Mijas Golf (Los Lagos)

One of several Robert Trent Jones designs that are strung out along the Costa del Sol, Mijas is a marvelous golf complex offering two wonderfully contrasting 18-hole courses.

Los Lagos was first to open in 1976 and it is set in 150 acres of a gently undulating landscape with wide, open fairways, huge greens and several large lakes that feature at half the holes on the scorecard.

In contrast – and by way of complementing the Los Lagos layout – Los Olivos was opened in 1984 as a shorter, tighter 18-hole course routed over more hilly terrain. Cabell B. Robinson, an old associate of RTJ, remodeled the 18 holes during the 2000-1 season.

Los Lagos has many memorable holes and a contender for the best of these is the 617-yard, par five, stroke index 1, 5th where the fairway is restricted by a boundary wall all the way down the left. The hole narrows to a large waste bunker on the left at the landing area with water further along on the right, in advance of the offset green – risk/reward golf at its very best.