While Ryder Cup venues traditionally grab all the headlines thanks to the huge global audiences that the biennial matches have long enjoyed, the growing appetite for the Solheim Cup, and the rise in interest in women’s professional golf across the board, has led to an increasing demand from golf travellers seeking out venues that have hosted the matches between Europe and the USA’s top female players in a bid to recreate the magic and connect more closely with the stars of the women’s game.
While not all Solheim Cup venues are in holiday- inspiring locations – anyone fancy a week in Des Moines, Iowa or St Leon Rot, Frankfurt? – that certainly can’t be said about Finca Cortesin, the beautiful southern Spanish venue that hosted last year’s matches, blowing both players and the fans away with its stunning location, superb match play course and its five-star off-course facilities.
So, it was with no small degree of excitement that I accepted a generous invitation to join an exclusive group of media to experience a new VIP Solheim Cup package which invited guests
to experience many of the experiences that were offered to the team players at Finca Cortesin during last September’s matches, including executive suites, fine dining, tournament-level course conditions and elite-level practice facilities.
Whether we’d all be allowed to jump into the hotel’s swimming pool fully clothed after winning our friendly game was yet to be discovered, but it didn’t seem to appear on what looked like a packed itinerary for our three-night, two- round trip.
Departing from Gatwick on a chilly spring morning, having still not fully emerged from
the one of the wettest UK winters on record, I was more than happy to touch down in Malaga two hours 40 minutes later and be greeted by warm, cloudless skies and a lunchtime temperature nudging nicely into the early 20s°c. Perfect.
TRANQUIL ENCLAVE
Moments after coming out of the airport we were cruising along the AP-7 motorway in a luxury Mercedes people carrier, taking in stunning sea views until we arrived just south of Estepona at one of the most tranquil and sought-after enclaves on the Andalusian coast – Finca Cortesin.
After checking into my room – more, much more, of this later – it was time for a spot of lunch down at the golf clubhouse, which is just a short walk from the hotel.
The clubhouse has been cleverly designed in that as you approach the building you see what looks like a simple, single storey structure, but once inside it’s a totally different story – if you’ll pardon that weak pun – as you are welcomed into much larger space, with a sizeable pro shop on your left, the restaurant and bar on your right, before heading down the impressive staircase that opens up an incredible view of both the driving range and some the holes of the championship golf course in the distance, both of which had me itching to get my clubs out.
WORLD-CLASS ACADEMY
But before we could put our own swings into action, we were treated to a short game clinic from Finca Cortesin’s Director of Instruction, Ricardo Jimenez, who the runs the Jack Nicklaus Academy at the club.
Ricardo is one of the best teachers in Spain and is a Master member of the Spanish PGA. He’s certainly got the skills to match his coaching ability, as this old hand picked up a couple of very useful tips that I was able to take out on the course, even after just a 60-minute session.
Golfers of every skill level should consider spending time in the resort’s superbly equipped Jack Nicklaus Academy, which is one of the finest coaching facilities in Europe.
Packed with all the latest swing analysis technology, including Foresight’s GC Quad, a Swing Catalyst Balance Plate, a 3D K-Vest and the latest simulator, it’s a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of game-improvement tech that, when combined with Finca’s team of highly qualified professionals, will soon have your game in shape to tackle one of Europe’s toughest tracks.
SPACIOUS SUITES
After a long and leisurely lunch, I returned to my suite – did I mention that it was ‘executive’? – one of 67 that were used to accommodate the US and European teams in absolute comfort during the Solheim Cup.
Boasting a floorplan of 77 square metres, my suite took several minutes to explore – and send the obligatory videos to friends and colleagues slaving away at their desks back in
the UK – with the bathroom alone being big enough to comfortably fit a full-size snooker table, although mine was kitted out with a free-standing bath, separate walk-in rainforest shower, twin sinks and a separate WC, but hey, you can’t have it all.
The lounge, where I stored my golf clubs, was home to a double sofa, two armchairs, a dining room table for four, and a massive flatscreen TV, all of which led out to a Juliet balcony which offered stunning views towards the one of the huge outdoor swimming pools and the Mediterranean Sea beyond.
The adjoining bedroom featured a King-size double bed fit for, well, a massive king.
FINE DINING
Suitably refreshed, and impressed with my lodgings, I headed down to the hotel’s Blue Bar in the evening to join my fellow golfers for pre-dinner drinks, followed by a superb dinner at the hotel’s
El Jardin de Lutz restaurant, which specialises in serving up traditional Spanish classics with a luxury twist.
Here we tucked into a sumptuous four- course dinner, comprising a wild lobster cannelloni starter, a grilled sole with caviar and champagne sauce entrée, followed by roast partridge served with a truffle risotto for the main course, and, for those that still had room, a dessert of pistachio and vanilla semifreddo with chocolate cake and raspberries.
Wafer thin mint, sir? I think not.
CHAMPIONSHIP CONDITIONING
The following day, after a comfortable night’s sleep and a light(ish) breakfast, we made our way down to the golf course for the business end of our trip – 18 holes on Finca Cortesin’s Championship layout, which was set up in the same order of holes – which is different to the traditional course configuration – and with the same tees and pin locations that were used for the 2023 Solheim Cup.
Designed by Cabell B Robinson, who also designed the likes of La Réserva, Aphrodite Hills and Las Colinas, the course at Finca opened for play in 2007, and just two years later hosted the Volvo World Match Play, and did again in 2011 and 2012.
The hugely undulating course measures almost 7,500 yards from the back tees and plays to a par of 72, with five par 3s, five par 5s and eight par 4s.
It’s Bermuda grass everywhere and by the time you reach the green it becomes obvious that you’ll need a sharp short game to get it round in anything approaching par, as the greens are lighting fast with huge swails, tiers and hollows.
I was fortunate to play with Nacho Olea, Finca Cortesin’s Golf Director, and his knowledge of the
course and its many challenges proved invaluable. As you’d expect, the course was in incredible condition, with the fairways like carpets and the greens running at about 12.5 on the stimp.
They could have held the Solheim Cup again that day, it was that good.
We started at what is normally the fourth hole, which is one of the course’s many signature hole
– a downhill 280-yard par 4 that wraps around a lake.
It’s drivable for the big hitters, but the smart play for most is an iron up the right and a wedge on. From there the course meanders its way around the diverse site, with elevation changes coming throughout as well as doglegs, beautiful views in all directions, and plenty of variety.
We stopped for a food break on the 10th tee, which must have spurred me on, as I made birdie on this stunning par 3, which plays severely downhill with a backdrop of the mountains.
All the short holes are superb, with my favourite being the 12th, where Denmark’s Emily Pedersen enjoyed a hole-in-one for just the second ace in the history of the Solheim Cup.
The par-4 15th is another visual treat and it’s one of the toughest par 4s on the course, where you drive over the native land before turning uphill and left.
Nacho’s clubbing was a great help, and this paid off when I holed a 5-iron from 180 yards on the par-four 16th for a rare eagle.
Being a little greedy and trying to go eagle-birdie, I went directly at the flag on the par-3 17th, with the pin just over the bunker and trying to emulate Carlota Ciganda’s birdie over World No 1 Nelly Korda that saw Europe retain the Solheim Cup, as they tied 14-14. Sadly, it didn’t pay off for me and I found the bunker.
The dogleg-left par 5 finisher plays downhill on the second shot and then rises back up to a green that is very well guarded with bunkers. It might offer the occasional birdie but it’s definitely one where you’ll be happy to finish with a par.
Grinning like proverbial Cheshire cats, our group left the 18th green on a golfing high, having experienced one of Europe’s finest courses presented in superb condition.
SUPERB SPA
Needing to wind down after such a high-octane morning, I spent the afternoon in Finca’s impressive 2,220m2 spa enjoying the steam room, Turkish bath, sauna and ice bath combination to ease some tired limbs.
The spa also boasts a 25m indoor saltwater pool, a Technogym, Snow Cave, and 10 rooms for a wide range of Oriental-themed treatments, while there’s a outdoor swimming pool and for racquet sports fans there are tennis and padel courts.
PRIVATE VILLAS
That evening we had dinner in a private villa – one of 16 on the estate – which offers a different type of accommodation for families or larger group of friends.
The villas, which boast five en-suite double/ twin rooms, feature private gardens and swimming pools and enjoy magnificent views of a mountain range and the sea.
Following a fabulous dinner in the villa, we headed back to the hotel where we were royally entertained by the hotel’s resident band, which took request after request from our group, despite some of very questionable musical choices.
The hotel, which was designed by the late Portuguese designer Duarte Pinto Coelho, has
a classically Andalusian feel, with darkly cosseting lounges, fabric-swathed walls, and the suite doors that once sealed the rooms of Benedictine monks.
Despite being unquestionably upmarket, it still feels very homely, and this is all down to the staff, who seamlessly blend in with the guests, while anticipating their every need with almost alarming accuracy.
The following day we played the golf course once again, but this time as the member or regular green fee player would do. It made for a slightly different, but nonetheless memorable experience, with opportunities to be more conservative on some holes and more gung-ho on others following our previous day’s experience.
SEAFOOD HEAVEN
After lunch in the clubhouse and another visit to the spa, it was time for our farewell dinner at
REI, another of the hotel’s four restaurants, with this one specialising in Japanese cuisine with a Mediterranean influence.
With so many tempting dishes to choose, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the tasting menu, which includes a heady mix of seafood, including wild red tuna, smoked salmon sashimi, sea bass (pictured below), oysters, razor clams, prawns, scallops and squid.
For those nights when you want something a bit simpler, Don Giovanni offers an Italian menu with a Sicilian twist, with fresh pasta, pizzas and steaks among the popular choices, while the Beach Club, which is located 1km from the hotel in the Bahia de Caceres, also has a restaurant, where paella and freshly-cooked Mediterranean dishes are the order of the day.
Our final day of our action-packed itinerary allowed us just enough time to brush up on our golfing skills at the driving range and have lunch at the Poolside Bar before I headed back to Malaga to catch my flight back to Gatwick, and to the harsh realities of life outside the luxuriously welcoming bubble that is Finca Cortesin.
For details of all the golf packages available at Finca Cortesin, including green fees, stay-and-play rates, and the Finca Cortesin Experience, visit fincacortesin.com or email [email protected]