Montenmedio: A true oasis of peace and tranquility

En una maravillosa soleada mañana de octubre decidí cambiar los a veces agobiantes aires de la Costa del Sol por los más tranquilos de Montenmedio Golf & Country Club, en el interior de la provincia de Cádiz ...

On a delightfully sunny Saturday morning I decided to exchange the hurly-burly of the Costa del Sol for the quieter pastures of the Montenmedio Golf & Country Club in Cádiz. Opting for the coast road, rather than the faster and quicker motorway, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey meandering past Tarifa and the wind farms.

The views out over the water and across to the coast of Africa were quite breathtaking while, on the opposite side, mountains, dotted with farmhouses, soared upwards in quite spectacular fashion. Wind turbines, their blades rotating lazily as if in welcome, stretched out in all directions and I was impressed with the local government efforts to counteract the carbon footprint so many of us make without, apparently, the slightest degree of concern.

With the major improvements carried out to the coast road over the years, Montenmedio is now just a comfortable two-hour drive from Fuengirola and it seemed like no time before the flag-bedecked entrance to the massive country estate which houses the golf course hove into view. What a pleasure it was to find a total lack of any housing development, just quiet woods; yet, as I came down a hill and into a slight curve, I was startled by the appearance of a large road sign announcing there had been 81 accidents and 14 people killed at this spot. I slowed down immediately and anxiously gazed around. Nothing, absolutely nothing! You could not find a more peaceful scene and the possibility of a major accident happening was hard to imagine.

At the bottom of the slight hill there was a crossroads; left and right was a farm track while ahead lay an imposing Andalucian-style building called “La Hacienda”. From there I followed the discreet signs and eventually came to the courtyard of an impressive yellow-coloured building. I went inside and discovered that one end featured a garden, complete with swimming pool, then came the caddie-master’s domain and, after that, an arched hallway leading to the professional’s shop, which was being looked after by Maricha from Sevilla. I ventured into a room coloured in a delicate shade of turquoise, which reflected light from sparkling chandeliers, while the walls displayed some marvellous 18th century paintings.

I was in the bar where my request for a cortado was speedily dealt with. I had hardly taken a sip from the coffee when a casually dressed man approached and introduced himself as Miguel Marín, the golf director. After organising a buggy he then introduced me to the resident golf professional, Nacho Gutiérrez. On hearing about my current pitching yips, he very kindly offered to try to sort the problem out there and then but, not being convinced that the age of miracles has arrived, I politely declined. Then I took my leave of him and headed to the first tee.

The opening hole gives a good indication of the challenge that lies ahead as it ambles down a fairway which slopes from right to left. A hazard on the left has to be avoided, as do the bunkers strategically placed on either side about 200 metres from the tee. The circular green is well protected by sand and, perched high on a hill in the distance, the white village of Vejer de la Frontera gave the appearance of keeping a watchful eye over all.

The relatively short second (281 metres from the yellow tees) is played across a deep valley onto a fairway, which rises sharply. A river runs along the base of the valley while a serious amount of sand lies in wait on both sides of the approach to the green. The grass face of the bunker guarding the front of the green is exceptionally steep but, thankfully, there are run-off areas at the back, making long the safer option.

The third is a par-5 measuring 436 metres played from an elevated tee onto a fairway rolling downwards into a valley from where it turns right and commences a sharp ascent; 110 metres from the green on the left there is a series of six bunkers while the good-sized green is practically surrounded by yet more sand.

The fourth is the first of maybe four holes on the course which require a degree of blind faith! Eight stone steps lead to the tee, from where the view is simply of a hill with a marker at its zenith, while all around there is dense forest. There is little option but to whack the ball over the marker and hope for the best! There is plenty of room on the right but a hook will dive out over a boundary fence. One hundred metres out the fairway moves gently to the left and down into a hollow before rising up again onto another circular green severely bunkered on both sides.

The par-5 fifth is played onto a very generous fairway with numerous trees on the right. At the 200-metre marker the fairway rolls down into a hollow and then rises up again to a two-tiered green, which slopes pretty severely from right to left.

Although the 320-metre par-4 sixth is another blind hole there is plenty of room “over the hill” and the main danger is the vast area of sand protecting the front right half of the green.

The par-3 seventh, at 137 metres, is slightly more than a pitch-hole and four bunkers, coupled with the ominous red posts surrounding the big two-tiered green, make club selection all-important. Palm and olive trees, together with the colourful flowers surrounding the platform tee, make this hole quite eye-catching.

The par-4 eighth measures 301 metres and is played into a shallow valley, and at the 100-metre mark the fairway dog-legs sharply to the left until it reaches a small elevated green surrounded by trees and bushes.

The final hole on the outward journey measures 335 metres and has dense bushes on either side (all designated as a hazard), while trees stand haphazardly on the fairway. The green is bunkered on both sides and is closely guarded by more trees.

The 10th is a par-4 measuring 361 metres and is quite a delightfully designed test. A generous fairway invites a big hit and, provided it is not hooked, all will be well. A bunker, which has three palms rising from the sand and sides made from railway sleepers, stretches for 40 metres on the left as you approach the green, behind which a lake glistens in the morning sunshine; an absolutely memorable hole which I can picture clearly as I write these words.

The 11th runs in the opposite direction and is a par-5 of 444 metres, played from an elevated tee into a valley at the bottom of which a pond awaits. From that potential watery grave the fairway rises up again to a narrow and not very long green which is guarded on the left by trees, while an approach missing on the opposite side will topple sharply downwards into places best avoided.

At 511 metres the 12th is the longest hole on the golf course but, from the tee, the only view is of the brow of a hill with a marker atop about 100 metres distant. In fact there are acres of fairway waiting so you may open your shoulders and give the ball a good whack. The slightly elevated green is approached through an avenue of trees and is sloped from right to left.

The main danger on the par-3 13th (177 metres) is the dense foliage designated a hazard on both the left-hand side and the back of the green.

The palms, forest and mountains in the background of the 14th make it a visually exciting hole. At the 170-metre marker the fairway turns sharply to the right, past bunkers on either side, and carries on to an elevated green which has a sea of sand on the left and slightly less on the opposite side; another fine hole which well merits its index 1 rating.

The 15th is played onto a fairway meandering up and down until it reaches a green, which has a bunker sunk below its surface. An olive tree, twixt sand and green, adds difficulty to the bunker shot. Five palms stand smartly to attention behind the green, which has more subtle borrows than many of its predecessors.

The very picturesque par-3 16th (177 metres) is played across a shallow valley onto a green which slopes from left to right and has trees on the right-front and bunkers on the left.

The 17th is another blind hole played over a hill-top onto a fairway sloping sharply from left to right. From a small platform on the top of the hill the fairway then plunges down into a valley on the left-hand side of which there is a horse-shoe shaped bunker with a very steep face which is best avoided. The fairway then rises up onto a two-tiered green, which is wide at the front but narrows towards the back.

The final hole on this haven of peace is a par-3 measuring 153 metres played through an avenue of trees onto a green guarded on the front-right by an S-shaped bunker. A hooked tee shot will hurtle out over a boundary wall while anything long will, more than likely, topple off the green and trundle down amongst a plethora of trees from where recovery may well prove difficult.

Following a shower in a well-appointed and comfortable locker room, I returned to the bar for some much-needed refreshment. Later Miguel Marín showed me into a drawing room full of plush sofas, an old-style writing desk and yet more paintings. It appears that Maite, the owner’s wife, is quite an expert in these antiquities and her husband, Antonio Blázquez, is only too happy to allow her free rein to demonstrate that expertise with the décor. What a good decision that turned out to be, for the finished product is quite unique as a golf clubhouse.

So came to an end a most enjoyable and interesting day at Montenmedio Golf & Country Club; a true oasis of peace and tranquillity and a very welcome respite from the rapidly developing coastal areas both east and west of it. Long may it remain thus!