Javier Arana has, arguably, been the best course designer in Spanish golf history. His courses are true gems and a guarantee of quality. Aloha is Arana's posthumous work, a course that he did not see finished, but where he left his indelible mark and all the wisdom accumulated throughout his career.

The great success of Aloha is that Javier Arana’s magnificent legacy remains as he designed it. Bullfighter Morante de la Puebla once said, "The good can be improved; the classic can no longer be done better." Aloha is a classic that maintains Arana’s style and focuses its improvements on what is not seen but can be perceived: undeniable quality.

In the heart of Marbella’s Golf Valley, fairway adjourning fairway, are three superb courses that rival each other in quality: Aloha itself, Las Brisas and Los Naranjos. They are complemented by the short nine-hole Banús Executive course to the south and the 27-hole La Quinta course to the north.

At Aloha there is a wonderful balance between a course of exceptional quality and impeccable services. Aloha's restaurant, open with some restrictions for non-members, is of a proven standard. The excellent work of the Fermín Muñoz team, maintaining the spirit of Cipriano restaurant, delights all diners, both national and international. Without a doubt, Fermín Sr. would be proud of the way his son has carried on in his footsteps.

Parking is convenient and spacious, and the shop – run by Iván Mangas, who took over from his father José Luis – is stocked with the latest and the best, even "hard" products that are less and less common at both members’ and commercial courses. Fittings can be arranged to adapt products to the needs of each player.

The clubhouse is dominated by its fantastic restaurant and large terrace, and it also has social and games rooms and even a complete gym. The changing rooms are excellent and are attended at all times by an efficient and very professional staff who keep them impeccably up to date.

Aloha also has an attractive nine-hole pitch and putt course, perfect for fine-tuning your short game. The driving range is next to the tee of the first hole, and an impressive short game practice area has recently been added to it.

One of the main features of the course is that it is not particularly long, as can happen with modern designs, but on the other hand it is very strategic. This makes it a fun course for players of all levels. In fact, it received excellent evaluations from European Tour players who had the opportunity to compete in three events organised by honorary member and regular Aloha player Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

Jiménez honours Aloha and its members every year with his participation in the club's pro-am, perhaps one of the oldest still held in Spain and which began as a memorial to Andrés Jiménez, father of Aloha's sports director and a close friend of Miguel Ángel himself.

The course can be played perfectly on foot, despite some steep slopes that by no means discourage the many elderly members. In any case, the fleet of buggies is ample, and always in an impeccable state of preparation.

So, we’re now on the first tee, and ready to play this wonderful course.

It begins with a wide par-5 where big-hitters can try to reach the green in two. A very technical par-4 with water follows, and the third is a short par-4 with clear birdie options. The 4th is a medium-long par-3 well-protected by bunkers, the par-5 5th is a dog-leg to the right with a fairly bumpy high green, and the par-4 6th is a dog-leg to the left with a generous green. 

The 7th is once again a short par-4 with a sloping green and lateral break. As with other holes at Aloha, you could secure a birdie or just as easily bogey it. The 8th is a fantastic par-3 without bunkers and with the La Concha mountain peak (the club's logo) in the background. It is one of the greens with the steepest slopes, so you have to be a good putter to successfully get out of trouble on this hole. The ninth is an uphill par-4 where you need to aim to the left to avoid the bunker and rough, with a steep slope to the right. The green is open and, with its good breaks, a signature mark of the course. On the way between each nine you pass by the beach bar, where you can once again enjoy the excellence of Aloha's service.


The second nine is somewhat longer and also, as with the first, quite varied. It begins with a par-5 named after the designer and it has a double fairway separated by rough. The beauty of this hole is reason enough alone to play the course. The difficult par-4 11th has a drive dropping downhill and, from the bottom of the valley, a second shot uphill. On the right, there is a natural lake that links up with the rest of the lakes that follow each other along the course – extending down from the 11th to the 10th, 12th and 18th, then to the 1st and finally the 2nd. 

The 12th is a very technical par-4, with a magnificent olive tree in the centre of the fairway that can hinder your shot to the green. In front of the green, a lake awaits, making this a difficult approach to a green with the fewest breaks on the course. The 13th is a long uphill par-3 with a large platformed green and a majestic carob tree to the right. The 14th is a dog-leg to the right, with another green that has the most breaks on the course. The 15th is a hole that, surrounded by thick vegetation, represents a prelude to the round’s grand finale, with a succession of par-5, par-3 and par-4 holes to finish off.

At Aloha, players certainly never become bored and, as the course is relatively short, towards the end you are surprised that there is so little left to play. On the par-5 16th, you have options to reach the green in two, even by shortening the hole to the left, albeit taking a certain risk if you want to hit over the trees to a green with a pronounced platform – which means the approach must be very precise. The 17th, a long and well-defended par-3, proved to be the most complicated hole for tour professionals.

And lastly, perhaps the best 18th hole on the Costa del Sol, with water to the left and a narrow corridor to the right. You need to think carefully about strategy, because a long, high shot to put the ball in an optimum position invites risk-taking.

At the end of the round, I would definitely recommend taking a shower in the excellent changing rooms, before enjoying the best terrace and restaurant you could wish for. Playing at Aloha is a wonderfully complete experience – and with good reason its members can be proud of what they have created.

By Luis Navarro Álvarez