Dave Thomas laid out the 27-holes at Almenera in the late 1990s and he made a fine job of routing a series of tight fairways over hilly terrain...
Overall rating
3.0
Dave Thomas laid out the 27-holes at Almenera in the late 1990s and he made a fine job of routing a series of tight fairways over hilly terrain...
Situated right next door to Valderrama, three 9-hole courses comprise the golfing facilities at the 148-bedroomed hotel and residential complex at Almenera. “Pinos” (Pines) and “Alcornoques” (Cork) are the preferred loops for most golfers, though the “Lagos” (Lakes) nine does have many admirers too.
Dave Thomas laid out the 27-holes at Almenera in the late 1990s and he made a fine job of routing a series of tight fairways over hilly terrain, incorporating trademark mounding, bunkering and generously proportioned green sites into the modern design.
Five of the holes on the “Lagos” course contain water hazards but there are as many such holes on the “Alcornoques” nine so if golfers wish to avoid playing over and around water in an 18-hole round here, the lake-free “Pinos” will have to be played twice!
The original, uphill final “Alcornoques” hole has been shortened by over 150 yards from a rather unfair par five to a manageable par four (the 4th hole increasing by 25 yards to a par five to maintain a par of 36 for the nine holes) which is a far more satisfactory way to end a round now.
Manuel Piñero and his company Target Ingenieros were involved in a major renovation project at Almenara in 2021, repairing buggy paths, improving green surrounds, removing and reshaping bunkers, as well as cutting back trees.
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
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