Our Ryder Cup Heroes!
Congrats to the boys in Blue, again!
Quote of the tournament “Pods don’t win matches, 12 golfers do!” Phil Mickelson would do well to take a leaf from the Graham McDowell textbook on Public Relations. One wonders does he regret his pre-tournament comments about McIlroy and McDowell?
2014 draws to an end…
We are beginning the wind down to Christmas and year end we are delighted to say that 2014 was a satisfactory year with signs of recovery from all our major markets. 2015 looks promising and the golf courses are showing restraint again with pricing so the Costa del Sol will be offering excellent value for money in 2015. We expect a little more pressure on tee-times and would therefore encourage clients to book early, particularly those requiring multiple consecutive tee-times.
Quiz: Room with a view! Can any of our well travelled readers tell us the name of the 5 star hotel from which these unusual photographs were taken? Hint; It’s not Hong Kong ! All will be revealed in the next newsletter!
Photographs courtesy of Lynn Fisher
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande to close for revamp.
Unfortunately the Costa will temporarily be without one of its favourite courses in 2015 as Real Club de Golf Sotogrande closes to visitors in order to do a complete rebuilding of their greens and a general course revamp.
Not to be outdone, Real Club de Golf Las Brisas will also be closing 9 holes for most of 2015 as it finishes the work started in 2013.
El Rompido, Costa de la Luz – Precise Resort
El Rompido is an interesting new destination offering great value for those looking for a more relaxing Golf Experience in South West Spain. Accessible via Faro Airport on the Algarve it’s no more than an hour’s drive to the coastal resort which has 3 very good tourist class courses (two on site and one nearby).
We have a special arrangement with the excellent 5 star Precise Resort which is open 12 months of the year. The coastal resort which is a lively fishing village is a short drive away and has a buzz about it the whole year round.
This Resort has two excellent courses
Flavour of the month – Accommodation.
Kimpinski Hotel Bahia, Estepona – Free upgrade for Golf Experience clients. This excellent 5 star property has agreed to offer all Golf Experience clients a free upgrade from whatever room category is booked.
This world class front-line beach hotel is located between Estepona and Marbella. Established in 1999, it is the only Kempinski Hotel in Spain.
The hotel is well located and in easy reach of many of the most popular golf courses on the coast, less than 5 minutes from Los Flamingos, El Paraíso, Atalaya Old and New and just 30 minutes from the popular courses in the Sotogrande and San Roque area. It is also just 45 mins from Malaga airport or just 35 minutes from Gibraltar airport.
Kimpinski’s Impressive Foyer.
An ideal golfers hotel where you can start the day with the famous Kempinski Buffet Breakfast, at ‘El Mirador’ restaurant. There are three restaurants in the hotel, ‘La Trattoria’ with fine Italian cuisine, ‘La Cabaña del Mar’ for a beachside experience, both of these restaurants are al fresco dining and therefore are seasonal.
The ‘Alminar Wine & Steak House’ is open all year for the finest cuts of Spanish meat and with a choice of over 300 wines. There is also a dedicated whiskey bar which is open each evening till late and food is served in the ‘Lobby Lounge’ as well.
Every guest has complimentary access to the spa and fitness centre during their stay where there is an indoor heated pool, sauna and steam room, perfect after a day on the golf course. There are also six treatment rooms and wide range of spa treatments available.
The hotel is set in subtropical gardens with three swimming pools, one of which is heated during the winter. For those travelling with Children between the ages of 4 to 12 why not enjoy the Kids Club which is open during high season including Easter, Summer, Christmas and until the 31st of October. This allows parents to enjoy their golf, knowing that the younger family members are having fun as well!
The hotel is ideal for both golfing couples, groups and families who are visiting Andalusia. The spacious design and layout of the hotel means that even during high season there is never a feeling of it being hectic or too busy. The friendly staff are welcoming and always wish to anticipate any request you might have.
Diana Park Hotel refurbished.
We would also bring to your attention the recently refurbished 3 star OH Diana Park Hotel situated between San Pedro and Cancelada. This very comfortable property offers great value for money in an ideal location for golfers.
Click on this link for more detail.
Flavour of the month – Restaurants;
Le Petit Paris, Estepona
For any of our clients staying in the Estepona area, we would highly recommend this restaurant which is just a short stroll from both the Port & the very popular H10 Estepona Palace Hotel. Le Petit Paris is a traditional restaurant that offers a variety of dishes that give you the some of the best flavours of France! .
Duck confit, goats cheese salad & rack of lamb are just some of the delights that brighten up their tasty menu. Indulge in French delicacies and discover Le Petit Paris…a little piece of France in the Costa del Sol!
For reservations, contact chef/owner Hubert Busson at +34 952 802 431.
If you click the link below, you can read the review of one of our golf clients, who along with his 26 buddies, sampled Le Petit Paris earlier this month (Peter S. 19th October – title “Great Meal”)
Investor activity on Costa del Sol’s Golf Industry.
In the last month two of the Costa del Sol’s biggest resorts have been sold to overseas investors;
US private equity funds buy Sotogrande SA for €225m
The NH Hotel Group has announced the sale of almost 97% of Sotogrande SA to US private equity funds Cerberus and Orion for a sum of 225 million euros.
Sotogrande SA’s assets includes land, two hotels (NH Almenara and NH Sotogrande), two golf courses (Almenara and La Reserva) and service operations in the Sotogrande urbanisation.
Whilst the deal is unlikely to have any noticeable effects in the short term, it is hoped that it will bring investment into the area over the coming months and years, including a third 9 holes at La Reserva.
Sotogrande La Reserva with Sotogrande port in background.
In another development the very popular La Quinta Resort in Marbella has been sold to a Chilean company for an undisclosed amount. Again this is good news as it is bound to result in further investment in the resort.
La Quinta Resort – Marbella
Golf Day light Calendar
One of the most common questions we are asked is “when does it get dark and will we be able to finish” so here is a daylight hour chart.
Also note that most courses will close at 20.00 in the summer. Click here to visit the page with the full sized chart.
Club-hire
Due to continued high demand we have increased our stock to 50 sets and we even now have left handed ladies clubs, well one set! We deliver anywhere along the Costa Del Sol and will not be beaten for value. Our rates are from €10 per day to €35 euro per week. We also have a limited number of leading brand sets.
We have both steel and graphite sets of Wilson Vector containing 11 clubs. For an additional €10 we include a dozen balls and tees.
Lions Club International – World Golf Championship 2015 – Costa del Sol
Calling all Lions Golfers. The World’s Largest charity “Lions Club International” will be holding its World Golf Championship on the Costa del Sol between 23rd and 30th March 2015. The host resort is Flamingos Golf Club Resort in Estepona. For more detail go to www.lionsgolf.info
Costa Bellena -Special Winter Offer at Barceló 4 Star Hotel
Anyone for Footgolf at El Campanario Golf!?
We’re thrilled to announce that we offer the only official ‘Footgolf’ Course in the area. It’s great new sport that is fun for children and adults and an effective team building activity.
Footgolf is held on the golf course every Monday, Thursday and Sunday – the golf isn’t harmed at all – and golfers can use the course on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Members of the club have unlimited access to the golf course for both golf and ‘footgolf’, with no additional costs other than “football” hire (5€)
Email info@footgolfmarbella.com for details
