Located in the heart of the Costa del Sol, on the warm Mediterranean coastline, is a special place where nature blends seamlessly into the seascape: Finca Cortesín.
This exclusive resort is situated in one the most tranquil and internationally renowned areas of the Mediterranean coast, in Casares municipality between Marbella and Sotogrande, just 1.5 kilometres from the beach and well communicated by highway and tollway to Málaga and Gibraltar international airports. The complex extends over a 215-hectare plot divided into five major segments: 150 hectares of golf course and green areas; hotel, spa and sports club; beach club; and residential area.
Finca Cortesín is one of the Spanish courses most highly valued around the world by such international magazines as Golf Digest. The course was designed by Cabell B. Robinson in complete harmony with the Mediterranean landscape and natural surroundings. Gerald Huggan was in charge of the landscape gardening, with the objective of highlighting all the natural features of the plot where the course is located. The whole combination creates the perfect balance between a multitude of flora varieties and the typical Mediterranean forest.
Inaugurated in 2006, the layout is a challenging 6,802-metre long par-72. With large and undulating greens, wide fairways, punishing rough, vast tee platforms and numerous strategically placed bunkers, the course has become the perfect setting for championships of all levels. For three years Finca Cortesín was the venue for the Volvo World March Play Championship, one of the most prestigious professional tournaments on the international calendar.
The tee platforms offer five different positions, which enables the course to be converted into a much more accessible 5,884-metre layout for men and 4,840 metres for women, including an “executive gold tee” so higher-handicap players and seniors can also enjoy the course. In addition, the quality of its amenities and the service offered are endorsed by the quality certifications ISO 14001, 9000 and Q for Touristic Quality.
Magnificent international image
Much of the reason for Finca Cortesín’s magnificent international image is due to its course maintenance team, a small battalion of 22 workers captained by greenkeeper Antonio Gálvez and head greenkeeper Ignacio Soto.
Referring to the team’s efforts, Ignacio observes, “ A greenkeeper’s success is very closely associated with the support of the people surrounding him. The greenkeeper is responsible for setting up a good team and the course, in great part, reflects the work of each and every one of the workers.
“At Finca Cortesín, our workers are very involved in the tough challenge we have every day. The key to our course’s maintenance works so well is nothing other than being well supported. Both my golf director, Carlos Beautell, and assistant, Antonio Gálvez, are the essential people in this project. They perfectly understand our way of working and are my key support. I feel privileged to have this team around me at Finca Cortesín.”
As for the game itself, Ignacio believes it is important for all the staff at the course to understand the sport and, if possible, play it. “At Finca Cortesín,” he explains, “we encourage all our employees to play golf; it’s a direct way of understanding and doing their work better.”
Referring to the importance of communication, Ignacio highlights the fact that “we aim to go out and visit other courses to get ideas and positive details that we can incorporate into our work methods”. And he adds, “from our own staff we also learn a lot, as each one of them represents two eyes more that can check out each area of the course and offer observations and details that help our work and the daily presentation of the course.”
From his arrival at Finca Cortesín in 2009, to prepare the course for the first edition of the Volvo World Match Play Championship, Ignacio Soto’s first decisions were focused on ensuring a natural aspect, sustainability and players’ enjoyment. To that end, the course required a clean-up job and the selection of appropriate grass varieties for the climate prevailing at the course.
Ignacio recalls that preparing the course for the first edition of the tournament was tough because it was a “young course where the vegetation had not yet settled, and had a weak appearance, a course with a lot of slopes, which required greater time for the grass to become established on the playing surfaces”. However, it was in good condition by the time of the tournament, and the greens met expectations and the demanding challenge. This success led to the event being held at Finca Cortesín for the two following editions.
Simplification
Originally, the approach areas to the greens were a mix of Festuca arundinacea and Poa pratensis, and the Bermuda 419 variety fairways were re-seeded with Poa trivialis. Ignacio carried out several tests and decided to simplify the number of grass species present in order to achieve greater homogeneity. To that end, he decided to establish Bermuda 419 as the only main variety for all the playing areas, except for the greens.
The changes hit the mark, and currently the course maintains a uniform aesthetic and definition, with the maintenance planning designed to avoid re-seeding. This was a key decision in the construction features of the course: an adequate ground base; a well-established design for the slopes and water run-off, a drainage network that worked properly, an open course without too dense tree vegetation, greens open to the sunlight, etc. All these determining factors, together with the climate in the area, enabled them to manage and maintain the Bermuda surface in optimum conditions for golf throughout the year without the need to incorporate other grass species during the latent Bermuda months. The practice range, on the other hand, is the only area on the course re-seeded with Lolium perenne.
The maintenance team evaluates and bears in mind the opinions of members and guests playing the course. Surveys are held after players’ rounds to determine their impressions and to evaluate the maintenance work carried out and the need for future improvements. Last winter, the weather conditions were quite adverse, with very cold temperatures and even overnight frost that hampered the daily work.
Nevertheless, the team were able top overcome the hardships and ensure adequate maintenance, situation reflected in the opinions offered and the general satisfaction of golfers who played the course over the past year. Some of the features most highly valued by players are the degree of uniformity and firmness of all the playing surfaces, as well as the level of “manicuring” in the contours of the pathways, the cleanliness of the pipes and sprinklers, the distance markers, etc.
Greens
The greens – wide and undulating, with pronounced slopes and breaks and surrounded by bunkers – require great accuracy by players to ensure a viable putt. The maintenance team’s plan in the short to medium term is to renovate greens which have, over time, been overtaken by Poa annua.
The project only involves removing the actual surface of the greens, grading and cleaning the top layer to oxygenate it, and placing the new turf on top.
The USGA profile designed during construction still works correctly and for the moment doesn’t require renovation, but the top layer that contains the Poa annua seeds will have to be removed in order to prevent any new propagation.
The greens are Agrostis stolonifera variety L-93 and the renovation will be focused on using new varieties of Agrostis such as A1, A4, 007, Tyee, etc., more aggressive and with greater resistance to disease and salt levels.
To that end, tests have been carried out with different varieties to determine which ones fit in best with the conditions required by the course and the maintenance team.
Bermuda Management
One of the main proposals and first maintenance measures introduced by Ignacio on arriving at Finca Cortesín was the importance of maintaining the Bermuda as clean as possible throughout the year.
To that end, localised treatments are carried out, as well as pre-growth treatments to prevent the appearance of bad grass and contamination by Poa annua.
The decision to avoid re-seeding is a commitment to environmental sustainability which also results in cost savings, both on a direct and indirect level, funds that can be re-invested in other projects and work, such as course grooming.
Irrigation System
The wastewater used for irrigation comes from the Manilva treatment plant, with a filtered and tertiary system providing good-quality water. As there is a limit on the water supplied daily by the treatment plant, strict control and adjustments are required to ensure efficient application of the volume required for the grass areas.
The course has two lakes linked with each other: the main one from where the pumps collect water via the waste water pipe, and the other one used as a reserve lake to pump water into the main lake when necessary.
An audit is carried out of the system every year, reviewing sprinklers and nozzles to check coverage, uniformity and flow.
The pump system comprises five vertical pumps, all with a frequency variator installed to control the starter motor and provide the required pressure for the sprinkler head on each part of the course.
Student Work Experience
For several summers, Finca Cortesín has been organising an internships programme to boost the maintenance team.
The programme involves bringing on board as many as five students from various national or international greenkeeper training programmes during the summer months, which enables the students to gain practical knowledge that complements their academic training, and the course to benefit from additional staff and work support.
The students are provided with accommodation and also have the opportunity of visiting other courses in the areas to learn about different situations and work methods. Undoubtedly, a very useful and productive initiative for the golf sector…
Fernando Expósito Muñoz
Agronomy engineer and technical collaborator with the Spanish Association of Greenkeepers (AEdG)
