Rio Real has always been one of my favourite courses as I thoroughly enjoy wandering among its endless lines of towering pines whilst wallowing in the peace and tranquillity which prevails. The course did experience something of a downturn a number of years ago but, following changes to its design coupled with the expertise of the greenkeepers, it soon returned to its normal spectacularly manicured condition and it now occupies a very high ranking on the list of, “Best maintained courses” on the Costa del Sol.
The road leading to the golf course is awash with new apartments and villas and one cannot help but wonder how the current economic crisis will affect the construction companies involved not only at Rio Real but also at most other courses on the Coast. As in most things, time will tell. Driving under the arched entrance I was guided into a parking spot, opposite the entrance to the ultra-smart hotel which opened in 2001, by a security guard and from there I trotted down a few steps to the caddie-master’s desk and was checked-in with little formality. A couple of minutes were then spent browsing around the well stocked shop which is adjacent to a clean and tidy locker-room.
On the first hole, a par-4 measuring 312 metres, the tree, which has been the cause of much cursing and swearing over the years, still stands in the middle of the fairway and, if anything, its branches are bigger than ever. The opening tee shot is made to measure for the golfer who fades the ball as that is exactly the shape required to loft it out onto the fairway. Assuming the big tree is avoided the approach shot will be pretty straightforward to a circular green bunkered on both sides. The danger of this relatively gentle opening hole is that it may lull the golfer into a false sense of security.
Nineteen steps lead up to the tee of the second, a par-4 measuring 353 metres. The trees lining both sides of the fairway seem to have spread their branches ever wider and again it favours the faded drive: anything hooked could well be in dire trouble as the river, from which the course gets its name, meanders down the left. One hundred metres from the green the fairway swings around to the right and on the angle a big bunker awaits the tee shot which may have been over-cut. The relatively long but narrow green is guarded on the sides and back by bunkers.
The third is a par-3 and another hole on which your tee shot can get you into serious trouble. Although it is only 137 metres, the aforementioned river, which is wider than it appears from the tee, runs across the front of the green so anything under-clubbed or mishit is going to dive into the water. The shallow but wide green slopes sharply up at the back and is bunkered on both sides.
I then travelled down underneath the main road and, having crossed the river (again) by way of a bridge, arrived on the fourth tee. The main dangers on the generous fairway are yawning bunkers on both sides, about 220 metres from the tee. The green is shaped like an electric light bulb and is surrounded by deep bunkers while, behind the backdrop of trees, the glistening Mediterranean is a joy to behold.
The 383-metre par-4 fifth is a dangerous hole as a faded drive could well sail out-of-bounds, while a big hillock on the right of the fairway which blocks any sight of the green only adds to the difficulty. The left-hand side must be favoured off the tee and care with the approach shot is a must as the river runs along in front of the green. The putting surface is surrounded by majestic trees which have gazed down for countless years on golfers searching for their golf balls in the flowing waters of the river. This very interesting and testing hole is considerably more difficult than its rating of index 6 might suggest.
I then wandered back under the main road and climbed uphill to the tee of a hole which you either love or hate: a sharply uphill par-3 of 140 metres bordered on the right by apartments. On countless occasions a badly cut tee shot has thumped off the walls of the buildings and come back onto the green but that is not a result one can depend on! The front of the green is guarded by a very deep bunker while anything hooked will bring the river back into play. This is a hole on which long is far better than short as there is ample room towards the back of the green.
The journey then continued uphill, through a marvellous selection of old palms and cacti, and onto the tee of the first par-5 on the course. Measuring just 440 metres (nowadays regarded as modestly short) it is played onto a generous fairway which travels uphill past a big bunker which lurks dangerously on the right. More danger awaits on the left as the ground falls away, amongst numerous trees, down onto the fairway of the following hole. About 100 metres from the green the fairway heads downhill ever so slightly before rising up again to a putting green well guarded by bunkers. Too much club will see the ball bound over the green and possibly wind up unplayable against a boundary fence. Although a relatively short hole, golfers who cannot keep the ball travelling relatively straight will find themselves writing pretty ugly numbers on their score cards.
The eighth is played from a platform tee out onto a generous fairway guarded on the right by a bunker. One hundred and sixty metres from the green the fairway dives sharply down into a valley before climbing up again onto an elevated green which is banked on the left. An approach missing the green on the right will tumble downwards leaving a very difficult pitch.
The final hole on the outward journey is a par-5 measuring 454 metres played back up towards the club-house while, in the background, the mountains seem to tower over the stately trees. The green has a steeply banked bunker on the right, a flatter version on the opposite side and is nicely framed with, yet more, trees.
Every golf course is entitled to at least one inferior hole and the 10th at Rio Real would be high on my list of the worst golf holes on the Coast. A par-4, measuring a mere 326 metres, the design of the hole frustrates me every time I play it. Two hundred and twenty metres from the tee, the fairway dog-legs sharply right leaving a short pitch to the green. Not being able to hit the ball that distance leaves me in no-man’s land where a club with sufficient elevation to clear the trees on the right (which are getting taller as the years go by) will not be long enough to reach the green and then serious trouble awaits. The only answer for me is to play it as a par-5, which is infuriating on such a short a hole. The green is banked on all sides while outside the banking white posts lurk.
I then travelled up a hill, crossed the entrance road and found myself on the tee of the par-4 11th which is probably the most dramatic hole on the golf course. From an elevated tee the drive must carry out over the tops of trees as it whizzes down into a valley below. The hotel borders the left-hand side while there are seven big trees, and a plethora of their younger relations, on the opposite side. The river reappears across the front of the green and, while it appears quite narrow from down the fairway, it does, in fact, measure all of 12 metres. The circular green is well bunkered and has palms on the right with other trees at the back while the Incosol building towers over all.
The 12th, a par-3 which replaced the old 17th, features a rather large lake which horseshoes around the left-hand side of the green and makes the tee shot an “all duck or no dinner” affair.
At 506 metres the par-5 13th is not only the longest hole on the golf course but also one of the more picturesque. It winds its way through an avenue of trees and only the longest of hitters will get home in two.
Over the tee of the par-3 14th, two palms stand erect as guardsmen on parade while behind them a tower block rises over all. The only place that the tee shot must avoid is the left where the ground topples down onto the fairway below.
The 14th is played out through another avenue of trees onto a fairway, moving gently to the left, while the par-5 15th wanders all the way back down to the edge of the N7 where motor cars zoom past.
The course finishes with two par-4s lined with yet more trees. Wandering along I was struck by how green the course was and how well the fairways had been mowed, with their stripes creating the impression of different shades. Rio Real, designed by Javier Arana, has been in operation since 1965 and renovations and modernisations in recent years have made it one of the leading courses on the Coast; it is suitable for all levels of handicap and an absolute delight to play.
Following a shower, I made my way upstairs to the restaurant and eased the ageing limbs into a waiting wicker chair on the terrace in the sunshine. It was not long before a waiter appeared to take the order and in the blink of an eye a welcome sparkling water arrived quickly followed by a deliciously tasty tortilla. While enjoying these treats my memory bank replayed pictures of a course which was a haven of tranquillity and one that would bring peace to the most tortured soul: with its carefully mown fairways, well tended bunkers and first class greens, Rio Real oozes a maturity matched by only a few other courses in the area.
From the moment of arrival in the car park I got the feeling that all the staff at Rio Real had been well trained in the art of looking after visiting golfers. From the excellent locker-room facilities, where plenty of sparkling white towels are available, to a first class check-in area, under the eagle-eye of the ever-helpful caddie-master Juan Cantos, and finally a delightful restaurant where simple snacks are so well presented, everything is geared to make the visitor feel welcome. Rio Real has rightfully earned its place in the upper echelons of golf courses on the Costa del Sol.
