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I  have visited Finca Golf Cortesín on a regular basis since it opened to the public five years ago. I was there at its birth and I have seen it grow and mature in the intervening years. This might be a relatively short period of time for a golf course but it is a key feature of Cortesín: consolidation.

The people running this magnificent club – located in Casares municipality, close to one of the Costa del Sol’s finest beaches – no doubt believe there is more work to be done, because a golf course is never completely finished. However, in this case – if not yet finished – Cortesín is certainly close to that objective.

The greens are impeccable and the fairways – long and at times quite challenging – are in formidable condition.

That was what I found at the start of May when I returned, once more, to play the course that is hosting the Volvo World Match Play Championship for a second time.

As I took the Casares turn-off from the old N340 coastal road I recalled a phrase the course designer, Cabell B. Robinson, had said to me a few years before: “Unless you are scratch or an exceptional golfer don’t try to play from the back tees (black markers). From there, Finca Cortesín is the longest course on the Costa del Sol and possibly in Spain.”

On arrival at the elegant and eminently functional clubhouse, I was met by Javier Reviriego, my playing partner that day. Javier is one of those wonderfully pleasant and likeable people you always look forward to spending time with – as well as being one of those people who are efficient and professional in their work without constantly “reminding” you of this fact. As well as providing warm and friendly company he also has another great quality in my opinion: he plays a great golf game.

One of the main aspects that defines Finca Golf Cortesín is its exquisite client service. As soon as you walk through the door you are made to feel like someone special and unique. The cuisine in the restaurant is superb and the service magnificent; when you head off for your buggy you find it prepared and personalised, with water, soft drinks, etc.; and on the course you never want for anything. It is obviously extremely important to be treated well because that leaves good memories and encourages you to return.

It was a pleasure to play a round with Reviriego, even though it seemed he was sometimes paying more attention to the maintenance and fine-tuning of the course, with the Volvo World Match Play Championship just around the corner.

Of course, I did insist we play from the yellow markers – not wanting to make it any more difficult than necessary!

The first  hole  measures 374 metres and the wide rolling fairway slopes from right to left and is bunkered on the low side. About 60 metres from the green the buggy path cuts back across the fairway, where a lone olive tree stands on a mound. It is a gentle opening hole which may well lull the unwary into a false sense of security.

The par-3 second is played across a shallow valley into a green heavily bunkered, especially the left front which is a huge sea of sand. The narrow green opens out at the back and its severe undulations will place a premium on putting.

The par-5 third measures 450 metres and is somewhat marred by an electricity pylon standing right in the middle of the fairway. The drive will have to be either cut or drawn around that and then due care given to two bunkers which eat in on the right. On the opposite side from the bunkers water awaits and, as the fairway swings around to the left, trying to get on in two will entail carrying a vast expanse of lake. I reckon there will be more birdies bagged playing the hole the orthodox way than by risking all over the water. The good-sized green is severely sloped from back to front, while the left-hand side trickles down into the drink.

The fourth is an unusual hole and, although only measuring 265 metres, it is a par-4. From an elevated tee the drive is into a valley below, where the fairway dog-legs sharply to the left in a series of hillocks and hollows. The reason for the dog-leg is a lake on the left and any golfer attempting to drive the green will need to keep the ball airborne all the way. The slightest bit short will splash down, as the water laps up against the side of the putting surface. Somewhat like the previous hole, this one, played conventionally, should not create any great problem; for the gambler, well that is another matter. A golfer trying to pick up two shots against the card may well finish up dropping two.

 

DAUNTING TEE SHOT

The fifth, another par-5 measuring 462 metres, presents a daunting tee shot across a valley, onto a plateau in the distance, the right-hand face of which is bunkered. The fairway then meanders its way downwards in a series of humps; there are small clumps of trees scattered hither and yon, while a number of huge boulders add a distinctly individual touch to the hole. About 50 metres from the green, on the right, a series of bunkers, of varying shapes and sizes, lies in wait and these are best avoided. Although the green is 37 metres long, it is quite narrow.

The sixth is a par-3 of 178 metres played to a plateau-type green with deep bunkers on the right. There is a run-in area on the opposite side while the background of olive trees and a decorative stone wall is quite eye-catching.

The seventh is played from a slightly elevated tee onto a vast expanse of fairway with bunkers up the left while, further on, yet another eats into the opposite side and is overlooked by a tree surrounded by saplings. The fairway moves gently to the left and uphill onto an almost circular green which is well protected by deep bunkers.

The par-5 eighth (486 metres) runs in the opposite direction, although on a lower level. The fairway slopes from the right and is severely bunkered on the left. As it swings to the right, the fairway narrows considerably and is bunkered on both sides with cavernous-type hazards which are sure to cause many a golfer considerable grief. The big green is also deeply bunkered on the left but, mercifully, there is plenty of room on the opposite side.

Passing olive trees and other vegetation on the climb to the final tee of the outward journey gave some idea of the vintage of the land on which the course was constructed and a real feeling of being in the countryside. The ninth is a par-4 with a big fairway but the eye is immediately caught by a big bunker in the middle distance, while any tee shot hooked will also come to rest in sand. The fairway swings to the left onto a kidney-shaped green which is, yet again, severely bunkered. A series of small olive trees surround the green and frame it nicely.

 

A STARTLING HOLE

The 10th is a par-3 which will, no doubt, be one remembered by golfers who pass this way. What a startling hole it is when you stand on the tee and gaze down at the green, deep below in a valley. The view across forestry and plantations, with mountains in the background, is quite superb. The putting surface is shaped like the figure eight with deep-faced bunkers on the right, while the opposite side is steeply banked and is the spot to favour as the ball will tend to tumble down onto the green. A thoroughly memorable experience; one worth playing the golf course for, if only to savour the experience of this one hole.

The 11th tee (reached by way of a very attractive timber bridge) heralds a par-5 which is rated index 2. The daunting tee shot requires the ball to be hit across a valley that is so deep the tops of trees are almost on a level with the tee. The drive is blind so it is really a matter of hitting and hoping the fairway is out there somewhere waiting to receive the ball. In fact there is a considerable amount of hidden fairway although the right-hand side should be avoided as that is simply clumps of bushes and other age-old vegetation. The fairway eventually turns to the right and drops down into a valley before rising again to a small green severely protected by bunkers, one of which is in the middle of the fairway just 40 metres short of the target. During the entire length of the hole the right-hand side offers nothing but trouble.

The 12th, a par-3 measuring 163 metres, is another attractive hole played from an elevated tee across a valley onto a big green with three delightfully shaped bunkers on the left and two more on the right. Should the green be missed on either the right or over the back the golf ball will disappear into a plantation from where it is hardly likely to emerge.

 

A DELIGHTFUL PICTURE

For a change the next tee is just to the left of the previous green and is a par-4 of 322 metres which offers a good landing area. An arroyo, which appears just in front of the tee, turns sharply and runs the entire length of the left-hand side before it turns again and swings right in front of the green. There are rocks on the face of the arroyo so a ball dropping short may whiz off them to finish up, God knows where. The timber bridges, the colourful flowers in the hazard and the surrounding trees all form a delightful picture.

The 14th is another very short par-4 of just 275 metres. A sliced tee shot will require a reload while a hook will wind up in an area of trees. The fairway seems a considerable distance away and the sight of a ball landing on it will come as some relief. In passing I might mention that, standing on the tee, I counted 11 bunkers up the right-hand side and around the green; enough said.

There are some breathtaking drives on this golf course and the 15th provides yet another, despite the ugly electricity pylon just to the left of the tee. The drive has to travel over a valley of trees onto a fairway which slopes dramatically towards the player. There is a series of bunkers on the left which really comes into play if you try to shorten the hole. From the landing area, the fairway turns sharp left and runs slightly upwards to a plateau-type green surrounded by bunkers. Missing the green on the left, or over the back, will have    serious consequences!

The 16th is a par-4 measuring 373 metres and requires a drive out over the brow of a hill which is bunkered on both sides at the hill-top. From the brow, the wide fairway meanders gently down into a hollow and then rises up again to a good-sized green well bunkered on the left and a sole bunker at the back.

The penultimate hole is a par-3 measuring 127 metres played to a huge green surrounded by a vast (and I mean vast) area of sand. Full of nooks and crannies the bunkers look mean and dangerous but, against that, the green does present a big target from a short distance.

The final hole is a par-5 where the drive is over the brow of a hill with mountains forming a majestic background. The fairway moves ever so gently to the left as it journeys to the green. There are countless bunkers, both short and surrounding the green, but some of them are so wide of the target they are purely cosmetic. The putting surface is long but relatively narrow and is framed by 15 small olive trees. Take a moment to savour the view from the green: the sight of mountains, hills, valleys and even the Mediterranean is quite spectacular.

My memories are of wide fairways and countless bunkers, many of which were, thankfully, too far from the tee to catch the average player’s drives. To fully enjoy a course like Finca Cortesín Golf, the mid to high handicapper will be well advised to take Cabell B. Robinson’s advice (given earlier) and play from tees which offer a sporting chance; otherwise it will be a long, tough day!

The facility incorporates a Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy, which is another indication of how good the lay-out is as Nicklaus is on record as saying he will only allow his academies to be attached to first class golf courses.

Finca Cortesín Golf is a big golf course which has all the attributes to host a professional golf championship like the Volvo World Match Play. There is little doubt that visiting golfers will relish the opportunity of pitting their expertise against this superb challenge.