6648 Yards
Par 72
Designers: Perry Dye, Seve Ballesteros

When a club decides to add a second course to their lineup, the venture is usually met with the same set of challenges. Expectations are usually higher, the quality of the land is usually lower – otherwise it would have been used the first time around – and the finished product usually fails to measure up to the first one. Once in awhile, however, the most unusual of results occurs: the new course overcomes those obstacles to outshine the original. For many, such is the story of San Roque New.

A little over a decade after the first San Roque course debuted, architect Perry Dye was commissioned to squeeze a second course into a relatively small and difficult piece of terrain. In true Dye family fashion, Perry set to work moving untold tons of earth and trees to shape what would come to be known as the New Course. The job took nearly two years to complete, yet the end result proved to be worth the wait. The New Course was met with high praise and was quickly tapped as host of the Spanish Open.

There are a few similarities between the New Course and its older sibling. For example, the holes are dotted with a variety of cork oak trees, and driving the ball well is certainly a high priority. For the most part, however, the New Course stands on its own thanks to many of the characteristics one is accustomed to finding on a Dye course. More specifically, the bunkering, which is at times both plentiful and penal. There are a few dangerous pots that are best avoided, as well as sprawling waste bunkers lined with railroad sleepers and pocked with tufts of marram, affectionately known as “love grass.” As a result, the New Course may at times feel less like the Mediterranean coast and more like Ponte Vedra Beach.

Also in true Dye fashion, San Roque New features both a show-stopping par-3 and a great risk reward par-4. The former is found at the 4th hole, which plays across a wooded chasm to a tabletop green with a stunning mountain backdrop. For best results, have a go at this one from Seve’s Tee. Meanwhile, pulling driver on the short par-4 12th is an alluring choice, yet be prepared to pay a steep price for anything but perfection. Two dangerous pot bunkers guard the center of the fairway, while a sprawling wasteland lines the entire right side of the hole. Execute the tee ball well, however, and there’s a good chance of coming away with a three.

The role of “second course” is rarely an enviable one, yet San Roque New overcame the challenges and exceeded the expectations that usually accompany such a project. In both design and playability, the course makes for an interesting contrast to its older counterpart. Some might say it even outshines it.

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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