Costa Del Sol Golf and Course Watering

Guys, just got back from a great weeks golf on the costa's and some great weather and courses. Played La Cala Asia, Cabopina, Miraflores and an exceptional track at Marbella Golf and Country Club. Cabapino was ok but was the worst of the 4 tracks so not on my revisit list, but La Cala was again awesome. My only gripe was really about the course watering and the difference between Algarve courses and Spanish. On the Algarve the norm is for firm fairways and receptive greens, whereas the courses we played last week were all over watered making for squishy fairways, wet rough, mud in places and some balls plugging on fairways and greens.

I've played plenty of times before in Spain, but not experienced this, so was wondering if they had made a change to how the courses are watered to try and save money. It seems that early tee times play on soaked courses (Marbella the exception) Its almost as if the sprinklers have been left on overnight making parts of the course unplayable especially the rough. We had to allow lift and clean a few times, which should never happen in sunny , hot conditions

I am assuming it hadnt rained previosuly, but I actually found this similar oversight on my last visit to villamoura, in particular the old course - almost unplayable, despite 2 weeks of baking sun!

JDandfries wrote:I am assuming it hadnt rained previosuly, but I actually found this similar oversight on my last visit to villamoura, in particular the old course - almost unplayable, despite 2 weeks of baking sun!

The weather had been hot, no rain for a couple of weeks, so was hoping to get some bounce and run on the fairways. I seem to remember that they left a hole in the booking slots to start watering in hot weather sometime mid afternoon. This ensured the course was perfect all the time, and made sure greens and fairways were not baked. It now seems they drench the courses overnight and don't bother through the day to save money and fill every booking slot possible.

Parts of the courses were so bad we not only allowed lift and clean, but decided certain area were GUR, which is a shame. The rough was so wet and grabby that you were nearly breaking a wrist trying to get out of the first cut. the 4 of us playing were only averaging 27 points per round, even though we all hit some great stuff and playing well.

This has only happened to me once: at Novo Sancti Petri down near Cadiz. In Seve's autobiography (RIP) he talks about how he supported this course in a bid for the Ryder Cup in 97. Personally I though the course was rubbish, but how much of that antipathy was due to the soggy fairways that ruined my experience?

The problem with holiday golf is that we only ever see a golf course on one occasion. The course may be perfect for 364 days of the year but if you turn up, having travelled for miles, and find it less than perfect, then that is the impresion you take away with you.

When I used to play down the Costa de Golf, we always played "prefered lies".

Why go all that way & play with a mud ball ?

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:When I used to play down the Costa de Golf, we always played "prefered lies".

Why go all that way & play with a mud ball ?

This is the first time I've experienced this on any course in Europe, and it was bleed'n annoying, because you don't expect to play in conditions akin to UK golf in December, in 30 degrees of sunshine

Doc - I've played La Cala and Miraflores. The Asia course is watered very heavily indeed to try and simulate asian conditions. First hole is my screen saver with the sun rising over the green - where do you put your drive on that hole, what a belter!

Did you like Miraflores? Very different to La Cala, being enclosed by houses as it is, but I really liked the course for its intricate nature, quirky holes, I drove the 18th and got my eagle, even filmed it and the food in the restaurant upstairs is fan-bloody-tastic, very reasonably priced and full of locals. The cabaret was a touch dodgy, but a good laugh all the same!

Sister has an apartment just outside Fuengerola, so looking forward to doing it again sometime.

oldshanker wrote:Doc - I've played La Cala and Miraflores. The Asia course is watered very heavily indeed to try and simulate asian conditions. First hole is my screen saver with the sun rising over the green - where do you put your drive on that hole, what a belter!

Did you like Miraflores? Very different to La Cala, being enclosed by houses as it is, but I really liked the course for its intricate nature, quirky holes, I drove the 18th and got my eagle, even filmed it and the food in the restaurant upstairs is fan-bloody-tastic, very reasonably priced and full of locals. The cabaret was a touch dodgy, but a good laugh all the same!

Sister has an apartment just outside Fuengerola, so looking forward to doing it again sometime.

Shanks If the watering on the Asia is for the reason you state, thats fine, but Cabapina was as bad. The 1st on the asia is a bit of bumtwitcher to start, wow. Luckily I hit it to the right and watched it bounce off the bank into the middle of the fairway. My playing partners were all left after the balls kicked left off the middle. I got on in regulation and 3-putted. Some great holes, but the one I really remember as being tough is the long par 5 at the start of the back 9, all uphill to a raised green way off in the distance. A decent tee shot to the middle just stopped dead and started rolling back towards me, gutted. I got up though and on in regulation, but 3 Sunday shots to do it.

Miraflores was a first for me, as its actually on the complex where I have a timeshare. The greens were dire as they've had some disease, so were a bit sandy. I managed to drive the 1st and lipped out for eagle and tapped in for birdy. had a great round there though, scoring 41 points with 2 birdies and 7 pars. The 13th is a winter green as they've relaid it ready for next season. Tight in places but if you hit the fairways you stand a great chance of scoring well. Congratulations on driving the 18th, thats some shot especially if you took the tree line route and flew it. I had a go as I bring it left to right so looked ideal, as long as you don't stay straight as I did. I'll be back there next year and going to play it a couple of times (Hope the greens are sorted) Got to do La Cala Europa as its the only one not played yet, but Marbella Golf and Country Club may just be the best course I've played