Philippine businessman Joseph McMicking was clear what he wanted when, in 1962, he purchased an vast plot of land near the Rock of Gibraltar to develop the Sotogrande macro-urbanisation: top quality for all the amenities. And one of those was going to be a golf course. To that end, he contacted the best golf course designer of that era and gave him free reign to choose the land and create what would be the first golf course in the urbanisation.

nd that’s how Robert Trent Jones had his first professional contact with the Costa del Sol, where in 1964 the first of nine courses created by the prestigious designer in this Andalucian tourist destination was opened. Royal Sotogrande Golf Club was the third golf course on the Costa del Sol, following Club de Campo de Málaga (now Parador Málaga de Golf), one of the pioneer courses in Spain, opened in 1925, and the South Course in Guadalmina, inaugurated in 1959 and designed by another celebrated designer, Javier Arana.

Sotogrande was the American’s first design job in Europe, and it marked a milestone in golf course construction on this side of the Atlantic

Four years after inaugurating that course, in 1968 the second Costa del Sol layout designed by Jones was inaugurated: Las Brisas. It was the third golf course in Marbella, after Guadalmina South and Rio Real, the latter opened in 1964 – both designed by Arana. At the time there were only six courses on the whole Coast, also including the first Atalaya layout.

Las Brisas was located in what would become known as the Golf Valley, in the Nueva Andalucía macro-urbanisation, near Puerto Banús and promoted by the businessman whose idea it was to create the famous marina, José Banús.

The company headquarters in Spain was run by Cabell B. Robinson, who would eventually establish his own credentials and who is now the second most prolific golf course designer on the Coast

Eight years would pass before, in 1976, another course opened on the Costas del Sol with Jones’ signature, Los Lagos at Mijas Golf. By then he had set up a company headquarters in Spain to deal with the increasing amount of work he was being commissioned to carry out on the continent. Interestingly, the office was run by Cabell B. Robinson, who would eventually establish his own credentials and who is now the second most prolific golf course designer on the Coast, with seven to his name (Finca Cortesín, Santana, La Reserva, Valle Romano and the three at La Cala Resort).

The year after Los Lagos opened, in 1977, another Jones course was inaugurated in Marbella, Los Naranjos, also situated in the Golf Valley.

The next project undertaken on the Costa del Sol by Jones was back in the Sotogrande area, specifically in the Guadiaro borough, which had a keen golf following, mostly due to the fact that many residents worked at the Valderrama or Royal Sotogrande Golf Club courses. Thanks to then Valderrama president, Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, who have his staunch support to the project, Robert Trent Jones designed the first nine holes of what would become the first municipal course on the Costa del Sol. It was 1982 when the course was opened, also with great support from the Spanish and Andalucian golf federations. Years later, another great designer, Dave Thomas, was commissioned to create the second nine holes at la Cañada.

The second layout at Mijas Golf, Los Olivos, was opened for play in 1984, also designed by Jones, and in 1985 it was followed by what would become just over a decade later the most famous golf course in Spain and one of the great standard-bearers of international golf, Valderrama, which had begun life as Las Aves.

Robert Trent Jones became an avid and skilled golfer as a youth, but health problems prevented him from taking part in tournament competition.

In 1986, Jones’ eighth Costa course emerged from the drawing board, La Duquesa, in Manilva municipality, and in 1991 his last design in this area, Marbella Golf.

In total, Robert Trent Jones designed nine courses on the Costa del Sol, a total of 157 holes during a period stretching over 27 years. Hundreds of thousands of amateurs and many of the finest pros in the world have enjoyed the Costa del Sol work of this incomparable maestro of golf design, Robert Trent Jones.

AN AVID AND SKILLED GOLFER

Jones attended Cornell University, where he designed his own course of study to become a professional golf course designer, taking courses in landscape architecture, agronomy, horticulture, hydraulics, surveying, public speaking and economics. During his studies at Cornell, he designed the back nine of Cornell\'s Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. The course was not used until 1941. Jones later returned in 1954 to complete the front nine. At Cornell, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

The golf course at Green Lakes State Park in upstate New York was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1936.

After receiving his college degree, Jones formed a partnership with Canadian architect Stanley Thompson, and helped design several courses in Canada, including Capilano in Vancouver and Banff in the Canadian Rockies. In the late 1930s he struck out on his own and began designing and building local golf courses in America. Many of these, such as the 1936 course at Green Lakes State Park, were built using labour provided by the Works Progress Administration.

Shortly after World War II, Jones got his first big assignment designing the Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta in collaboration with golf legend Bobby Jones. Despite the similarity of their names, the two men were not related. In fact Robert began using the middle name \"Trent\" shortly afterwards to avoid confusion.

Jones\' courses are noted for their artistic landscaping, innovative use of bunkers, liberal use of water hazards, and deft placement of greens and hazards that encourage a high level of strategy. He believed that golf should be a no risk-no reward sport and his designs encouraged daring play.

Jones continued working well past usual retirement age, often working on several courses at the same time. Following a period of failing health, he retired to his home in Fort Lauderdale (Florida). He died there peacefully just a few days short of his 94th birthday. His sons Rees Jones and Robert Trent \"Bobby\" Jones, Jr. have followed in his footsteps and are now course designers.

His sons Rees Jones and Robert Trent \"Bobby\" Jones, Jr. have followed in his footsteps and are now course designers.

He sometimes collaborated with his sons. For example, his last design, The Marshes in Ottawa (Canada), is a collaboration with Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and was finished after his death in 2000.

Jones received the 1987 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA\'s highest honour. He was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987.

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