A few months ago Las Brisas Golf Club, one of the designs by Robert Trent Jones that the American architect was most satisfied with, began a schedule of major renovation work aimed at returning the Marbella course to its original sparkle and perfection.

The work is necessary to enable the club to adapt to the new era and correct certain deficiencies caused by the passing of the years.

To undertake the project, while respecting the initial design, Las Brisas chose one of Robert Trent Jones most outstanding disciples, Kyle Phillips, also one of the most prestigious architects in the current world of golf.

Work on the first nine holes has now been completed, and a start will be made on the second nine in September 2014. Over summer, the first nine – though finalised – suffered a setback that is now rectified.

Club manager Paul Muñoz explains the situation. “What happened,” he says, “is that the renovation work was carried out during a time of the year that perhaps wasn’t the most favourable. In order to not bother members to too great an extent it was decided to begin work in April and the work finished at the end of November, when fewer are here, and at that time the only option was to seed with Ray Grass, which is a grass that only lives through and is in perfect condition during the cool months. It doesn’t take well to heat or irrigation water with high salinity levels. That’s why this summer we had some problems. We knew it would happen but there was no other solution. In any event, it was a one-off problem that is now resolved. We’ve re-seeded with Festuca Arundinacea and soon it will all be as it should be.”

- Because the work was completed successfully, the renovation work was carried out as planned and everyone likes it…

- Yes, that’s the case. Perhaps there are some who are a little impatient, but the design has been carried out, improvements have been made to the irrigation, the bunkers, new drainage, etc. Everything’s all good. The only thing that has happened – as I noted before – is a one-off problem with the rough that lasted one and a half to two months.

- Has this resulted in a postponement of renovation work on the second nine?

- Exactly. We consulted independent companies such as Surtec and Actúa, and the Royal Spanish Golf Federation’s head greenkeeper, and all indicated that the only viable way to reconstruct and sow appropriate grass, to last all year, is to start work in September and be able to re-sow during the warm months with cuttings and seeds of a suitable species (Bermuda).

The course is now in perfect condition for play and in all its splendour, both for the autumn/winter season starting now – when most of the players from northern Europe arrive – and for the rest of the spring/summer season.