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18
Holes, 6203 Metres – Par 72
Santana Golf course is
spectacular to say the least, both for its
design (by Cabell Robinson) and its location. It
is situated in an old avocado farm, set in 138
acres of picturesque parkland, which has
retained all its former flavour.
Located in Mijas's
"Golf Valley", the layout is flat, very well
formed with wide fairways, expansive greens and
strategically located paths between the avocado
trees.
Between two rivers,
with a creek passing through the course that
provides the sensation of being in an absolutely
natural environment, away from the hustle and
bustle of the coast, yet being just a few
hundred metres from the sea.
Each hole has two
championship tees and two tees for general play
for both men and ladies– wide and well manicured
putting greens surrounded by strategically
placed bunkers, filled with sand produced from
crushed marble. The cork oaks along the 5th hole
deserve special mention, as they have been
present here for more than 500 years.
Santana Golf is
technically speaking a demanding course as the
unique design of each hole is intended to give a
continuous challenge, even for the more
experienced player. The layout of the greens,
well protected by greenside bunkers, as well as
the many water hazards spread throughout the
course, will challenge every golfer and require
good course management as well as the use of
every golf shot in the bag.
It is difficult to
speak of a signature hole at Santana Golf Club
as they all have something special to offer. The
long Par-4 18th is one of the most demanding
finishing holes along the coast according to the
designer, with the lake along the right hand
side and a narrow approach to the green. The 4th
hole can only be defined with one word:
spectacular. The views from the tee are
magnificent and the ‘Campillos’ stream provides
a challenging approach to the green; or what
about the 8th hole, with a length of 595 metre
(650 yards) considered to be the longest hole of
the Costa del Sol and favouring the longer
hitter; not to forget the 12th Par 3, playing
downhill, with a very large undulating green,
many a golfer would be happy to walk away with a
three here...
One of the most
outstanding features of Santana Golf is without
a doubt the variety in design, as each and every
hole is differentiated by its own
characteristics. The final result is a
magnificent course with wide and well defined
fairways on level terrain, hence easily walkable,
where water features play an important albeit
not excessive part in the overall design. |
