The course features very strong par 3s which include the difficult but beautiful 14th hole and its Sierra Bermeja mountain range backdrop.
The tempting signature hole is the short par 4 10th where the green is almost surrounded by water. At only 250 meters from an elevated tee, it can be played by simply laying up with a mid iron - but many brave souls are teased into going for it!
Exc from the club's website
Course
Reviews
Estepona is widely regarded as the best value golf on this coast and i found this to be the case on my most recent visit here. Whilst particularly easy to find a tee time when you want it, this course is among the most popular on the coast and if a little unlucky you could find yourself behind a 5 hour fourball.
Set a little inland away from the coast, the surroundings are refreshingly not villa's or apartments but cork trees and farmland, a very relaxing and attractive setting. The course is not the longest, but due to the lie of the land there are very few flat holes and club selection is difficult. Another feature worth note are the large greens, these offer a variety of pin placements and help spread the wear and tear evenly which helps the club maintain its excellent playing surfaces.
The opening hole is played from an elevated and exposed tee, so any wind here will no noubt affect your tee shot. There is a huge gaping bunker on the left of the dog leg and out of bounds running the length of the right side. This is a challenging tee shot for the first one of the day. A hybryd or fairway wood will probably not reach the downslope and therefore leave a longer second, this plays downhill to a pretty greensite with a bunker and a gorgeous cork tree that overhangs the right front portion of the large green. There could be as much as twi clubs difference between a front pin placement and a back one.
After a gentle uphill par 5, the 3rd drops dramatically from a high tee down to a narrow fairway below. Anything riding the wind here could well find the farmers field which sits 20 yards off the fairway to the right. The par 3 5th is also played from a high tee to an inviting green 160 yards below.
Such is the drop, at least one club less is required to find the putting surface. The only poor hole of the front 9 is the 9th. A tight, tree lined dog leg left. Where the punishment for going long and straight is a 30 foot drop to the 10th fairway. Going over the corner is not advised as there is no bell to suggest if the fairway is clear and the huge mound which protects the direct route to the green will kick anything through the fairway. Having had prior experience of this hole, i played ultra safe with a mid iron to the corner of the dog leg and another mid iron to an elevated, severley sloping green. par is achievable and so is a 10.
The 10th is the most memorable hole at Estepona, given its strategic options. The green, perhaps 300 yards away but playing sevrely downhill is protected both short left and right by water and anything way right of the tee will either find water or out of bounds. A sensible play is mid-long iron to the widest part of the fairway and short iron to a wonderful four leaf clover shaped green.
The collection of holes across the quiet road which runs through this property are easily its best, the 13th a tough steeply uphill par 4 often played with a wind whipping across from the exposed valley and the long par
3 14th, also with eposed valley to the right are two of the best holes you can play for a reasonable price. The 14th inparticular requires nothing but a straight hybryd or fairway wood to a three tier green. Anything other than that is unlikely to result in a par.
The 15th is a wondefully shaped short par 4, played over two huge rocks in the middle of the fairway. There is more room either side of these than appears on the tee and a good tee shot will leave an inviting short iron to the green. The 16th is another good par 3, played downhill and a wide green with bunkers left and right.
The 17th and 18th provide a bland but birdiable finale, the 17th a long par 5 that plays much shorter due to the elevated tee and the short and flat 18th, which requires little more than a drive and a pitch.
The clubhouse atmosphere is warm and friendly and the cold beer on the balcony overlooking the med is a must. Estepona should be congratulated for maintaining a casual and welcoming atmosphere whilst still providing a real golf club feel for their members.
Value For Money: Good
Mark: 8 Andrew Oliver August 8, 2011
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