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DESTINATION GOLF GLOBAL GUIDE 2026
CHAPARRAL GOLF: THE COURSE REBORN WITH THE RUBIO FAMILY
Chaparral Golf is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2026. Under the leadership of the Rubio family, this magnificent course, nestled in the Chaparral forest, was brought back to life following the vision of its original designer, Pepe Gancedo.
It took three years of intensive work to restore a course that had failed to overcome a deep crisis and had closed its doors in 1991. The drive and determination of Antonio Rubio, together with his family and an outstanding team of professionals, not only made this new chapter possible but have positioned the course as a benchmark on the Costa del Sol and among the most prominent at both national and international level.
Passion, effort, and learning define the story of Chaparral Golf. A story with all the elements of a great narrative, in which Antonio Rubio emerges as the protagonist after discovering- almost by chance- a project to which he would dedicate three years of work to bring it back to life.
There were pine trees and forest, but no sign of a golf course. We faced every possible problem and more to build it. But the thought that we could make it a reality was an enormous motivation.”
Gancedo quickly got to work with a very clear vision of what the course should be. He assembled his own team and, alongside professionals such as greenkeeper Manolo Pantoja, managed to fully engage everyone in the project.
The result was a design true to his style: a strategic and balanced course, perfectly integrated into unique vegetation and framed by spectacular views where forest meets the Mediterranean. A demanding yet fair layout that retains the essence Gancedo himself highlighted upon its revival:“ This is a fabulous golf course.”
Pepe Gancedo, a passionate golfer and artist- known as the“ Picasso of Spanish golf”- had already proven his talent with designs both national and internationally. However, Chaparral was his most special project. In this unique setting, he had been able to fully express his creativity until the 1990’ s crisis cut his work short, leaving unfinished business. When Antonio Rubio discovered the course after acquiring the land for other purposes, he decided that no one was better suited than Gancedo to restore it. For the designer, it was an opportunity to bring his“ baby” back to life.
Granada-born entrepreneur Antonio Rubio suddenly found himself facing an unexpected challenge. After his ventures in construction, the acquisition of this land, located between Calaburra lighthouse and Mijas, introduced him to the, until then unknown, world of golf:“ There was only a farmhouse-style clubhouse, almost in ruins.
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