|
The Costa Blanca is a very sporty place - the excellent weather all year round means
that being outside is usually the best place to be. Probably, and understandably, most associated with race cycling or the musty dark red of the Mediterranean clay tennis courts, the Alicante
region actually boasts quite a number of quality golf courses, and has plans for many more.
Chief among the golf courses of the Costa Blanca is the Alicante course designed by the legendary
Severiano Ballesteros.
As you´d expect, the course is not your standard golfing experience, and each hole has its own personality and calls for a different strategy. Typical of Seve, there a couple of eccentricities, including an S-shaped lake (S for Seve) and some roman ruins defending the 14th green, and the initial straighforwardness of the holes is deceptive as the course increases in complexity as you go round.
Alicante Golf is 18 holes, par 72, and is located in San Juan.
One of the best courses is Bonalba, just a couple of kilometres up the road from Alicante Golf in San Juan (less than
five minutes) in Mutxamel.
The course is quite new, having opened in 1995, but already it has a proven reputation and has been used in a number of professional tournaments including the National Professional Golf Circuit, the Costa Blanca challenge and the European Challenge.
Known for its large number of hazards, lakes, water and sand traps, as well as the huge variety of vegetation, the Ramón Espinosa designed course has a reputation as a highly interesting
challenge for amateurs and professionals alike.
Bonalba is regarded as quite technical, with some really tricky moments, and as the round progresses, the course becomes a bit more links-like insofar as the coastal breezes increasingly come into play.
Bonalba Golf is 18 holes, par 72, and is located in Mutxamel.
A couple of minutes up the road from Bonalba is the Panorama Golf apartment complex which Advanta Homes are promoting -
directly in front of the Panorama apartments is the site of a brand new golf course which is currently in the planning stages.
Probably best known to Advanta customers is Alenda Golf, in
Monforte. This 18-holer was designed by Roland Favrat and is a favourite among the people who live in and around the lovely towns and villages of the Alicante countryside.
It´s a slightly easier and more compact course, favouring the accurate player and with a trick in the tail with the tough 16th and 18th holes waiting to spoil the best of rounds.
The thing that
really distinguishes Alenda is the greens. Those with a good short game, especially golfers able to read greens and putt well will find Alenda easier than those who struggle on the green. The
gradients, which demand the best eye to read the break, also allow for variation in hole position, keeping the experience fresh for regulars.
Alenda Golf is 18 holes, par 72, and is located in Monforte.
Brand new Plantio Golf is still an unknown quantity, but already is earning great plaudits for the quality of the course and its
design. An urban course only minutes from Alicante itself, and a short distance to all the above courses, Plantio is a genuine golfing complex.
Currently there are two rounds available, one of 18
holes, and one of 9, but there is also a further 18-hole course in the design stages.
In addition to this, there is also a practice area, a driving range, an approach course, a putting green and an international golf school.
Plantio Golf is currently 9 and 18 holes with an
additional 18 on the way. It is located in Alicante.
With another eight courses in the region, and a few more planned, the Costa Blanca is the up and coming region for golf in Spain.
|
