GOLF RÍO REAL

 

“A feeling of tranquility as I wandered below endless lines of towering trees”
Having written many moons ago that Rio Real was the most improved golf course on the coast I thought it about time a return visit was made to find out if the improvements had been maintained. Although apartments and villas are springing up like mushrooms on the entrance road to the golf course, the plus side is that the road has been resurfaced, for which my car was more than thankful. Driving under the arched entrance I was guided into a parking spot, opposite the entrance to the ultra-smart hotel, by a security guard and from there I trotted down a few steps to the caddie-master’s desk and was checked-in with a minimum of fuss.

Standing on the tee of the opening hole, a par-4 measuring 312 metres, the first thing I noticed was that the tree which has caused me so much heartache over the years was still in the middle of the fairway and seemed, if anything, to have grown somewhat. The opening tee shot is made to measure for the golfer who fades the ball, as that is exactly the shape required to loft it out onto the fairway. Assuming the big tree is avoided the approach shot will be pretty straightforward to a circular green bunkered on both sides. It is a relatively gentle opening hole which may tend to lull the golfer into a false sense of security.

Nineteen steps lead up to the tee of the second, a par-4 measuring 353 metres. The trees lining both sides of the fairway seem to have spread their branches ever wider, and again it favours the faded drive: anything hooked could well be in dire trouble as the river, from which the course gets its name, meanders down the left. One hundred metres from the green the fairway swings around to the right and on the angle a big bunker awaits the tee shot which may have been over-cut. The relatively long but narrow green is guarded on the sides and back by bunkers.

The third is a par-3 and another hole on which your tee shot can get you into serious trouble. Although only 137 metres the aforementioned river runs across the front of the green so anything under-clubbed or mis-hit is going to find a watery grave. The shallow but wide green slopes sharply up at the back and is bunkered on both sides.

I then travelled down underneath the main road and, having crossed the river (again) by way of a bridge, arrived on the fourth tee. Although the fairway is generous there are yawning bunkers on both sides, about 220 metres from the tee, which have to be avoided. The green is shaped like an electric light bulb and is surrounded by deep bunkers while, behind the backdrop of trees, the Mediterranean glistens in the morning sunshine.

The 383-metre par-4 fifth is a dangerous hole as a faded drive could well sail out-of-bounds, while an added difficulty is a big hillock on the right of the fairway which blocks any sight of the green. The left-hand side must be favoured off the tee and then care should be taken with the approach shot as the river runs along in front of the green. The putting surface is surrounded by majestic trees which have spent many a year gazing down on golfers searching for their golf balls in the flowing waters of the river. There is quite a lot to contend with on a hole which is more difficult than its rating of index 6 might suggest.

I then wandered back under the main road and climbed uphill to the tee of a hole which you either love or hate: a sharply uphill par-3 of 140 metres bordered on the right by apartments. Over the years I have witnessed many a badly cut tee shot ricochet off the walls of the buildings and come back onto the green but it is not a result one can bank on! The front of the green is guarded by a very deep bunker while anything hooked will bring the river back into play. This is a hole on which long is far better than short and there is plenty of room towards the back of the green.

The journey then continued uphill, through a marvellous selection of old palms and cacti, and onto the tee of the first par-5 on the course. Measuring just 440 metres (nowadays regarded as modestly short) it is played onto a generous fairway which travels uphill with a big bunker lurking dangerously on the right. Danger lurks on the left where the ground falls away, amongst numerous trees, down onto the fairway of the following hole below. About 100 metres from the green the fairway heads downhill ever so slightly before rising up again to a putting green well guarded by bunkers. Too much club will see the ball bound over the plateau green and down into awful trouble against a boundary fence. Although a relatively short hole, golfers who cannot keep the ball travelling straight will find themselves writing pretty ugly numbers on their score cards.

The eighth is played from a platform tee out onto a generous fairway guarded on the right by a bunker; 160 metres from the green the fairway drops sharply down into a valley before climbing up again onto an elevated green which is banked on the left. An approach missing the green on the right will tumble downwards, leaving a very difficult pitch.

The final hole on the outward journey is a par-5 measuring 454 metres played back up towards the club-house, while in the background the mountains seem to tower over the stately trees. The green has a steeply banked bunker on the right, a flatter version on the opposite side, and is nicely framed with, yet more, trees.

I suppose every golf course is entitled to at least one bad hole and the 10th at Rio Real would feature prominently on my list of the worst golf holes on the coast. About 220 metres from the tee, the fairway dog-legs sharply right, leaving a short pitch to the green. Not being able to hit the ball that distance leaves me in no man’s land where a club with sufficient elevation to clear the trees on the right (which seem to be getting higher as the years go by) will not be long enough to reach the green and then serious trouble awaits. The only answer is to play it as a par-5, which is somehow annoying on a hole measuring just 326 metres. The green is banked on all sides, while outside the banking white posts lurk.

I then travelled up a hill, across the entrance road and onto the tee of the par-4 11th, which is probably the most dramatic hole on the golf course. From an elevated tee the drive must carry out over the tops of trees as it whizzes down into the valley below. The hotel borders the left-hand side while there are seven big trees, and a plethora of their smaller brethren, on the opposite side. The river reappears across the front of the green and, while it appears quite insignificant from down the fairway, it does, in fact, require additional carry of 12 metres. The circular green is well bunkered and has palms on the right with other trees at the back, while the Incosol building towers over all.

The 12th is the relatively new par-3 (which replaced the old 17th) and, on the day of my visit this part of the course was undergoing major reconstruction. The lake guarding the green is being enlarged considerably and by the look of the hole being excavated it should be sufficient to hold an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The work being carried out necessitated a temporary tee on the 13th, which made the hole a straightforward par-4, but, when completed, this will be a very picturesque area on the golf course.

The par-3 14th measures 164 metres and has a big house on the right which was the long-time home of Hollywood screen star Deborah Kerr and her husband. Over the tee two palms stand straight as guardsmen on parade while behind them a tower block rises over all. The only place that the tee shot must avoid is on the left as the ground there topples down onto the fairway below.

The 14th is played out through an avenue of trees onto a fairway, moving gently to the left, while the par-5 15th wanders all the way back down to the edge of the N340 (or whatever it is called nowadays) where motor cars, whose drivers are oblivious to the beauty which surrounds them, zoom past. The course finishes with two par-4s lined with yet more trees.

Wandering along I was struck by how green the course was and how well the fairways had been mowed, with their stripes creating the impression of different shades. Rio Real, designed by Javier Arana, has been in operation since 1965 and renovations and modernisations in recent years have made it one of the leading courses on the coast and a delight to play.

Having returned the buggy I wandered upstairs to the restaurant and eased myself into a waiting wicker chair on the terrace in the sunshine. Immediately a waiter appeared to take the order, and in jig time a welcome sparkling water arrived followed by a succulent fillet steak served in Arab bread. While enjoying these treats my memories were of playing on a course which seemed to envelop me with a feeling of tranquillity as I wandered below the endless lines of towering trees: Rio Real oozes a maturity which is an aspect sadly lacking on so many of the other courses in the area. From the moment of arrival in the car park I got the immediate feeling that the staff at Rio Real take care of their visiting golfers. From the excellent locker-room facilities, where plenty of sparkling white towels are available, to a first-class check-in area, under the all-seeing eye of Juan Cantos, and finally a delightful restaurant where simple snacks are so well presented, everything is geared to make the visitor feel welcome and at home.

Rio Real has worked hard and rightfully earned its place in the upper echelons of Costa el Sol golf courses, and these high standards make the 90-euro green fee perfectly fair. Golfers visiting the coast should ensure that Rio Real features on their itinerary: it is certain to provide lasting memories.

 

Article reprinted courtesy of Andalucia Golf  The views expressed do not reflect the opinion or verified data of Golf in Spain and are LIABILITY of their author/ s.

 

Golf Breaks including Río Real 

 

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