Seve was fully involved in the design of what would become the first of his golfing “tots” opened on the Costa del Sol: Los Arqueros. Ballesteros lavished all his indulgence on the design and walked the plot metre by metre to see how the ideas he had sketched on blueprints were captured on the ground in accordance with his wishes.
The best player in the history of Spanish golf was 34 at the time, and that same season, 1991, he achieved his sixth European Tour Order of Merit title.
The Seve name continues to be a strong magnet that attracts to Los Arqueros thousands of golfers from throughout Europe who want to see first-hand the talent the genius from Pedreña bestowed on this superb Costa del Sol course.
It is now 25 years since Los Arqueros’s holes were first opened for play. The Costa del Sol has changed a great deal since then, with many other golf courses being added to the then already quite extensive golfing amenities offered in this premier Andalucian golf destination.
The “Costa del Golf” had, at the time, fewer than half the number of golf courses it does today, and since 1991 another 40 courses have opened (counting all 27, 18 and nine-hole layouts on the Málaga coastline and in the Sotogrande area, there are now more than 70 in total).
Set among steep mountains, the impeccable fairways of Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club merge with the spectacular surrounding scenery, affording the golfers exceptional views over the Mediterranean. Opened in 1991, Los Arqueros is a challenging par-71, 18-hole course created by Severiano Ballesteros. Considered one of the best players in the world, Seve has used his know-how and prestige to create some 30 golf courses all over the world.
The underlying idea in the design of Los Arqueros was to create a course which followed the lie of the land and blended harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Seve took this philosophy to heart when designing the course, and each hole has its own particular personality. The result is a challenging course for the experienced player and a genuine test for those who are new to the game.
The course requires accurate play, especially in some tight tee shots where you may have to forego distance in your drive and opt instead for shorter irons or woods which ensure that the ball reaches the fairway. Hole 8 is especially tricky, as it is a long par 5, with a tight dogleg towards the right which slopes sharply downhill to the green, and a hazardous out-of-bounds area finishing in a stream at the entrance to the green. Watch out too for the 13th hole, with its high tee requiring an accurate and hard-hitting drive to a downhill area guarded by bunkers, and where only careful play will ensure that you save the par. The 3rd hole is also excellent, with a lake to the left of the fairway and a scattering of wide bunkers on the right - but it requires more attention than expected to finish successfully.
However, the most difficult hole is the 6th, as it is not only the longest, but the tee-off shot is the decisive one. Therefore, this is a demanding course which requires a calculated game, and where you cannot afford to take many risks if you want to make your handicap.
