Clubhouse/Hospitality
Quality of Course
Value for Money
Hidden Valley Test
So if you’re ever near Benidorm, Altea is quieter more friendly part of this particular coastline. I played 9 holes on this course as a whim as it was a couple of miles from where we were staying in Altea Hills.
Arriving at the club, you could easily miss it at there seems to be no indication of a golf course as you drive up. From the unassuming front (with plenty of parking), you are greeted by steps down to a fitness/wellness centre… 3 flights of stairs down you find the club shop (after passing what looked like a very nice restaurant).
I had looked to book online (very easy to do) but as I was on my own, didn’t want to be turned away if I booked the Pair + Buggy deal. I was there early doors as they opened up and they couldn’t have been more helpful… even reminded me to get a glove & some water (it was mid June after all). So went armed with 6 balls, tees & marker to the buggy already waiting with my hire clubs already loaded.
This was the first time I see the golf course… and what a view. The first tee is in front of the club house that is built into the mountainside with a vast expanse of green downwards.
I found a local waiting for me to tee off and I suggested we make a 2 ball (google translate doing its job as he spoke very little English). So no warm up, take a couple of practice swings and hit the middle of the fairway with beuno beuno ringing in my ears at 7:40 in the morning.
Of course the course is set in the hills so extremely hill with many different levels. Trees surround the fairways and greens. The grass on the fairways is a mixture of the tough Spanish and English grass so makes it less tough than others I’ve played in Spain.
As we were the first to tee off, ground maintenance teams were out and about and the fairways were freshly watered making the ground softer than you would expect. I’m sure you would get a lot more run out later in the day when it had all dried out.
2nd shot on to green which held the ball.. most other Spanish courses I think I would have hopped off to the back. The green had be freshly mowed but still with few/water so figured it would be slow.. how wrong I was… after rolling past by 15ft I 3 putted.
As we went along, the course was interesting with many dog legs with greens either a lot below or higher than your feet… judging distances using hired clubs was difficult and ended up short most of the time.
There’s no real rough yo consider and it was easy to find the ball if it just went into the trees… any further then just consider it lost and move on.
2nd was an up hill par 3 with the 3rd a dog legs right with out of bounds all along the left… hit an iron to stay in the fairway or your balk disappears down the cliff onto the 5th hole fairway. Go right or short means a second shot lay up.
The 4th is a long par 3 (the card said 156 but my partner said it plays 190). I trusted him so out came 3wood and just left of the green up a slope … a difficult down hill chip with 5ft of green to play with… however I managed to go slightly left and managed to get the ball to 5ft… welcome par.
On to the long Par 5 fifth… great views over a fountain and towards the club house. I see my ball from the 3rd hole in the middle of the fairway, I aim for it and land next to it …
Still plenty to do to get round the dog leg so chance it over the trees … hit them and land behind a barrage of trees protecting the green… hoik it out and find I have to go over a bunker with very little green to play with … be sensible I said to myself and aimed for the middle of the green… narrow part so hopped off to the back… a decent up and down so of to the 6th.
Mmm … there are nets either side of the tee protecting houses so gives you a natural challenge to hit the ball straight or play your 3rd from only 20yds further up. Luckily I smashed one straight down the middle, only y try I find that the green was elevated into the mountainside… decisions decisions. Had 160yds and no way I can get it onto green and hold it … I go for lofted club and come up well short into the bunker… managed to force my way to to the green … long 20ft putt just missed.
Onto to 8th par 5… long down hill chip/ up hill dog leg left…. Plays a lot longer than the advertised 427yds…
On to my final hole the 9th… wonderful view into the mountainside setting of the clubhouse… once again elevated tee and green… playing partner slips in the water loaded fairway with both chuckle about loving & hating golf at the same time… and finish off our round with a hearty handshake.
Although I played only 9 holes, this is an 18 hole… each hole played twice… however the tees are totally different places so each hole plays very differently.
If ever in the Benidorm / Altea region in Spain, would recommend you play at least a round here… could partake in the restaurant/club facilities as it was early and I was done before everything opened up… but from what I saw, I’m sure it would be great… drinking/eating overlooking both the 1st/9th/10th/18th holes.
I would recommend booking directly as it was a lot cheaper than going through other golf sites.
Hope you enjoyed the review and found it helpful.