The road leading to Marbella Club Golf is lined with palm trees. At the end of the road is a small, cute building reminiscent of a bamboo hut. It is not what first comes to mind when you imagine one of Costa del Sol’s most select golf clubs, but that is exactly what makes Marbella Club Golf so special. Its size is charming, but at the same time the air is infused with magic and exclusivity. The luxury is low-key, subtle and approachable.
Before the round, I eat lunch in the club’s cosy restaurant. The menu is surprisingly diverse. It is a rare treat to be served scallops for lunch at a golf club.
The first tee is right next to the club, just a couple minutes’ walk away. Glancing at the course, it quickly becomes obvious to me that it is designed for golf carts: the first fairway starts uphill towards a hilly landscape. The differences in elevation on the course are fairly large and I would recommend that most people use a golf cart. Still, the steep hills and paths call for caution in many places. When it rains, the course is often closed without hesitation, in my view, not because the club is concerned about the course’s condition, but because driving conditions for golf carts could be dangerous.
The course has an appealing ambience. It is well maintained, and you can take in the stunning view of the mountains and Mediterranean as you play your way around the holes. Some of the fairways are in valleys where the silence is accompanied by little more than birdsong.
At times, the round takes you so high up that you can see all the way to Gibraltar and even beyond it to Africa. Unusually for a golf course in Costa del Sol, there are only a handful of residential buildings nearby. Gorgeous villas and mansions dot the landscape. They ensure a luxurious yet warm atmosphere on the course. The course’s dimensions are also nice. The fairways are located close to each other at safe distances.
Small greens add to the challenge
The typical challenge presented by large elevation differences like at Marbella Club Golf is the uneven teeing areas. Here, the problem has been solved through good design. Tee shots are taken mainly onto level areas, and the steep downhill fairways feature plateaus where the ball can land.
At the start of the round, the small size of the greens brings an added challenge to the game.
The approach shot has to be precise, both in terms of distance and direction. The greens are pristine and putting is enjoyable, and the greens get bigger as the round progresses. The few hazards are located in front of the greens, and the back of the greens is contoured, keeping long shots in play. On the majority of the fairways, the best tactic is a long rather than short approach shot.
The course has been mown short all over, also in the rough, and the grass is even. The entire area is beautiful and balls are easy to find – as long as you stay on the course. Some opening shots are taken into narrow openings and a few fairways feature gorges. However, the fairways are straightforward and very open from the tee.
It is easy to come up with a game plan even on your first round. As the round progresses, you encounter more and more water hazards and bunkers on the fairways. The clever The sand traps are visually stunning. The bunkers have precisely finished edges that are highlighted by the near-white sand. The sand is coarse, and best of all, it is spread out evenly, which I consider to be one of the features of a high-quality course.
An aesthetic golf experience
The Marbella Club Golf Resort is the legendary Marbella Club hotel’s 18-hole course, an approximately 20-minute drive from the hotel. The luxury hotel’s course has many design features that ensure the most pleasant golfing experience possible, which is refreshing. After all, golf itself is challenging enough. Tee allowing for a leisurely and calm golfing experience.times are unusually long, every 12 minutes, allowing for a leisurely and calm golfing experience.
The Marbella Club Golf Resort is the legendary Marbella Club hotel’s 18-hole course, an approximately 20-minute drive from the hotel. The luxury hotel’s course has many design features that ensure the most pleasant golfing experience possible, which is refreshing. After all, golf itself is challenging enough. Tee allowing for a leisurely and calm golfing experience.times are unusually long, every 12 minutes, allowing for a leisurely and calm golfing experience.
The course was designed by the Welsh golf professional Dave Thomas (1934–2013) who is also the man behind the UK’s Belfry Golf, known for the Ryder Cup. Having played on both courses, I can attest to the warmth and beauty they share.
A unique feature of Marbella Club Golf’s architecture is three consecutive par-5 fairways on the front nine. Despite my preconceived ideas, the long consecutive fairways were not as taxing to play as I imagined. The incredibly stunning vistas kept my energy up.
The icing on the cake is the breathtaking view from the tee shot of the 18th fairway and the magnificently designed final green. A round at Marbella Club Golf is an altogether wonderful experience from start to finish, especially for golfers who appreciate beauty. ■
DELICIOSO!
Marbella Club Golf Resort’s restaurant is known for its good service and excellent food. It has become a popular lunch spot for non-golfers too thanks to its tranquil and beautiful location: the golf course and its restaurant are situated in the mountains in Benahavis, practically in the middle of nowhere, but still just a twenty-minute drive from Marbella. The kitchen is headed by Marbella Club Hotel’s Michelin-starred Executive Chef Juan Galvez.
You can see all the way to Gibraltar and Africa from the course.
Heini Haapala is a PGA Golf Professional who has left a piece of her heart in Costa del Sol.
You can follow Heini’s golf tips at heiningolf.com and on Instagram @heinihaapala.
