Finca Cortesin Golf Club

With more than 50 golf courses on the Spanish Costa del Sol any additional layouts need to be very special to succeed in this market. The course at Finca Cortesin Golf Club opened for play in early 2007 and has already received promising accolades attracting the serious golfing aficionado.

Finca Cortesin is set a short distance inland from the Mediterranean Sea and is routed through a dramatic valley. Cabell Robinson designed the course, which is one of Europe’s longest layouts measuring almost 7,000 metres from the tips. Robinson’s vision was to create a golf course where “no hole has less than championship quality”. This vision is rapidly turning into a reality.

The absence of property development around the course provides a welcome change and with so many great holes at Finca it’s really difficult to pick out the best. However, a few holes deserve special mention and the 3rd is a delightful par five with an approach over water. The 10th, a long down-hill par three, has far-reaching views of the Estepona Mountains and then straight after is the 11th, a long double doglegged par five which is a great test and thrilling to play.

Probably the pick of the holes at Finca Cortesin is the par four 13th, driving to a wide fairway with a water hazard cutting across the hole. The approach shot to the green then crosses water again as the same creek now runs diagonally across the front of the green. The pleasing greensite is also bunkered left and right and surrounded by trees.

Finca’s practice facilities are based around the ‘Jack Nicklaus Academy’ which include revolutionary methods based around swing characteristics of the student. Clearly Finca Cortesin is already an excellent facility, but couple this with a relaxed atmosphere and excellent customer service and you have a truly memorable experience. The new five star hotel and spa opened in 2008 placing Finca Cortesin firmly on the world’s golfing map.

Finca Cortesin Golf Club is now well and truly on the world stage. In June 2008, it was announced that the World Match Play, usually held on the West course at Wentworth in Surrey, was to move to Finca Cortesin as part of a raft of changes to the competition. Click here for more. England’s Ross Fisher claimed the 2009 World Match Play Championship title by defeating America’s Anthony Kim 4&3.

After a one-year break, the World Match Play Championship returned to Finca Cortesin in 2011. Ian Poulter claimed the title, beating fellow Englishman Luke Donald 2&1 in the final. The following year, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts beat Graeme McDowell on the final hole to claim the World Match Play title.

In 2018, Finca Cortesin became the first Spanish course to relay all its greens with environmentally friendly Ultra Dwarf MiniVerde Bermuda grass. The facility also reconstructed all its bunkers using the ‘Better Billy Bunker’ system.