Lerma

Quality golf courses are pretty thin on the ground in the north west of Spain, though there are three good layouts around the city of Burgos – Riocerezo on the north side, Valdorros and Lerma to the south of the city centre.

Lerma is by far the best of these courses and it is the creation of Spanish architect, José Gancedo. Having worked his considerable golfing magic on other courses like Costa Dorada in 1982, Canyamel in 1987 and Monte Mayor in 1989, he completed the design of the charming Lerma layout in 1992.

Gancedo made good use of the natural Castellan terrain to fashion 18-holes in total sympathy with their surroundings – fairways are wide, bunkers are intelligently positioned and greens are sensibly proportioned with relatively flat putting surfaces.

Configured in classic fashion with two par fives, two par threes and five par fours on both the outward and inward nines, this parkland course is sheltered on many holes as it is bounded by a forest to the north and south of the property.

Water plays a part on the front nine with ponds between the fairways on holes 2 and 8 and in front of the greens on holes 7 and 9. On the back nine, a stream meanders across the 10th, 11th and 15th fairways before it forms a pond that must be carried in front of the short par four, left doglegged, 18th – a great closing hole that will test your nerve at the end of a round.