back. The best option is to hit your second just in front of the brook and leave a relatively easy third to the green.
The second nine also begins with a hole made especially long due to headwind. The 10th is a par-4 of 346 metres, well protected by bunkers at the landing area; with the three-tired green sloping right to left. Your second will always be fairly long, making par an excellent result.
The 438-metre par-5 is a slight dogleg left, with most players requiring three shots to reach the smallest green on the course. You have to avoid a bunker on the left with your drive, and others around the green, which has some subtle ridges that need to be taken into account.
A 363-metre par-4, slightly downhill, the 12th is one of the few holes where you face the risk of ending up out of bounds. It shapes around a dogleg right, with headwind. The green is well protected and slopes steeply from back to front, with a ridge in the middle.
The 366-metre 13th is the longest par-4 on the course; and, not surprisingly, handicap index 1. The wind tends to blow against you; and the green is very, very long, with two tiers. Reaching the green in two is a challenge.
The 14th, however, is a short par-4 of 281 metres, dogleg left. The hole encourages you to take out the driver and leave a wedge for your second, but several bunkers lie in wait. The sensible option is to hit up short with a 3-wood and then use a 9-iron. The green is raised, sloping back to front, and well protected on the left.
The 15th is a medium-length par-3, 142 metres, very attractive and generally affected by the wind. The tee is raised and the main difficulty is in the bunker on the right, which often comes into play as the fairway slopes towards it. The safest option is to play to the left of a large and fast green.
A 492-metre par-5, the 16th offers spectacular views. The fairway is wide and you face a key decision off the tee: go for the green in two or three. Three shots are easy – driver, fairway wood, medium wood to the green – but, as the wind will be at your back, you may be tempted to go for it in two. In this case, beware two bunkers on the right and water on the left. The green is fairly straightforward; once on the right tier, two putts are not difficult.
The 17th is a longish par-3 of 164 metres. Your sight of half of the green is obstructed by the high face of a bunker in the middle of the fairway – giving the impression that the green is closer than it actually is. The difficulty is in not reaching the green as cleanly as you would like.
To finish our round… at 406 metres, the 18th is one of the longest par-4s. The tee is slightly raised and offers a stunning panorama. A large lake runs along the left of the fairway from the landing area to the back part of the green. You can open your shoulders with the driver, as the fairway is quite wide. The best angle for attacking the green is from the right, leaving a long shot to a green protected by bunkers at the back and water on the left. The green is fairly flat; the main problem on the hole is its length.
Playing with the greenkeeper is quite interesting as it helps you notice aspects of the course maintenance that you would otherwise miss. Arcos Gardens is, quite simply, magnificent – even better than I imagined, even though I was aware of its reputation beforehand. It is a pleasant course to play, of a high quality, and one you can guess becomes quite tough when set up for competitions. Some very fast greens can do serious damage to your card. “But at the moment,” says Lorenzo, “we have it set up normally, for the amateurs.”
He stresses the great importance placed on maintenance: re-seeding programmes to ensure the course has the best grass at all times of the year; meticulous attention paid to each small detail; responsible use of water… in short, a difficult job that is not always appreciated by players.
The trip has been well worth it: getting to know a course that, in spite of being off the usual “tourist circuit” is, without a doubt, one of the best in Andalucía.
