GOLF ON MALLORCA

Golf is getting rid of its elitist aura. This sport, which rests more than just physical ability, is gaining supporters with an astounding rapidity. Golf has now dealt with the misunderstandings that had led to confrontation with environmentalists, such as water and watering problems, so now it can get nearer to society in general and to children in particular. No wonder people are happy to spend the day in contact with nature, testing their skills and concentration

 

With more than 30 years of uninterrupted activity, Son Vida is Mallorca's most international course. Its commercialisation has been a great success and its season has been extended to almost all year round. Son Vida will always be an intriguing and entertaining course. The first 9 fairways are pretty narrow and from time to time, difficult bunkers and dog-legs are found.

Juan Alvarez, Manager of Son Vida, has a great knowledge of the game and of the course on which he plays himself at least once a week to check on the condition. "The course itself is attractive, combining wooded areas and open spaces. It is pleasant because it is flat and very easy to cover on foot. On the other hand there is great variety. At he beginning, the wooded area makes the course narrow, the second part is much wider. All the holes are diferent, and therefore the course does not become monotonous."

At this time there exists the planned project of Son Vida II, Son Muntaner, a course which, on the drawing board, appears quite attractive and is now completely necessary, due to the ever-increasing number of players.

BENDINAT Golf

It was eleven years ago when they first began to build the Bendinat course. On the first of January this year a further nine holes were formally opened.

The course's Manager, Jorge Pando, explains that "The course is fairly narrow with uneven surfaces. It requires a certain level of precision; one must place the ball carefully; on the other hand the greens are very large and this helps, but here too one has to strike the ball well, since they have a subtly uneven design which can not be seen, but can send the ball off course.

I would say that it is a course suitable for players with a certain degree of experience. A novice player could have a bad game here and for this reason we impose a handicap limit. The maximum handicap allowed is 28 for men and 36 for women.

The area surrounding the course has its own array of plant and animal life and, according to Pando, it has regenerated so that now rabbits as well as hares have returned, the partridges are back and families of pigeons, pheasants, ducks and hoopoes have appeared. Due to the fire at Na Burguesa, the golf courses of Calvià have been transformed into sanctuaries for these animals; they all come down here. In Bendinat, we even have goats on the holes at the North end. "Presently, with the collaboration of the Consellería de Agricultura (Agriculture Council) we are trying to create mini-sanctuaries to encourage the reproduction of species in danger of extinction." Regarding trees; "we have olive, carob and pine... only those which grow here naturally; it would be inappropriate to plant other species."

The course is primarily played by Germans and Spanish, followed by English and Scandinavians. The clubhouse is modern and designed by Obregón. The building is simple and unadorned, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Pando states that "we are planning an extension to widen the terrace, but this will not change the basic structure of the clubhouse". The Real Golf de Bendinat Course gives free classes to the children of its members, and offers a range of social activities such as art and sculpture exhibitions, concerts on the lawns etc. Once each month a dinner is held , a type of get-together so that the members can socialise with one another.

Pollensa Golf

This year, the course at Pollença celebrates its tenth anniversary but one can rest assured that if the course has improved over the years, it has changed neither its initial layout nor its number of holes, which are nine.

The presence of the course in the area has caused a rise in land prices and the course has attracted an important foreign population, who established themselves in the district when the course first opened.

The wildlife, as the trend has shown, is indigenous to the area. Pollença has an abundance of olives and pines and there is a great deal of woodland. There are views of the sea from the clubhouse.

Designed by Pepe Gancedo, the course is fairly difficult; short and uneven with many trees and natural obstacles. It is situated amongst gently rolling hills and the course peters out in a valley near the sea. It has perfect greens and well-kept fairways, wall of stone, two lakes and many olive trees. The par 5 has a long, narrow fairway, partially lined with trees that lead to a two-tiered green; a complete challenge since it also has two bunkers to the right.

The Manager, Reinhard Adam, comments on the improvements they are going to make to the course; "This month we are beginning a luxury urban development belonging to the golf course. We will extend the clubhouse, which will be converted into a five star hotel and will have a capacity of 100 beds, and, as if this isn't enough, the course will be enlarged to 18 holes".

Son Antem

Son Antem was created as a project of social interest that arose around the hot springs that are found on the estate.

The hot springs that bless Son Antem, have water of between 35 and 40 degrees centigrade. For this reason the project is called Son Antem Golf and Spa. In its first phase, an 18 hole golf course and an Academy were set up, plus a practice course with a tee-playing area large enough to hold more than 20 or 30 groups. The clubhouse, at this time, is an old Mallorcan house, a very welcome asset to the countryside.

The course was accepted extraordinarily quickly. Its Manager, José Luis Carles confirms that "its design is very pleasant for the mediocre player. It is a course that can be made easier or more difficult by simply moving the position of the tees and flags. It can't be too bad a course, since, what people normally do after playing, is book-up for another day."

Projects in the pipeline will begin with the construction of a new clubhouse, a hotel, some apartments, and an area around the spa. The leit motif of the whole project are the hot springs.

With the passage of time, the course has not changed but what has changed is the surrounding area where there used to be little more than woodland and wild olive groves. With the development of 5 lakes, the wildlife has increased. Today, we see the arrival of herons and other birds that migrate over Mallorca on their way to Arica. The course is placed in an former hunting region and clearly what exists is a large quantity of animals. We have not planted anything else, only the pines which were taken out when the course was built. The course itself progresses logically; the round begins with easy holes and becomes more complicated as it goes along. It has a great variety of options in both the positions of tees and flags. This wide, flat course with large greens and fairways and rough in perfect condition, has the appearance of being much easier than it in fact is.

The majority of its players are Europeans, central Europeans and English, with a growing Scandinavian contingent. Thanks to the Academy, Son Antem holds the official seat of the Escuela Balear de Golf (Balearics Golf school) Twice a month they have preliminary and advanced couses for children.

Son Antem employs an electronic sprinkler system that both channels and regulates the waters that come from the water purification plant at Lluchmayor. This course is popular the whole year round, even in summer, when it receives school groups from the mainland; some 100 children who come every year to learn English and to play golf.

PONIENTE Golf

Poniente is considered one of the most prestigious works of John Harris. With its 18 holes set in an area of 6430 metres, it is perfect for tournaments and competitions. Situated between Magaluf and Santa Ponsa, as far as design is concerned, it continues to be without doubt the finest course of the Balearics.

A whole host of Professionals play it and even those players with much experience find the course highly challenging. The landscape varies from pines to wide open spaces and uneven ground. It is a winding course that has long and wide fairways and keeps nothing hidden; it always indicates where to play. Poniente lets the player use all the irons and requires strategy and a knowledge of ones own level of play.

The local wildlife has made the most of the areas between the fairways. Around the course, more than 500 different animals live together, especially acquatic birds and waders. Cypress trees protect the estate from the wind and in the woods there can be found many an ancient pine or olive tree; more than 500 have been counted and they say that some are over 2000 years old. Pepe Jimenez, the Manager of the couse confirms that "for every pine that falls, we plant ten more."

The clubhouse is new, in a rustic-style and built with great skill. Ignacio de Gregorio, who headed the project and who put himself in charge of the architecture, the decor and even the gardening, says; "What I did was create a country house, making the most of the dairies and the cowsheds on the estate. This is a house where one can find nature and sunlight and smell the forests; it has an atmosphere that continues that of the out-of-doors."

 

CANYAMEL Golf

The course at Capdepera is about to celebrate its tenth birthday. It has had 18 holes from the outset and has evolved very positively and also has an abundance of native wildlife. The repercussions from the golf course on an area dedicated to tourism have been immense, providing an activity in great demand.

This course has made a considerable impact on improving its surroundings since it was developed on barren land, which has greatly benefited from the changes. The greatest difficulty that the impeccably kept greens present, is that they need to be studied at length before putting.

Trees and certain strategically placed bunkers make it an entertaining course and at the same time offer the necessary degree of difficulty, demanding constant effort from the player to get the best out of his game.

It has some quite easy holes, others needing complex strategy, which added to its distances, makes for a course technically almost perfect. Its players comprise of people of different nationalities, the majority of whom are Germans, with ages ranging from 40 - 60 years. They play all year round, although it is between October and May when the course experiences its peak period.

Its Mallorcan- style clubhouse blends in perfectly with the countryside and has large terraces, a spacious lounge bar and a conference room. The Manager, Gabriel Alcina Sanso, comments that there is a great demand for golf in the region, and at the Canyamel course the sport attracts people of all ages and social classes.

Situated in the middle of the attractive developments of Cala Ratjada, Font de sa Cala and Canyamel, this course that recently has had more than three thousand sapling trees planted, uses a sprinkler system for irrigation utilising the purified waters of Font de sa Cala.

PULA Golf

Pula is, at the moment, the youngest of the Balearic courses and although it is early days to talk of its future (as it only opened this year) we can be assured that it is a very enjoyable course at this point in time. It has a par of 71 for its 6003 netres and is naturally framed by pine and Holm oak forests. It is part of a vast complex dedicated purely to leisure, with a clubhouse, 90 apartments and a five star hotel. The course is home to a variety of wildlife, including ducks, swans, goats and red and fallow deer.

The course was built in the record time of only one year, and boasts the names of champions Dieter Cabus and Santiago Sota as Pros of the course. It was designed by López Segalés. Hole number 8 stands out along the route. It is 558 meters long and has a par of 5 and becomes more and more complicated as you approach the green. Its length, the lake situated to the right at the second stroke and an out-of-bounds area which is a protected Holm oak grove, are its main difficulties, not forgetting the green, which, due to its uneven surface, demands extreme care. Hole 11, a par 3 of 201 metres is the most difficult on the course; it has the highest rating of 'difficulty to length' (Hdc. 1), is joined to an out-of-bounds area to the left and a wooded slope to the right. The green is large and elongated and depending on where the flag is placed, so the choice of club to employ varies greatly. Pula is a very pretty, elevated course and reached by the sea breeze during the summer. In the area surrounding the course one finds mumerous archeological remains from the restaurant, S'Era de Pula, known for its excellent food.

Being a Player/Member of the Pula Club entitles one to life membership, which can be freely disposed, sold or transferred during the life of the member, or passed on to his heirs.

Son Servera

The golf course of Son Servera is the first course that was developed in this region of the island of Mallorca. That was twenty-nine years ago and since then many players have enjoyed its nine holes. Begun by a group of English friends some thirty years ago, it has stood the test of time. The club house is like a second home to its members, with a really welcoming atmosphere. The Manager, Juan Fernández, explains that the majority of its players and members are now Germans; they represent some ninety percent of the green fees. The remainder is made up of English and a few Sacnadinavians.

The course itself is difficult, although it is fairly flat, and the holes are very close to one another. The main difficulty of their course, built in a real pine forest, is that the fairways are extremely narrow. There is opportunity to use all the irons on the Son Servera course, but watch out with the placement of the ball. The nine holes and the general layout were designed by John Harris who placed everything in an area of twenty hectares, which serves as a warning to unsuspecting players. What the course has very much in its favour is that it is in almost perfect condition the whole year round . It's here that you note the expert and dedicated hand of the people at the club. The irrigation at the club, by sprinkler system, comes direct from the estate's own wells. The housing estates nearby are the famous Costa de los Pinos and other smaller ones. Cala Millor, a tourist centre in its own right has a large hotel capacity.

The Son Servera Club offers courses and golf lessons and generally all activities in relation to the sport. And if in Menorca, at the Son Parc course, it is the peacocks who have claimed part of the firsthole for themselves, at Son Servera the rabbits are the stars of various amusing inidents around the course.

Vall Do´r

Vall d'Or was born out of a private initiative some 12 years ago, with the intention of building an entertaining course for the summer tourist trade. However, according to what its President Salvador Cusi tells us, "little by little we began to think along the lines of an all year round tourist attraction. In 1988 a terraced housing complex was built and in '93, a further 9 holes were added. The course is set deep in lovely countryside, with wonderful sea views. It is precisely because of its proximity to the sea, that it is ideal to play in summer."

The first 9 holes were constructed from the plan of Mr. Bradford Benz. lt has a great design, dipping between low hills upon which pines, olive and almond trees abound. The greens are small and well protected but with good lead-ins for approach shots. The second nine, designed by Mr. Billy Bendly, have a layout very different from the first nine, with compact and variable fairways.

"We have ducks on the lakes and other migratory birds." As far as plantlife is concerned, the original trees have been conserved; there are many olive and carob trees for example."

It is not an easy course but it is considered more for amateurs than for the holding of professional tournaments. Cusi confirms that "the course is characterised by being well-maintained, for having beautiful views and for the design of its first nine holes."

The only urban complex on the hillside belongs to the golf course and is situated to the North of the course and thus shelters the players. The 11th hole is amongst the most difficult. It consists of a plateau on the top of a hill. If the ball lands badly, it is most probable that a stroke will be lost.

Technically, it is the 16th that proves the most difficult. With a par of 4, the approach shot to the green is very difficult due to the distance, and the steep incline to the right. Vall d'Or, which is irrigated by the water - processing plant of Porto Colom, offers selective courses for groups.

Capdepera Golf

Capdepera Golf with its six lakes, hidden in a spectacular valley and surrounded by mountains, is ranked high in the list of popular courses. It has a top-class design, with well thought-out features such as waterfalls, walls and bunkers. Its distribution is very balanced, with long, wide fairways and some narrow stretches that require a more precise game. In short, it is a course that appeals as much to novices as to more expert players. The greens are wide and have different levels with reliable surfaces. From the tees of the first nine holes one can enjoy the fabulous views between the Valley of Capdepera and the Valley of Canyamel.

It is a course that has always been characterised by its noble, well-kept, well-conditioned greens. In Capdepera golf is played throughout the year and in spring and summer one can have introductory classes as well as more advanced classes to improve one's handicap.

The clubhouse is perfectly integrated into the countyside, and it has a good restaurant which offers special services for big groups of people.

 

SANTA PONSA Golf

In Santa Ponsa there are two courses, one which is practically private and on which only share-holders can play. It is the most 'federal' of the courses in that that it has the most independent parts. The first course has been completely renovated and is amongst the most sought after clubs on the Island.

It has a very clever design and even surfaces. Even so, experienced players encounter difficulties with the waterfalls, bunkers and also the fairways, which, are very long (the tenth for example, with a par of 5, measures 590 metres and is one of the longest in the world.) It has very fast greens that are often uneven. It demands a tactical approach.

This will always be a very prestigious course, which has held 4 or 5 Balearic Open Tournaments in which some of the most important figures of the International Golfing Circuit have played; Severiano Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Howard Clark, José Mª Olazábal, Bernhard Langer, come to mind.

In '91, the second course was opened in an area of 6.052 metres and has a par of 72. This course is reserved for the exclusive use of share-holders and for important competitions.

 

 

 

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