\nThe La Cala Resort proudly opened its new golf course on the 18th March, in the presence of the Mayor of Mijas, and I was delighted to subsequently receive an invitation from the Director of Golf, Alan Saunders, to play it.<\/p>\n
Christened \u201cCampo Europa\u201d, this third course, although yet another Cabell Robinson design, is totally different from his previous two creations at the same resort. With the vast majority of holes being played from elevated tees, there are very few blind shots, which should result in fewer lost balls and, more importantly, quicker rounds. The reduction in golf ball losses will not be good news for the considerable number who make their living selling second-hand golf balls along the entrance road to La Cala.<\/p>\n
This is not a golf course which should be walked. It travels dramatically uphill before plunging down dale in a series of switch-backs somewhat reminiscent of a roller-coaster ride. Exciting drives from elevated tees onto fairways far below are followed by approach shots which plummet down yet again to greens that appear postage stamp size in the distance.<\/p>\n
On the long journey from the clubhouse to the first tee I was distracted by the remarkable view out over the North Course and almost failed to realise I was travelling sharply downhill, and gathering speed at an alarming rate, as I whizzed past a small plaque commemorating the opening of the golf course. I then crossed a bridge (which could well qualify as a viaduct), passed through a tunnel and then along beside a, more or less, dry riverbed before eventually arriving at a starters\u2019 hut sitting comfortably in the shade of a magnificent eucalyptus tree.<\/p>\n
The opening hole measures just 289 metres (all measurements in this article are from the yellow tees) and is but a foretaste of things to come. It is played to a generous fairway which travels downhill while the wide but shallow green is bunkered at the back and located well below the level of the fairway. A gentle opener, I mused, as I drove to the next tee. Standing on the second tee all thoughts of gentle holes quickly evaporated as I gazed out over heather and bushes until my attention was distracted by a chasm on the right which awaited any sliced drive. The thought \u201cgentle\u201d was quickly replaced by \u201cdaunting\u201d accompanied by a minor degree of panic. Provided the tee shot makes the fairway this is another relatively short par-4 played to a narrow but long and well bunkered green which tilts from left to right. Any approach missing on the right will find trouble as the green falls sharply down to the third fairway and then, down again, to the riverbed. The short third measures 152 metres and is a fairly straight-forward hole. Played from an elevated tee, the long green is bunkered on the right while outside the bunker the riverbed lies in wait. The left-hand side should be favoured as the banking on that side will, hopefully, kick the ball back down onto the putting surface.<\/p>\n
I crossed an splendid suspension bridge on my way the tee of the fourth, a par-4 measuring 362 metres. The narrow fairway moves gently around to the left and is guarded on that side by the seemingly everpresent riverbed. The second shot has to carry that hazard (which by now was beginning to haunt me) and onto a large and well contoured green which has two huge bunkers on the right. Having taken a considerable number of putts on that difficult green I then crossed another bridge and headed sharply upwards onto the tee of the fifth hole where I was faced with the first blind tee shot of the day. The straightforward drive over the brow of a hill is made somewhat difficult as the designer displayed his sense of humour by leaving a big tree sitting atop the hill. While there is out-of-bounds up the right it would be a very bad shot which managed to fly out over the fence. The fairway contains a series of bumps and hollows and a big bunker guards the front of the green. On the elevated tee of the sixth hole I just had to stop and admire the view. Golf holes stretched out in all directions: mountains, valleys, hills and trees completed a startling panorama which made it difficult to concentrate on the drive which lay ahead. The tee shot drops dizzyingly down onto a generous fairway below but any hooked tee shot will require a reload: care must also be taken to avoid the little trees which stand hither and yon on the right. The fairway then travels back uphill, allowing little sight of the green for the approach shot, and the long but narrow putting surface houses a couple of different levels.<\/p>\n
From there it was onwards and upwards to the seventh tee where a water dispenser was a welcome sight. On arrival I was faced with another drive over the brow of a hill with out-of-bounds pretty tight to the buggy path on the right. Both sides of the fairway are littered with bunkers as it levels out before reaching the well contoured green, which has a run-off area at the back. Then followed a long hike to the next tee and the first par-5 on the course, which measures 475 metres. The tee is located on a very high and remote point and I got the feeling that I was in an area of land which hadn\u2019t been stood on for hundreds and hundreds of years. The fairway drops down in startling fashion and my eye was caught by a big ornamental stone standing forlornly on the right. The fairway drops down and down until it eventually reaches its valley before it swings upwards again for about 100 metres to the green which is bunkered to the left and back. The final hole on the outward journey is a par-3 measuring 155 metres from an elevated tee to a good sized green bunkered on the left. It is a fairly simple hole as befits its rating of index 18 and, as I wander off, I realise I am back beside the first tee.<\/p>\n
The return journey opens with the second easiest hole on the golf course: a short pitch-hole, measuring 113 metres, to a ircular green. There is a lake on the right, fed by a cascading waterfall, but it is purely decorative with flower-beds adding a splash of colour. Then I headed back uphill to the tee of the 11th, a long, long par-5 with another daunting tee shot. Standing on the tee I only caught a glimpse of a narrow strip of fairway before my eye was completely dominated by a huge chasm which stretches out from the left-hand side of the tee and seems to go on indefinitely. The difficulty of the tee shot would be ample to earn the hole its index-1 status. The fairway swings around to the left and is pock-marked by bunkers on both sides as it heads downwards before it rises up slightly to a narrow but long putting surface. All along the left-hand side is a no-go area as the chasm continues to retain the attention. The par-4 12th measures 316 metres and is played onto a fairway which slopes severely from right to left. Thankfully the left-hand side is well bunkered; otherwise the ball would run down into the chasm, which is still very much in play. There is plenty of room on the right of a hole, which looks far more difficult then it really is. Two centuries-old cork oak trees overlook the green, which cannot be missed on the left if the yawning chasm is to be avoided. I did notice there were no red stakes lining the chasm, which presumably means that any ball entering it brings the lost ball rule into play.<\/p>\n
From the 13th tee I drove across a small valley onto a narrow fairway which dog-legs to the left before gently rising uphill to a good sized green which slopes from left to right. Accuracy is the key as big danger awaits an approach shot which misses on either side or is too long. I then crossed another bridge to the par-3 14th and noticed it held a stroke index of 7. The mere mortal can hit the ball with everything in the bag as it has to carry practically the entire 217 metres to the target. Trees, standing motionless in the sunshine, provide the backdrop to the long but narrow green. The riverbed reappears on the right and swings around the back of the putting surface but not many players will be able to hit the ball that far. This hole is a test which is sure to bring an abrupt halt to the makings of many a good card. I now found myself in a very picturesque area of the golf course: surrounded by nature all I could hear was the flow of water somewhere in the background. Peace and tranquillity prevailed. In order to avoid the river the 15th tee shot must favour the left-hand side, and about 180 metres from the green the fairway swings around to the right and travels gently downwards. The almost triangular shaped green is guarded on the right by a cork oak and has a run-off area on the same side.<\/p>\n
The short 16th is played from an elevated tee to a green below surrounded by a necklace of seven bunkers but the main difficulty encountered may well be the severe contouring on the putting surface. The 17th is yet another par-5 measuring 472 metres with the tee shot played across a valley onto a fairway climbing upwards. Looking around I was struck by the starkness of the white bunkers contrasting against the green fairways which provided irrefutable evidence of Cabell Robinson\u2019s hand in the design. It is essential to find the good sized fairway as gorse abounds on the right while worse is in store on the opposite side with the dreaded white posts in plain view. The fairway continues to climb upwards onto a heart-shaped green which slopes considerably from right to left and is well bunkered on all sides. The final hole provides another exciting drive as the fairway drops dramatically down, but danger waits in the shape of a pot-bunker sited in the middle of the fairway just 100 metres from the green. The putting surface is protected by six bunkers while anything missing to the right will tend to bounce off the buggy path and disappear into the river, which makes yet another appearance. The green slopes severely from back to front and will probably cause much muttering from players who finish their round with a three-putt.<\/p>\n
Enjoying the usual \u201cpost-round\u201d sparkling water in the clubhouse bar, I felt as if I had just completed an adventure: excitement coupled with the odd sense of fear as my buggy went rocketing downhill on some of the more vertical cart paths. Although I laughed when I first noticed it, the note on the card of the course which read, \u201cAll buggy drivers must have a valid driving licence\u201d, is probably a very sensible rule. Whilst there are vast distances between some greens and the following tee the course is very well signposted and if I didn\u2019t get lost \u2013 well nobody will. Another notable feature were the natural stone markers on each tee to which classy metal plates had been fixed showing the details of the hole to be played.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n All-in-all \u201cCampo Europa\u201d is a very exciting and memorable golf course which brings, I am told, the investment in the La Cala Resort up to a staggering 200 million euros. It is early days yet and I look forward to a return visit after the course has had some time to settle and all the finishing touches have been applied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Article reprinted courtesy of Andalucia Golf \u00a0The views expressed do not reflect the opinion or verified data of Golf in Spain and are LIABILITY of their author\/ s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Andalucia](\"https:\/\/www.golfinspain.com\/ima\/logos\/AG.png\"\/)
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