Alcaidesa
Ocean views are in abundance at Alcaidesa Golf Resort which boasts 36 holes, 18 of which are perched on cliff tops overlooking the golden sands of the south coast of Spain. From numerous vantage points, you can enjoy breathtaking views over the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and, in the distance, Africa. My recommendation is to take a later tee time and enjoy the course coming to life in the magical warm colours of the sunset.
Alcaidesa is a good, honest seaside course, and yet it could have gone so easily wrong. Sandwiched between a large, sprawling property development and that fantastic coastline, the links could have been squeezed into the unusual topology like squeezing yourself into your favourite pair of trousers from 20 years ago. Thankfully sense prevailed.
You get the feeling the design team of Peter Ellis and Clive Clark were given scope to create a golf course in its own right, rather than trying to accommodate the numerous villas that no doubt were the impetus for the project. Care has been taken to route the course so sea views are on show from most of the compelling and unusual holes that make up this agreeable routing.
The iconic fifth, which looks down along the coastline to Gibraltar, teases you with a relatively simple downhill drive and then a tricky approach shot to the green which lies beyond a troublesome gorge. There is beauty and danger in equal abundance here.
The gentle breeze from the Alboran Sea cools you as you plot your way around the course making for a very pleasant afternoon of golf. My only niggle was the pointless marshals who seemed unable, or unwilling, to hasten some infuriatingly slow play from the group in front of us. Still, the inevitable waits did provide us with ample time to drink in the stunning views, which wasn’t so bad.
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