Los Naranjos - Sports News From Around Spain in H! Society Magazine - Comments

Post a Comment

• Print
• E-mail
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Facebook

Los Naranjos

Poster: Los Naranjos 01/01/2008

This year Los Naranjos Golf Club celebrates it's 30th Anniversary. A considerable age for a golf course on the Costa del Sol. During these three decades the course has established itself as one of the top courses in Spain as well as one of the most popular.

Los Naranjos belongs to a select group of golf courses on the Costa del Sol designed by world famous golf architect Robert Trent Jones and was built at a time when suitable land was still available. The first two Trent Jones courses in Spain, Sotogrande and Las Brisas, opened in the mid 60s. They quickly caught world fame when the World Cup, the Spanish Open and other important tournaments were played on them, thanks to their championship layout and design.

In the mid 70s the second group of Robert Trent Jones courses were built on the Coast, Mijas, Valderrama and Los Naranjos. Mr Jones was commissioned by the Banus company, developers of Nueva Andalucia and the Las Brisas golf course, to design and build a second golf course on the Estate, just north of Las Brisas. The site could not be better, 70 hectares of perfect golfing land with subtle undulations, a river running through and a orange groove from which the course got it's name. The instructions were clear, Banus wanted a true championship course of classic design, long with wide fairways and large greens, suitable for international championships but enjoyable for all levels of players. And Mr Jones delivered exactly that.

When the course opened in 1977, it was operated jointly with Las Brisas. The first tee was the present 3rd hole, being the nearest hole to Las Brisas. The 18th was the present 2nd hole and the Club house what is now a private villa by the 2nd green.

In 1982 the Banus company sold both courses to the Romero-Sauer group. Las Brisas became a private share holder Club and Los Naranjos continued as a pay and play course. A Club house was built on the existing Club house site with the first hole being the existing 10th.

In 1989 the golf course was sold to the present owner, Swedish businessman Percy Nilsson. The Club was transformed to it's present set up, a shareholders Club with a limited member ship, providing the opportunity for visiting golfers to play this magnificent course. The new Club house was opened in 1991 and the two nines were reversed to it's present layout with the famous par 5 18th hole finishing in front of the Club house.

A number of important tournaments, both professional and amateur, have been held at Los Naranjos over the years. In 1988 the Marbella Ladies Open, part of the European Ladies Tour, was played with Laurette Maritz from South Africa winning with a score of 283. In 1989 the Spanish PGA Championship was played with Jose Rivero and Severiano Ballesteros tying on 278 strokes. Rivero won the Championship at the first hole of the sudden death play off.

Other important championships played at Los Naranjos include the European Senior Amateur Championship, the Spanish Junior Championship and the Spanish International Ladies Amateur Championship.

Los Naranjos Golf Club

Apdo. 64, 29660 Nueva Andalucia

Marbella, Spain

Pro Shop & Reception:

+34-952 815206

Comments