Posted by: David Wilding | hcp: 12

Our society played La Cañada on Monday 28th March 2011. Our mixed group comprised of players with handicaps ranging from 4 to 36. La Cañada the only municipal course on the Costa del Sol, originally a 9 hole course (now the back 9) was designed by the legendary golf architect Robert Trent Jones Snr a further nine holes were added later by David Thomas. The course is situated just outside of the town Guadiaro and boasts to have had more Spanish Champion golfers than anywhere else in Spain. If you are there at the weekends you will see why, there are hundreds of youngsters from 3 to 15 receiving expert coaching.

The course is not the easiest to find and not that well signposted but if you turn off into Guadiaro you will see the large red clubhouse on the top of the hill. On arrival we were warmly greeted by the staff in the club shop who made us welcome and gave us 20 stroke savers and pitch mark repairers free of charge. We then requested 3 markers for nearest the pins and longest drive again this was sorted in a charming and efficient style. In front of the Clubhouse is a large practice facility with a good driving range and chipping area plus practice green. On arriving at the tee we were greeted by the starter, we were then ready for our round.

COURSE – The front 9 is the new course and starts with a nice downhill par 4 followed by a gentle par 3. After this it gets more difficult with the third hole par 5 with out of bounds down the left side and through the back of the green, the rest of the front 9 is very pleasant and quite challenging. The back 9 is narrower and more difficult. Hole 10 is a long narrow par 5 with trees either side of the fairway. Hole 13 the next par 5 is some 552 metres from the back tee and is all downhill, you have to be careful with your approach shot as anything slightly too long will be swallowed up by the water behind the hole. 17 is a pretty par 3 with a lake to the front and sides of the green, anything short or off line is in the water. The finishing hole (La Cañada) is the signature hole of the course, you have to drive the ball over the canyon onto the fairway, the views are spectacular from the tee down to the Mediterranean. If you are off the back tees the carry over the canyon is over 200 metres. It is one of my favourite holes on the coast and its worth playing La Cañada just to play the eighteenth. The course gets a lot of use and the condition was fair on the day we played.

CLUBHOUSE – Very Spanish with efficient staff. Prices here are very reasonable for food and drink, nice outside terrace where you can watch the next Seve or Sergio learning their trade.

CONCLUSION – La Cañada is always well priced. The service we received was exceptional in the Pro shop and also very good in the Clubhouse. Everyone enjoyed their day and would return. The only complaint was that the course and greens were not in the best of condition but the course takes a considerable amount of traffic from the public.