Sotogrande – reaffirms its position as a leading golf destination

It was back in 1997 that the Costa del Sol was first monikered the Costa del Golf, after Sotogrande’s world famous Valderrama Golf Club played host to the Ryder Cup battle between teams of European and American professional golfers. Local hero Seve Ballesteros led the European team to victory, creating a surge of interest in the course (that continues to challenge golfers from all around the world) and Sotogrande, which has grown from strength to strength in the intervening years as a holiday, golfing and residential destination.

But the sophisticated Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is the real home of golf in this part of the Costa del Sol. Its course, which opened in 1964, was created by the renowned designer Robert Trent Jones and has an eminent history having hosted the Spanish Open, Spanish Professional Championship and several European Tour Qualifying Finals including the European Nations Championship.

Known as The Sherry Cup until 2006 after the tournament’s then Jerez wine sponsor, this year’s European Nations Championship took place earlier in March and saw 17 teams of amateur players tackle the illustrious fairways. The victorious Scottish team finally took the men’s title after a dramatic playoff against Italy, and also placed well in the individual event thanks to one of their young players, 18 year old Neil Bradley. The favourites, England, were disappointed not to take the title for the fifth time in six years. In the women’s competition, France were the top team, with Dane Nanna Madsen winning the individual title.

Many of the most important tournaments of the European Tour are held each year on the Costa del Sol, amongst which the Volvo Masters, Andalucía Open, Volvo World Match Play Championship and Andalucian Masters. Between 3rd and 6th April this year, a new combined European and Challenge tour event, the NH Collection Open, will be played by 144 professionals at La Reserva Golf Club, which opened in 2004, sealing Sotogrande’s title as the most prestigious golfing destination on the Costa del Sol.