Destination Golf Travel (Autumn 2024) | Page 18

DESTINATION GOLF 2024
Jose Rivero together with Jose Marin , Golf Olivar de la Hinojosa has 27 holes of golf comprising a par 72 18-hole championship course and a nine-hole one with a par of 29 . Precision is key on the championship course as the small greens are protected by bunkers or by water . The club was founded in 1995 and includes a golf school with a Toptracer range among other facilities such as tennis and paddle-tennis .
Golf Park Madrid , which opened in 1998 20km northeast of the city centre , has a nine-hole pitch and putt golf course suitable for both beginners and accomplished players . Its driving range has 110 covered bays on two floors and is floodlit at night . It also has a golf academy with video swing analysis and a short game area .
Retamares Golf
Created in 2005 for employees of the banking giant and visiting golfers , Golf Santander ’ s spectacular course 16km from Madrid is one of Europe ’ s longest and serves up a tough test for high and low handicappers alike . Water is ever present , flowing in a closed circuit through a series of lakes and rivers that cross much of the course .
The course was designed by Rees Jones and is supplemented by some of Europe ’ s best golf training facilities . They include the first Jim McLean golf school in Europe , one of just six TaylorMade Performance Labs in Europe and a five-hole short game area designed by Seve Ballesteros .
The Real Automovil Club de Espana ( RACE ) is a motoring club formed in 1903 that owns the famous Jarama racing circuit . In 1967 , the RACE sports complex was inaugurated on the outskirts of Madrid in the foothills of the Sierra Norte mountains with an 18-hole golf course by Javier Arana .
The complex has continued to expand since then . Among golf facilities are a nine-hole pitch and putt course , a golf school that uses the latest technology and a driving range , while other sport and leisure amenities include tennis and paddle-tennis courts , football pitches , an equestrian centre , a swimming pool and a gym .
The historic Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro is one of Spain ’ s oldest and most traditional golf clubs , dating back to 1904 , besides being one of its most exclusive .
The club has hosted the Madrid Open on numerous occasions as well as the Spanish Open and has two 18-hole courses . The Arriba , or Upper course , is a 2000 renovation by Robert Trent Jones Jr and Kyle Phillips of the original course that featured the handiwork of Harry Colt and Tom Simpson .
The Abajo ( Lower ) course opened in 1966 with a design by Robert Trent Jones Sr and John Harris before being remodelled by RTJ II in 1998 .
The Real Club de Golf Las Rozas de Madrid , renamed after being
conferred the Real title on reaching its 50th anniversary in May 2022 , has an 18-hole , par 70 golf course set on a 76-hectare estate in the municipal district of Las Rozas northwest of Madrid ’ s centre .
The club has a golf academy and driving range , and recently added a fleet of electric buggies . There are also tennis and paddle-tennis courts .
Golfers can hone their games in multiple ways at Palacio del Negralejo , also one of the best restaurants in Madrid capable of hosting up to 4.000 guests for a cocktail party . It has the only 18-hole pitch and putt course in Madrid as well as a short course with nine par 3 holes and a long course comprising seven par 3s and two par 4s ,
Puerta De Hierro which can be combined to give 18 holes . In addition , Golf Negralejo
has a golf school with a Toptracer range .
Enjoying possibly Spain ’ s most magnificent and certainly most historic setting , Real Club de Golf la Herreria has long been associated with royalty and was called “ the club of kings and the king of clubs ” by US President Gerald Ford .
It lies surrounded by oak trees and at the foot of a mountain within the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial , a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the monumental 16th century monastery alongside the club which was long the residence of Spain ’ s royal family and where most of its sovereigns were buried .
The club ’ s 18-hole golf course opened in 1966 and was remodelled in 2000 by Jose Gancedo . It is complemented by a golf school , driving range and short game zone besides other sport and leisure facilities .
Although the Real Sociedad Hipica Espanola Club de Campo has only been on its existing site since the 1990s , its beginnings date right back to 1901 when it was established as the Real Sociedad Hipica ( Royal Horse Society ), merging in 1942 with the Sociedad Deportiva Club de Campo ( Country Club Sports Society ) to form the RSHECC as it is today .
Its first 18 holes on the current site opened in 1997 , with a second course again designed by Robert von Hagge , added later . They are augmented by a par 3 course , a driving range and approach area and practice putting greens , while the club also has an equestrian centre , croquet , tennis and paddle-tennis , a gym and swimming pools .
Four Jack Nicklaus course , two of them signature designs , make Real Club la Moraleja Madrid ’ s largest golf venue and one of Spain ’ s top private clubs .
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