Valderrama Golf Course - A History of Excellence

Nestled in the beautiful southern Andalusia region of Spain is one of Europe's grandest and most renowned golfing venues - Valderrama.

Built in 1974 and originally named Santogrande New, Valderrama was designed by the legendary golf course architect Sir Henry Cotton. Sir Henry was also responsible for the courses redesigned layout that was put in place some ten years later.

Signature Hole

Depending on who you ask you might get a different response, but the 4th hole (La Cascada) is generally regarded as the signature hole for Valderrama.

A long and sweeping par-5 that funnels down a tree-lined fairway two tier green that's protected on one side by trees and on the other by a lake. Nothing short of a precise approach will help you here.

The 1997 Ryder Cup

Valderrama was the first continental course to host the illustrious event. It also marked the first of five consecutive victories for the European Team, who on this occasion were captained by the late, great Seve Ballesteros.

The course has hosted a number of prestigious events from the golfing calendar, including the now defunct Volvo Masters (from 1988 until 2008), the Ladies Spanish Open and the more recent Spanish Open in 2016.

Here are some of the highlights from an unforgettable few days of golf:

Ecological Awareness

It's a tough (and expensive) task to get a tee time booked for a round at Valderrama, and for good reason. The golf club is committed to ensuring that its courses are not overplayed; this not only helps to keep them in near perfect condition almost all year round, it also reduces the environmental impact of the course on its surroundings. In fact, Valderrama is one of only a handful of courses on continental Europe that has received full Audubon status - an ecological stamp of excellence.

Valderrama has an average Hole19 golfer rating of 4.8 out of a possible 5 stars and this is generally the theme of things if you look across the web. There really aren't enough superlatives to describe this historic and immaculately beautiful course.

There are so many reasons to book a tee time in the Costa del Sol:

Looking for other activities to fill your time between golf? Check out our mini-break guide to the Costa del Sol.