La Cala (America) - Southern Spain - Spain

I’d last visited La Cala 15 years ago and was interested to see if I’d still enjoy it again as a much better player. To a degree yes, for me the America course is the best of the 3 offering a better variety of holes and routing but it’s definitely holiday golf. It does ask some tough questions from the tee, get it right and the fairways are cleverly designed to flatter good drives, miss them and you end getting properly punished. Most of the hazards are red staked so it’s designed not to be too penal for higher handicappers, same goes for the greens, while they are often elevated the ground behind is raised so it pays to be a little longer with approach shots and you’ll rewarded with the ball rolling back onto the green more often than not. They keep them at moderate speed and had decent roll when I played, most were fairly flat.

The terrain is fairly extreme and a buggy is essential, I’m not even sure you’re allowed to play without one. Standout holes for me were the long par 3 11th, very much different to the other one shotters, can be anything from a 5 iron to a 3 wood depending on conditions, anything right will end up way below on the 10th fairway. The par 5 9th and 18th were a blast, not serious holes but fun to hit downhill drives 300+ yards and hit a mid iron 2nd shot to the green.

For me generally a fun course which can put a smile on you face at times but also offers a decent challenge for the better golfer.

The America course is the top pick out of the three courses on site here. La Cala Golf Club is the largest golf resort in Spain. In addition to the three championship 18-hole course here, there is a 6-hole part three practice course, Golf Academy and a 107-room hotel on site.

There are many changes in elevation on the hilly, par 72, America course with many of the greens raised above the fairways. Strategic bunkering and snaking fairways lead to a tough test, especially from the tips.

Penalty for a missed drive is usually a lost ball. The spectacular backdrop of the Mijas mountains is no aid to concentration. But if you can forget your score, this is a seriously exciting place to play golf.

The course was fun, absolutely. But, for me it doesn’t compare to the other courses in the region. Its lesser known neighbour, Santana is much better and you can absolutely expect a greater customer experience.

Decent golf course with elevation differences that are hard to match. There is not a single hole that is level which makes it very hard for club selection, the tee boxes are tough as the fairways are hard to hit and narrow. I had eagel attempts on 9 and 18 which are par 5s major downhill holes, never played anything like it.

The facility is great and nothing spectacular, bad thing is that you cant walk the course, just to hilly. A nice course to play and in good shape for the price.

Was played at middle of February 2020 in La Cala (America) and was really satisfied. First of all very acceptable price for green fee with buggy (it is advisable to take). Price was unbeatable and the best in area. This par 72 spectacular golf course is one of three courses in La Cala golf resort and the best (my opinion), perhaps more difficult than the shorter Asia or Europe. Concerning architecture and picturesque this golf course is very nice and not boring with attractive view. In general condition of fields and surroundings were average, but fairways playable, greens could be faster. Golf course is not very challenging, but concerning small green you must be very careful to atack pin from every distance. All you need is accuracy and bit distance from tee. For long hitters mostly par 5 greens are reachable by two. There are water hazards on the 9th and 16th. My opinion these holes are most interesting in course. There is not very much hazards at all and only hilly landscape could be the biggest challenge regarding blind shots or wrong choose approach distance. Concerning picturable views is very pleasant to play here. Game success depends on wind more than hazards. Cozy clubhouse and restaurant, very pleasant staff (the field was very busy but they did their best). As was mentioned buggy is recommended. I‘m not old man and can walk a lot, but quality of game will be very average I guess. Value for price I found very high.

No doubt every golf course rating is always a subject with a lot of subjectivity, depending on various criteria. I always rating by the following criteria: course complexity or challenging, fields condition (especially greens & fairways), service (only what you can get: buggie, club rent, condition of clubs, the amount of choice and etc. except staff and other subjective things that depends on your or staff mood), surrounding views or pleasure to the eyes and definitely value for the price. All criteries will be rating from 1 to 5 stars. Concerning La Cala (America) golf course my personal opinion is follow:

1. Challenging - 4*

2. Condition - 3* (could be better)

3. Service - 5*

4. Surroundings - 5*

5. Value for the price - 5*

I‘ll back here to play again.

Played this course about a week ago for the first time. I would say it’s a decent resort course with some fun and quirky holes. Probably best described as penal architecture for a resort course some of the pin placements were rather extraordinary. The greens among the smallest I’ve ever seen.

A good example was on the par 5, 6th hole playing at 469 meters. A visually tight drive where right is lost ball territory and left there is space but that leaves a more challenging second shot often from a steep sidehill lie. A strong drive taking on the right hand side bunker catches a speed slot and leave a mid to long iron into the green. However, the green is about 100ft straight up a very steep hill. The likes of which I can’t remember seeing on a course before. I played it as a 3-shot hole and was left with a full wedge but literally straight up. When I arrived at the green I found the pin which was placed hard left to be on a sort of inlet to the green that was literally 3.5 paces wide and playing horizontal to the angle of play.

Given there are five par 5’s on this course there are plenty of opportunities for birdie or even better. There are also several highly elevated tee shots where you can literally go for broke. I imagine most golfers like to feel they have launched one off the tee and there is plenty of opportunity for that at La Cala.

The maintenance was good and the course was playing firm and fast. I’d recommend taking a cart due to all the uphill climbs and a few long hauls between greens and the next tee plus the fact that it’s rather warm there.

In terrible condition. Had high hopes after previous reviews and conditioning on the Europa looked fine. Sadly we were faced with 3 ladies 4 balls in front of us who refused to let a 3 ball with a PGA pro through and continued to putt out on the worst greens I have seen on the costa. Drove off after 3 holes and went to play Alferini instead. Very busy with lots of society hackers so be warned.

A nice course although very hilly! This is a tough course for it's length with plenty of opportunity to knock a ball over a cliff.I have played this a number of times but with all the La Cala course it depends on when you play as the course can be packed and 5 1/2 hour rounds are common, if you can play outside of peak time it is more enjoyable.

I played the Campo America course in May 2012 and enjoyed it so much that I will be playing it again this October. As a 13 handicap player I wished for a test that wasn't too unfair, yet not too easy and I got that at this course. The views from some of the tee boxes are spectacular, especially 'The Cliff' driving tee on the first and dogleg left downhill last par 5 on the course. The fairways and greens were in excellent condition indeed, and I had arrived just 3 days after a week of flooding in the area - conversely this meant we couldn't take the buggies on the fairways - which made for a tough old slog! I would have to agree with previous assertions that there were a few bad bounces here and there which will ruin a round if you let it, though like any course you are unlikely to fall into the same trap a second time. I also played El Chapparal on this trip and I can say that this course was on a completely different level to the poorly manicured course I just named. All in all a very lovely course that will cater well for the 8+ handicapper, though might not be challenging enough for the low end of the scale.

After a pretty gentle start featuring the opportunity to hit your opening drive off of a cliff, the course really gets going on the 4th, a par three surrounded by trouble. Off to your right you see the latest Robinson Course to be added to this exciting destination, the Europa. In My opinion it is the best course on the complex by far and it is the hardest. Choose your tee box very carefully. The Europa will soon usurp the Americas as the preeminent course on the property I reckon. It is the best of the three and I am sure it will feature in the rankings here next time they are re ranked. The fourth is one of the best par 4's you will ever play and there are classic golf holes one after another. The par 3 14th is a barnstormer followed by the brutal par 5 15th. the 12th and 13th are very attractive par 4's that are nothing short of very challenging. It is a must play for the accomplished golfer and is more consistently balanced than the other 2. It flows really well. Now, Back to the Americas. It plays over extreme terrain that leaves little room for mistakes and calls for precise shotmaking or you will be reaching for another ball. The holes are varied and inviting with greens that are beautifully maintained. What strikes you here is the undulations and the clever routing making the most of the dramatic terrain. JCB LAY

I played all three courses in January. I only paid 200 euros to play as much as I wanted in a week. And that included a golfcar(a must on this courses) It had rained quite a bit so the courses were wet, but the courses were still in good condition. The greens were maybe 9-10 on the stimp.I think America is the lightest of the three courses. The course is not long, but the green are quite small and requires a great second shoot. I liked the 1,9,16 and 18. Large differences in height and beautiful views. A must when you are on costa del sol.