I chose a good day, at the end of November, for my visit to La Estancia, in Sancti Petri (Cádiz province). A good day because it rained after several dry months, and that is always welcome for a golf course. Rain, that is.

In any event, it was not too heavy to play golf, and quite comfortably, because a little bit of rain is often enough to discourage those who aren’t accustomed to the vaguaries of the weather, and there were few golfers out on this “new” course.

Opened in 2004 by the Mélia Group, as Golf Mélia Sancti Petri, the course has been re-baptised as La Estancia by the new owners who took over in summer.

New ownership, new management, and new and promising perspectives. “We want to transform La Estancia into a reference point in Andalucía,” says manager Carlos de Avilés, “because it has great potential, based on a great design and an unrivalled location, without a single house interfering with play or the view.”

Completely flat, the layout reminds you of a links, even though it is not next to the sea – albeit influenced by the winds in the area.

The wide fairways lead to large but undulating greens. With four tees per hole, depending on the position, it is possible to play a long or relatively short course: 6,257 metres from the white markers; 4,826 metres from the red.

As a fairly new course, the planted trees have not grown a great deal yet, other than those already existing and unaffected by the course construction: olive trees, pine trees, etc.

“It is an enjoyable and different course,” says club pro and golf academy manager Paco Cea.

In his company – a special pleasure – and that of Carlos de Avilés, it was slightly daunting setting off for our round as I remember Paco playing on the European Tour, alongside the elite of continental golf.

It was an invaluable lesson, as Cea – in addition to being an excellent professional – is patient and eminently capable as a teacher.

Named El Muro, the first hole is a relatively short par-5 to start with, 459 metres from the yellow markers, and accessible. It is a moderate dogleg left. You have to aim your drive for a bunker on the right, though it’s not easy to reach that far. From there, the second shot to the green, if you want to go for it, is straight and free of any hazard. The green is narrow but long.

The second is a 346-metre par-4. It is named La Casita because they kept the old home where the farm manager lived. This small building is on the left side of the fairway. On the right there are two bunkers. The perfect line for your drive is a little to the right of the old house. From the tee you can see the whole hole, though there is the threat of a dogleg right. The green is very large and almost flat.

The next hole, the third, is fairly difficult. It is a par-3, 185 metres, from which you can see Medina Sidonia, and for this reason they have named it after the attractive Andalucian town. The green is slightly raised, and you usually have the wind in your face. Par here is an excellent result.

El Lago is the name of the fourth, a 472-metre par-5. You have to hit your drive 200 metres if you want to clear water on the right of the fairway. If not, you have to aim a little to the left, where two bunkers serve as a reference point. In this case it will be very difficult to reach in two a green which is elevated and very large – the biggest on the course.

The fifth hole, known as Campano, is a short par-4 of 327 metres, completely straight and flat. No problems here. There is a bunker on the left, at the landing area, and pine trees on the right, but they don’t have to come into play.

The next hole, the sixth, is a 338-metre par-4 called El Pino, slightly difficult. There is a lake on the right which you don’t see from the tee, and on the left a bunker. The second shot, from 100 to 120 metres, is very precise, as you are aiming at a very small green, though not very undulating.

The 340-metre par-4 seventh is called Cuesta Arriba, and is true to its name (Uphill). The fairway is divided by a stream located about 220 metres away, so it is best to use a 3-wood and not risk trying to clear it. The green is raised and has two ridges, as well as being defended by a bunker on the left and water on the right. In fact, it is handicap 3.

On the other hand, the eighth, a 125-metre par-3 called La Sierra, is the easiest on the course: handicap 18. The tee is raised and you hit to a large green with a slight slope to the left, protected by four bunkers.

Agua is the name of the ninth, a 306-metre par-4 and handicap 7. The tee is raised and it is advisable to hit a hybrid or 3-wood at the most, to leave your shot in front of the lake. You will have a second shot of 120 metres to a green situated on an island. It is flat but the water has to be taken into account.

After Agua, the 10th is a 431-metre par-4, handicap 2, called El Pozo. It is a dogleg left. The tee shot is not difficult: to the right there are pine trees and on the left a gravel area, but the fairway is wide. The flat green is raised and with water on the left. It is certainly not an easy hole, above all else because of the distance.

Known as Colocar, the 11th is a par-4 of 332 metres, with a dogleg right of almost 90 degrees. You have to hit your first shot straight, making sure you avoid a large bunker which has been located on the right so you can’t make the hole shorter. It is best to hit to the left, about 200 metres, leaving a relatively short shot to a green with two very narrow, but long, ridges.

The 12th, named El Ciego, is a rising par-3 of 167 metres, with moderate slopes on the fairway which, again appropriately because of its name (The Blind One), do not give you a clear view of the green – fairly flat but sloping to the right. A pretty shot but you don’t see where the ball lands.

The 13th is called La Serpiente, a 460-metre par-5. True to its name (The Snake), it first has a dogleg left, then right. For your first shot you need to hit slightly to the left, over olive trees in that part of the hole. The second is much straighter, to a wide fairway. The third, if you have positioned yourself well, is not too difficult, to a green in the shape of a light bulb, narrow at the front and widening at the back.

The next hole, Arroyo, is a 314-metre par-4. The fairway is bordered for about 250 metres by a stream, which normally would not come into play. There is rough on the right and the next hole on the left, enabling you to use this area. The second shot is to a green slightly raised and protected by a bunker on the left.

The 15th, Entre Pinos, is a par-4 of 372 metres. It is handicap 1, in a clear reflection of its difficulty. The tee shot is complicated because there is a large lake all the way along the right, and on the left three bunkers. You have to hit down the middle, and accurately, because the fairway is also divided by a natural brook 50 metres from the green, which is slightly raised and has two very distinctive ridges – to the right at the front and to the left at the back – thought it is very large.

Called El Salto, the 16th is a 164-metre par-3 with the tee raised and a green protected by three bunkers, two on the left and one on the right. It is a complicated green made especially difficult because it is raised in the middle, meaning the ball can roll to either side.

The 17th is named Largo. A 360-metre par-4, it is completely straight, with a relatively straightforward drive. The tee is raised, so you are able to see the whole fairway, which includes trees, still small, on the left and right. The green is protected by a large bunker on the left. It is slightly elevated and is in the shape of a flan (crème caramel) – sloping outwards.

To finish our round, the 18th, Los Eucaliptos, a 437-metre par-5, affected quite a lot by winds. The natural river that crosses the course in other areas divides the hole about 260 metres from the tee. Both big and average hitters have to play short to avoid the large bunker located in the middle of the fairway just before the stream. The green is reachable in two, but a eucalyptus tree in the river can be a problem. The green is protected by a bunker on the right and another small one on the left. It is slightly raised and has two ridges, the second sloping a fair bit to the right. You can secure a good result but only if your second shot is a good one.

A great pleasure

As I mentioned before, playing with Paco and Carlos was a great pleasure and a special treat. It’s not often you get the chance to do that with someone who has played on the European Tour.

Cea turned pro in 1995, played two years on the European Challenge Tour, then competed on the main European Tour from 1996 to 2001. His best season was 1999, when he qualified for the Volvo Masters, and finished 56th on the end-of-season order of merit. He lost his card in 2001 but is still working hard to regain it. “I can’t practise like before but I still have the desire to compete at the highest level.” His best results on the European Tour were two third places, in the Italian Open and Madeira Open.

La Estancia’s transformation is proceeding step by step, “in line with our plans”, says Carlos de Avilés. “We began by cleaning and tidying up the course and improving the whole irrigation system, which will enable us in the near future to begin the re-seeding programme and change the grass variety for spring. We want to move over to Bermuda.

“The designer Alan Rijks has been here to offer his thoughts on the changes we want to make: new bunkers, tees, etc. We are going to extend the course by about 300 metres, and our intention is to bring it up to top competition level in a maximum of two years.”