Lumine (Lakes) - Northern Spain - Spain

The Lakes course is a similar looking course to some of those in Dubai with plenty of bold bunkering that is very visual from the tee boxes. Around five years old now and this course hosted the European Tour’s second qualifying stage last year and is a technically sound set of holes and in my opinion will be liked by better golfers rather than higher handicappers. This is a very modern looking course, not much elevation change but with plenty of bunkers and water hazards to negotiate on most holes. The first hole that I like is the 5th, a short par-4 with lots of water on the left and ten bunkers up near the green with four positioned to protecting the big tee shot to the green. If I am honest, I prefer the back nine holes and the opening three of these are all par-4’s and great to play with the 12th being the pick; bunkers left and right at landing point and then the hole moves right and a difficult approach awaits; more water left and behind the green and a monster bunker (around 90 yards long) also down the left-side. The very next hole is another short par-4 and probably the best of its type on the course; six bunkers and water running the length being the biggest challenges plus a great shaped green with some obvious tricky pin position choices. The final hole is memorable; a tough par-5 that dog-legs left and yet again water and clever bunkering are the biggest problems on your way to hopefully signing for a well-earned par. I am sure there will be plenty of drama on the hole as the left edge of the green is un-believably close to the water. My overall thoughts of the Lakes course is that it can only get better as it looks a little young at the moment and as I said at the beginning better players may prefer the Lakes to the Lumine’s other course, the Hills – for me though, there is so much more fun to be had on the Hills.