Sotogrande, Spain

Spain’s Sophisticated Sotogrande

There is something bewitching about the rolling hills of Andalucia. Olive groves stretch for miles and miles as far as the eye can see, gnarled cork oaks and fragrant symmetrical Mediterranean pines line the coastline and golf courses. In this enchanting corner of Spain sits the relatively little know oasis of Sotogrande.  Popular with both madrileños and a discerning international clientele this enclave tucked away at the end of the somewhat overdeveloped Costa del Sol, that wends its way from Malaga to Gibraltar, is becoming the place to be.

Valderrama may have put Sotogrande on the golf map, and will be well known by most golfers, as the jewel in the ‘golf crown’ of Spain, if not the best course in Europe, but within a radius of 5km are four other high-quality prestigious courses. Sotogrande really has become the focus of the very best in Spanish golf. If your sporting prowess stretches beyond golf or you have non-golf travelling companions then Sotogrande also offers world class equestrian facilities, most notable is the international polo, with its associated glitz and glamour. At Santa Maria Polo Club, you can even try your hand at polo (it is only golf on horseback after all!) as the club offer experience packages for adults and children, from complete beginners who don’t know one end of a horse from the other.

If keeping two feet on the ground is more your style, or you have a tennis mad family then the SotoTennis Academy, an International high-performance tennis academy, has a programme of year-round events. Still have energy to burn off then what about some sailing, (Yachting Sotogrande) or why not try electric mountain biking, Sotogrande really is a sporting paradise.

Until quite recently Sotogrande lacked a really prestigious and luxurious hotel, however, this has all changed. I visited the newly renovated SO/ Sotogrande, a part of the Hotels & Resorts brand by the French hotel group Accor, its first in Spain, who blend luxury hostelry with the needs and expectations of a 21st century clientele.

If golf is the main reason for your visit, you will find yourself spoilt for choice. SO/ Sotogrande works harmoniously with four of the very best golf courses in Andalucía, all within a 10-minute drive from the hotel. The hotel offers all the amenities you could wish for in an upmarket resort, including gorgeously styled designer accommodation, equally refined contemporary leisure areas and of course a very high standard of gastronomy. The hotel is part traditional Cotijas and part modern SoHo house feel. Beautiful natural landscaping and wild flower planting, soften and enhance the more modern of the architecture, and natural materials like, wood and stone are sophisticated and calming. The hotel is arranged laterally in a relaxed country house style with lots of relaxing corners to get away from it all. Rooms, as you would expect, combine the modern with natural materials, sumptuous beds, excellent bathrooms and high-end touches including toiletries, Nespresso coffee machines and the initial contents of the mini bar are complimentary (beers, soft drinks, juices and water), which is a lovely touch.

When you are not playing golf or for non-golfers the Spa, Gym and Wellness offer unparalleled facilities even at this 5-star level. The huge gym is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and personal trainers for a specialised individual programme, or join in the plethora of classes available from Spin to Pilates and for Yogis try the morning Yoga class in the outdoor pavilion, with its stunning views over the countryside to the sea, positioned just right to catch the sunrise.  Post exertion relax with a session of Cryotherapy, visit the flotation tank or just have a plain old-fashioned massage.  

The cotijo style Andalusian tapas bar and restaurant located in the old farmhouse serves the best of Andalusian local produce including a ‘Pata Negra’ area where the hams of the area hang temptingly (the term of ‘Prata Negra’ is used to describe the finest of all Iberian Ham). Closest to the pro shop is the ‘SoCiety’ restaurant and bistro which is open all day and with a wide selection of traditional and contemporary food, a take away service and a pre/post-match place to gather for golfers.  For cocktails and cool club vibe MIXO, the hotel’s contemporary bar, which combines a lively club feel with a chic lounge, HI-SO is presented like a beach chiringuito, with food from the wood-burning oven, completing the atmosphere with relaxed music.

So, to the golf. In the environs of the hotel, and literally a minute’s walk to the pro shop, is the Almenara’s 27-hole course, arranged as three nine-hole tracks.  Pinos (the Pines), Lagos (the Lakes) and Alcorncales (the Oaks), each with a unique feel reflecting their natural landscape and location.  We sometimes walked, as all the courses whilst hilly are not over long, and sometimes took a buggy, just be aware that there is some considerable distance between the different 9 holes. Facilities were good, as one would expect from a resort of this calibre, a helpful and accommodating pro shop, state of the art buggies with GPS, cool boxes, with unlimited water provided. We played Pinos dominated by fragrant Mediterranean Pine trees, whether you go around them, under them, or over them, they create narrow, twisting fairways, not long, but demanding of arrow like accuracy. Of particular note is hole 6, a long difficult uphill par 4 with, a severe left camber that means a shot left is a definite ‘no no’, right is also challenged by a long line of dense pine trees, running the length of the hole, all in all making it almost impossible to keep the ball on the fairway. If you can stay on the fairway the drama is still in front of you, with a steep incline from which to play your approach shot and a deep green side bunker to capture the ball rolling left on the camber.  Pinos first and last holes are close to the bar and restaurant so we took advantage of this to grab takeaway sandwiches and coffees, before tackling the second of our 9 holes, La Alcorncales.

Alcorncales presents an altogether more dramatic 9 holes, think carefully where you aim as rocky ravines attract wayward balls. The first few holes are dominated by dramatic rocky terrain in particular hole 2, the first par 3 is an intimidating and dramatic tee shot over a deep ravine with no room for error.  Water starts to feature on hole 6, particularly with a large water feature running the whole distance of the hole and enveloping the green, so that it becomes an island.  This is a very pretty 9 holes, cork oaks line the fairways, dramatic rocky outcrops and distant views of the national park and sea beyond.

If you can drag yourself away from the charms of SO/ Sotogrande then a visit to La Reserva Country Club is a definite must, a true country club concept aimed at local residents as much as visitors, the club is a homage to luxury living, offering an impressive world class golf course, classic country style club house, professional tennis centre and revolutionary Beach Club.   The Beach Club is a novel triumph of engineering and design, an inland oasis carved out of the hillside.  The landscaping is beautiful with natural grasses and wild flowers softening the contemporary design of the walkways, pool sides and bar and restaurant.  Only open since 2018, this winter season for the first time the club will remain open at weekends, offering a restaurant, a heated pool with sunbeds, and water sports on the sports lagoon. If you like the beach but not the crowds then this is perfect, private, luxurious!! Just the place for relaxing in between golf games or for non-golfing partners and families.

The golf course at La Reserva Country Club, sits comfortably on par with its neighbours, Valderrama, Royal Sotogrande and San Roque. An excellent pro shop, extensive practice grounds with complimentary triangles of balls, and a beautifully stylish modern farmhouse clubhouse, luxury and class are abundant. The serene white ‘cotija style’ courtyard entrance sets the tone for the style and quality of facilities that the country club prides itself on providing.  

The course, whilst relatively young (built in 2003) is increasingly becoming a destination for international events such as the Ladies European Tour and the Aramaco Team Series, and it is not hard to see why. The condition of the course is excellent and everything about the services is classy. Our clubs are whisked away from us as we drive into the car park and presented to us later, ready to go in a well-prepared buggy with state-of-the-art GPS, key safe box, USB charger and a cool box with more than sufficient water.  The scenery is spectacular with far reaching view over cork oak covered hills and mountains and down to the sea.  A long course at 6700 meters from the back tees, as a modest 16 handicap player, some of the par 5’s seemed somewhat intimidating, but for big hitters this is paradise as the fairways on the whole are generous allowing for an aggressive tee shot. The course is in excellent condition, the fairway bunkers are dramatic, and the cunningly deep bunkers protecting the quick and undulating greens, challenged our resolve on many holes. We start simply enough with a gentle par 4, slight dog leg left that flatters to deceive, as the course gets increasingly difficult from this point on. A lake protecting the entire length of the fairway on hole 8, which is undoubtedly the signature hole, a par 4, awaits you to swallow even your good shots. The back nine gives a fantastic view of the sea and a meander through olive and cork tree forests with stunning scenery, we spent an enjoyable time gazing at the stunning properties nestled in the hills. In summary this course is pure class, providing a testing yet immensely enjoyable 18 holes that you will want to play again and again.

To our final golf course, we played on this trip, the San Roque Old Course. Steeped in history having been the former estate of the Domecq Sherry dynasty, and well known for hosting European Tours, and the Spanish Open in its time. The club had a few years of low investment and both the Old Course and the facilities became dated, but now a dramatic change has occurred.  The clubhouse mansion, once the farmhouse on the Domecq estate has been transformed into a classy stylish pro shop, members area, bar and restaurant all seamlessly linked together to make the visitor experience relaxed and enjoyable. The terrace has a relaxed vibe with attentive staff, the perfect place to sit and watch players coming down the 18th hole, the sun setting behind them.

From the moment you arrive your every golf whim is catered for, golf bags whisked away to appear later on your buggy or trolley, practice balls, if you want them to limber up on the pristine driving range, just a short walk from the buggy area. Complimentary refillable water bottle with frequent cold-water stations on the course, so no plastic bottles, on course luxury toilets, and well stocked buggy bar, even a cooling towel as you pass from the front 9 to back 9.  Service here is just on point.

The course has been upgraded too.  The rough has been cleared to give run offs to areas of bark between the trees, similar to Valderrama, partly an environmental move, as the bark requires less water and pesticides, but also making the rough less penal and on the whole the generous fairways suggest a straightforward track, however, do not be lulled into thinking this course is easy. The greens are challenging – hard to access, often raised high and protected by deep bunkers. Stand out holes for me are hole 5, a par 4, downhill with a need to keep the ball left with a very severe roll right, to out of bounds. Hole 6, is an imposing par 3. The green is perched challenging high with a deep-set gully preceding the incline and unless you make the back of the green with your tee shot, then it’s a punitive roll back down and off the green, really harsh if you have a good tee shot.  And hole 11 a par 4 with a narrow approach to the dramatic looking green, the approach shot is key as the back of the green is treacherous but whilst downhill the green has an uphill slope to its front.  Fun, playable and a lovely well-maintained golf course with a relaxed club feel.

This is just a sample of what we had time to play, there are other high-quality courses to play in the area, such as Finca Cortesin and the newly renovated Links Course at Alcaidesa. To whet your appetite for some winter golf these are some examples of what we can create for you.