7350 Yards
Par 72
Designers: Cabell Robinson

In a part of Spain where great golf courses are in no short supply, La Reserva de Sotogrande was built to stand out in the crowd. The course is the newest addition to this corner of the Costa del Sol, joining famed Valderrama, the original Sotogrande, and San Roque to form Spain’s premier golfing destination.

The task of building a course equal to La Reserva’s illustrious neighbors fell to architect Cabell Robinson, who masterfully placed his lengthy design throughout two adjoining valleys. The team went to almost unheard of lengths to preserve the natural environment found at La Reserva, transporting all of the trees of ecological or aesthetic importance to a nearby nursery during construction, and returning them to their original location upon completion. With such an investment of time and capital placed on a few trees, one can only imagine what devotion they poured into the golf course.

La Reserva was built with international championship golf in mind, and as such it is long. Very long. To offset the distance, however, the player is typically greeted with wider than normal fairways, and greens that are perhaps the largest in all of Spain. Water also makes a regular appearance throughout the round, but is typically seated to punish shots that are offline, rather than short of the target. Although, speaking from experience, this is of little consolation when cracking open a second sleeve of ProV1s.

On the front nine, the duo of par-3s present two of the most formidable holes on the course, thanks to the combination of distance and hazards. The green on the 244 yard 6th hole is guarded by water left, which is unnerving to yours truly given that the shot requires a precise swing with a gripped down driver. Meanwhile, the slightly shorter 8th hole doesn’t require the old #1, but the shot is no less severe, with water and a collection of bunkers guarding the target.

The inward nine climbs to slightly higher ground, offering a host of stunning panoramas and the invitation for one to swing away. The consequences for poor execution, however, are no less harsh. The standout hole on this side is par-4 17th, which earns every bit of its #1 stroke index. A solid drive is handsomely rewarded here, while any attempt to cut off a few extra yards of the corner is likely to be met with a watery grave.

In early 2014, La Reserva staged a new event on the European Tour, achieving its initial goal of hosting the world’s best players. More importantly, however, the arrival of the game’s elite signaled that La Reserva had itself arrived as one of the premier courses on the Costa del Sol.

For more insight on planning your golf trip across the pond, visit the pages below, read our reviews, or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.

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