La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf

What's new in Alcaidesa Links? Read the interview with the director of Golf Operations of La Hacienda Alcaidesa to European Tour Destinations

What’s the vision behind the new Links course at La Hacienda Alcaidesa?

The Links course is the signature course, so we decided last March that it needed a completely drastic redirection and we have redesigned it with the help of Curtis Bowman, an American golf designer, and if Alcaidesa was before a well-known place for the spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar, and more, we want to reposition ourselves, that’s why we rebranded, because we have new ownership. Our goal is to position ourselves with our nearest neighbors, like Valderrama or Sotogrande La Reserva, so we believe that if we push each other and create something special at the same level destination, we are all going to do better. We thought that we have something really special to tell, some really amazing story, that’s why we are upgrading the golf course.

What makes it a different proposition from other courses in Costa del Sol?

It’s a throwback to California’s Links courses, such as Pebble Beach and Cypress Point. In fact, we have already been called many times the Spanish Pebble Beach, because of the location, the lighthouse, and all of this. We have entirely done the tees, bunkers, greens, moved a lot of the terrain to expose the course to the Mediterranean Sea and make it look more natural, and people can expect a really challenging course, especially on the greens, with spectacular views, of course, they’ve been always there, and as I said, like a really new concept of golf course in the area, pretty much unique in the south of Spain.

What impact will the new hotel and off-course facilities have on the resort?

I think the hotel is going to play a big part in our success, because we are not just a golf course, we’re creating a whole new destination, and this level of service as well as on the golf course and the quality of it needs to be matched with some hospitality hotel of high-end options too, at least at the same level. We don’t have many options around the area, at this level at the moment, and our president is a good expert on operating high-level hotels, and I think this is going to play a big role, people will want to come and stay, experience what we provide, not just the hotel, but the restaurants, sports centers, spa, beach club, like we say in Spain, “chiringuito”, which is a beach restaurant, and I think this is going to push us really high, so, as soon as we have the hotel up and running, it’s going to make a big impact and a big difference, I believe. read moreclose