La Reserva Club de Golf review

Sotogrande as a golfing destination is not a hard sell. Replete with excellent courses, this enclave of the Costa del Sol also tees up weather, the beach, cuisine and culture.

It’s also a short flight - roughly two hours - from the UK, served by Monarch when flying into Gibraltar - or Gib, as the locals call it.

Mention the region to golfers, and the first course to be mentioned is often world renowned former Ryder Cup venue Valderrama. But, La Reserva deserves to be mentioned in the same breath - as we had the pleasure to discover.

La Reserva only opened for play in 2004, and it utilises all the benefits that come with a new build. The facilities are what you would expect on the European and PGA Tour, and the chic clubhouse offers up excellent local and international cuisine to fuel your round.

Nestled high up in the trees, golfers are afforded stunning panoramas across the local area and out to the Mediterranean.

But don’t let the beauty fool you - La Reserva has sharp teeth. She’s long - very long. 7,400 yards from the tips to be exact.

While fairways are relatively wide (by European standards) players must often land on the correct side in order to thrive on their following shot.

Greens are large and undulating - avoid three putts and you have done well. While the putting surfaces are large and immaculate, they often slope away from the pin and the fringes are nasty.

On numerous occasions we found ourselves landing on the green but rolling off, leaving nerve jangling chips to save par.

You must be laser-like with your irons, and cultured with your putting should you want to card a decent score.

Water is scattered around the course, and the design offers up some tantalising risk and reward holes.

Whether to lay up or head over the water is the question posed on numerous occasions.

Verdict

For UK golfers, Sotogrande is easily accessible, and boasts excellent weather - time to find those golf shorts.

The course has paralysing vistas over the local area, and has excellent risk and reward holes thanks to carefully placed hazards. It's kept in perfect condition, with fast, true greens. 

La Reserva deserves to be thought of in Spain's top bracket of golf courses. 

Head to the La Reserva website for more information.