Golf Torrequebrada

The 11th sets the tone at Golf Torrequebrada, with a tee shot that has to clear the lake before the hole rises to a broad green sloping sharply from back to front. José Pepe Gancedo’s 18-hole design runs to 6,399 yards from the back tees, but distance is only part of the examination. Doglegs, water and bunkers shape the decisions from the tee, while the large, rolling greens place a premium on leaving the ball below the hole. More than 100 tree varieties line the fairways, lending the course its distinctly subtropical character. The opening green, around 335 feet above sea level, is the high point of the round, while the seventh descends to roughly 52 feet and demands a lake carry on the approach.

There is plenty to hold the attention through the closing stretch. The 16th, stroke index 1, calls for an approach over water to a steep, undulating putting surface, a hole where a conservative target can be wiser than attacking a flag. Torrequebrada has hosted the Spanish Open, and Scotland’s David Law set the course record of 62 here during the 2015 Gecko Tour, evidence that good scoring is possible when the angles and green contours are read well. Before a round, the academy and practice area offer lessons, club fitting and maintained practice balls, useful for getting accustomed to the pace of the greens.

The bright clubhouse is a natural place to settle after 18 holes, with a pro shop and modern changing rooms offering lockers and storage for travelling golfers. Its bar restaurant opens from 8am throughout the year, serving breakfast, lunch, snacks and international à la carte dishes on a terrace looking across the Mediterranean and the 18th hole. A Buggy Bar and the halfway house at the 11th keep refreshments close at hand during the round. Málaga International Airport is around 20 minutes away by road, making Torrequebrada an easy first or final tee time on a Costa del Sol break.