LOS ARQUEROS

Facilities:

Clubhouse, Restaurant, Pro-Shop, Sports facilities, Golf Academy, Driving Range, Putting Green.

Course info:

PAR: 71, LENGTH: 5,684 metres

Buggy needed? (in our opinion): Yes, essential.

Sunshine Golf Pro says: "Accuracy is more important than length and a good short game is needed to deal with the small tricky greens"

How to get there:

 Take the AP7 toll road and exit at San Pedro/ Ronda. Los Arqueros is around 3 kms up the Ronda road on the left hand side.

 Set among steep mountains, the impeccable fairways of Los Arqueros merge with the spectacular surrounding scenery, affording the golfers exceptional views over the Mediterranean.

Opened in 1991, Los Arqueros is a challenging par-71, 18-hole course designed by the Spaniard Severiano Ballesteros. Considered one of the best players in the world, Seve has used his know-how and prestige to create some 30 golf courses all over the world.

The underlying idea in the design of Los Arqueros was to create a course which followed the lie of the land and blended harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Seve took this philosophy to heart when designing the course, and each hole has its own particular personality. The result is a challenging course for the experienced player and a genuine test for those who are new to the game.

The course requires accurate play, especially in some tight tee shots where you may have to forego distance in your drive and opt instead for shorter irons or woods which ensure that the ball reaches the fairway.

Hole 8 is especially tricky, as it is a long par 5, with a tight dogleg towards the right which slopes sharply downhill to the green, and a hazardous out-of-bounds area finishing in a stream at the entrance to the green.

Watch out too for the 13th hole, with its high tee requiring an accurate and hard-hitting drive to a downhill area guarded by bunkers, and where only careful play will ensure that you save the par.

The 3rd hole is also excellent, with a lake to the left of the fairway and a scattering of wide bunkers on the right - but it requires more attention than expected to finish successfully.

However, the most difficult hole is the 6th, as it is not only the longest, but the tee-off shot is the decisive one. Therefore, this is a demanding course which requires a calculated game, and where you cannot afford to take many risks if you want to make your handicap.