La Canada - Southern Spain - Spain

La Cañada is one of those nice surprises you find out once you go play it. We have been working with them for some years but although I was able to scout many courses in the area the time for La Cañada had not come yet until yesterday after a casual 9 holes round at Valderrama.

After having come over 10 times to the destination and being it my permanent home since early December, I expected on of those technical narrow courses where almost any lateral miss is a lost ball but I was surprised to find out that a wayward miss may be a lost ball but usually one side allows a bad shot and in some holes there is room on both sides where to miss and not lose the ball.

It has a very nice Club House with a terrace facing the Driving Range, one of the few regrets is not to have a view of any of the two finishing holes (9-18) but it is just a detail. A simple and comfortable building, a nice bar, a very good proshop and excellent service at a course where the equation cost/quality is pretty good!

Course was in very good shape although we are already in winter and bent grass greens rolling perfect at a very decent speed. Distance is not a factor but in some holes tee shot needs to be other than the driver. They were doing an upgrade in the bunkers with that silicon black product under the sand which will prevent muddy surfaces and water on them, despite not the biggest budget and in a tough year they committed to improving the course which is excellent.

It has some fantastic views when you play from up the hill in the sea direction, with some shots making the ball flight be very long in the air like 13-16-18.

Some Holes to highlight:

- 1st a short 4 dogleg left and down the hill where tee shot is wide open until 220yds, then a short approach to a right to left sloped green.

- 5th a 90º dog leg left par 5 where everything longer than 280yds is trouble and the fairway rolls downhill and then a severe left to right sloping green.

- 7th a short 4 with a layup tee shot of not more than 230yds but very downhill plus a dramatic carry for the 150yds approach over a cliff.

- 13th a great downhill 5 facing the Ocean where anything long of the green will be wet.

- 16th another short 4 but you can hit driver as there is space for taking some risk.

- 17th is great but I have one regret here … some plants hide the water and green surface, I would cut them to show the beauty of this shallow green where putts over the hole can be lightning fast.

- 18th is great, on late afternoons sun will be at the end of the ocean and you can chose the direction of the carry, straight to the green is over 200yds.

Greens design is quite interesting, with not so small size and where slopes and ridges are gentle but will challenge you if putting from the incorrect spot.

I feel that when the bunker work is complete and during spring this course will be a complete blast to return. Would like to play with some wind, challenge must be quite hard on that day!

This is a good track for what you pay; and is generally cheaper than many of the other courses in the area. Good practice facilities to warm up with, understated clubhouse that perhaps doesn't take the usual advantage of may Spanish courses in terms of being able to view your groups coming down the 18th - which is a great teeing off hole over the chasm. its a very fair course and if you're playing well you can make a score around here. there's a couple of silly holes on the back nine (Par 5 13th) but some tough ones too (12th and 14th). it can be a little scraggy in parts but perhaps its the usage it gets, so perhaps not quite as manicured as some of the private courses nearby ..... a good add on course though if you're heading out on a golf trip to the area.

this is as good a "true" public course as you will find (i don't think Pebble Beach for example is really a public course). the new nine doesn't quite mesh with the back 9 and the new 9 has some very good holes - the 7th for example is a very very good hole. a good value round - not a must play but certainly worth an outing if you have time.