What do Guadalmina Sur, El Saler, Aloha, El Prat, Río Real, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and RACE have in common? They all – and others – were created in the privileged mind of one of Spain’s finest golf course designers, Javier Arana.

Born in Bilbao in 1904, when there were only three courses in Spain (Las Palmas Golf Club, in Gran Canaria; Río Tinto, in Huelva, and Puerta de Hierro, in Madrid), he was a Spanish pioneer in this creative discipline. Arana’s design philosophy was based on his belief that golfers should enjoy playing the course so much they wanted to return. He did not want golfers losing time looking for their balls in excessively overgrown areas or water hazards, which are rare on his courses. He was also not in favour of excessive earth moving, probably because of the high cost this involved.

Arana maintained that, of the final design, 80 per cent of the course should be natural and human touch should only be responsible for the remaining 20 per cent. He was fortunate that, during that era, there were ideal plots of land to build golf courses in magnificent surroundings, many of them by the sea. He also tried to save time for players by ensuring the tees were as close as possible to the previous green – and he placed a great deal of importance on natural elements.

Málaga’s coastline was one of Arana’s favourite destinations and Marbella, the jewel in the crown. It was here that he designed three of his great projects: Guadalmina Sur, Río Real and Aloha, the latter a posthumous work as he died two months before the course was inaugurated.

Opened in 1959, Guadalmina Sur is Marbella’s pioneer golf course and the third oldest on the Costa del Sol. Since its origins, right up until today, Real Club de Golf Guadalmina (the club was conceded the “Royal” honour in 2008, just before its 50th anniversary) has been able to adapt to the rhythm of the times, ensuring it stays abreast of latest trends and improvements for the benefit of golfers.

A lot has changed at Guadalmina since the former farmland, discovered by NorbertoGoizueta in the mid-1990s, was transformed into one of Spain’s most emblematic golf clubs. Over time, the club – which has a significant membership (more than 2,000, representing 17 nationalities) – added a second 18- hole course (in 1972, designed by Folco Nardi) and a nine-hole par-three layout. It also has a practice ground for 40 players, with a covered platform comprising 21 tees, a chipping and bunker practice area and a putting green.

The children’s school at Guadalmina is the envy of every club and, thanks to the efforts of the children’s committee and professional Francisco Hernández, the school’s young golfers have spread the Guadalmina name throughout the courses of Andalucía, Spain, Europe and the world, achieving results that would be hard to beat.

Names such as Azahara Muñoz, Noemí Jiménez, Rocío Sánchez Lobato, brother and sister Esther and Ángel Ibáñez, Laura Cabanillas, Sergio Gutiérrez, Casto Gómez and a long etcetera represent the best face of Guadalmina.

Throughout its history, Guadalmina has been the venue for several major tournaments, including the 1965 Spanish Championship, Ladies European Tour qualifying events in 1995 and 1996, and the 1998 Spanish PGA Professionals Championship.

EXCITING CHALLENGE

The Arana-designed course underwent a major renovation in 2002, and is an exciting challenge for any golfer, although it is also true that – due to its degree of difficulty – it suits more experienced drivers.

The fairways, which reach all the way to the beach, are tight and well protected by high trees which, in addition to providing pleasant shade, mean that shot-making precision is essential.

Holes worth highlighting at Guadalmina Sur are the 6th, 7th, 11th and 13th.

Holes worth highlighting at Guadalmina Sur are the 6th, 7th, 11th and 13th.narrow and allows no margin for error on the right as it topples down into the hazard. A clump of trees at the back could make a pitch very difficult while a good degree of skill will be required to get up-and-down from either of the two bunkers or the large hills and hollows on the left. Although the early part of this hole is pretty straight forward (as long as you avoid a slice) the approach to the green will decide whether the number written on the card will be the makings of a good score or a horror show. It is a terrific hole which will test both the nerve and accuracy of even low handicap golfers.

Another par-5 follows but this time it is a mere 433 metres! The drive is through an avenue of trees onto a fairway, somewhat narrower then its predecessors, but long hitters must be careful to avoid a big bunker on the right 230 metres distant. About 80 metres from the green there is a banana-shaped bunker in the right-half of the fairway while yet another sea of sand lurks behind that. The undulating green, which has a flat portion at the front, then falls down into a valley before rising up again at the back, has more sand both right and left while over the back will topple down into a run-off area.

The par-3 11th is a delightful hole and a real reminder of the beauty of the area. The tee is located beside the beach and just yards from the lapping of the sea – the feeling of peace and quiet is truly soporific but attention will be required to escape from this hole with a reasonable score. Standing on the tee the eye is somehow transfixed by the enormous quantities of sand twixt player and the green; it seems as if the beach has just spread across the golf course. The green slopes from left to right; on the backright it rolls off into yet more sand while a ball bounding over the green will probably finish out-of-bounds. Unless the tee shot finishes on the putting surface the possibility of walking off with a par is bordering on the remote.

The 13th is a short par-4 and the first thing that catches the eye on the tee is a lake, complete with paddling ducks, down in the left-half of the fairway only about 160 metres distant. Safety suggests an iron off the tee, short of the water, as anything more will need to be extremely accurate as the hazard eats into the fairway, making the landing area on the right extremely narrow. The rocky waterfall feeding the lake makes a very attractive feature.

Golfers leave completely satisfied after experiencing a round at this meticulously maintained course – a club managed with great efficiency over many years by Ignacio del Cuvillo.