La Cala Golf Resort, Costa del Sol, Spain

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Rating: (2 reviews)
Opened: 1990
Holes: 54
Type: Parkland
Length: America 5987m; Asia 5925m; Europa 6014m
Par: America 72; Asia 72; Europa 71
SSS: America 73; Asia 71; Europa 72
Slope: 132
Green Fees: €59 - €72 dependent on season
Offers: Discounts available for villa & apartment owners plus multi-play discount tickets. Contact La Cala Golf Recervations (via website) for prevailing offers
Location: Malaga, Costa del Sol
Tel No: (34) 952 669000
Website: Visit Website

Summary:

La Cala Golf Resort was made for luxury golfing holidays. It boasts a five star hotel, hundreds of luxury golf villas and apartments for rental, a host of holiday leisure activities including Tennis, Squash, a Spa, Swimming Pools and a Football Academy. For the golfer La Cala Golf Resort has THREE 18-hole championship length golf courses (all designed by the renowned Cabell Robinson), a six-hole par 3 ‘executive’ course and the only David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Spain.

All three of the 18-hole courses at La Cala Golf Resort (Campo America, Campo Asia and Campo Europa) were designed by the renown American golf architect Cabell B. Robinson and all were constructed to the same high quality standard but they each offer a markedly different golfing experience.

Campo Asia (originally the South course) opened in 1989 as the first of the golf courses at La Cala Golf Resort. It is a tough course with variations in elevation and fairways with marked cross slopes and leading to relatively small, well protected greens. Some water in play (3rd & 4th hole). The Campo Aisa hosted the 18th PGA Spanish Pairs Championship in 2007.

Campo America (originally the North course) opened in 1990 as the second course at La Cala Golf Resort and has hosted the Ladies European Tour Q-school in 2005 and 2006. This course is longer than the Campo Asia with huge changes in fairway elevation (the first tee is set 100 feet above the fairway below) providing some fantastic views. The wide, tree lined fairways generally lead to raised, well protected greens. With water in play on several holes and no less than 5 Par 5 holes (including the 1st and the 18th) the Campo America will challenge the best.

Campo Europa, opened in 2005, is the third and newest of the La Cala Golf Courses. In contrast to the very hilly layout of both the America and Asia courses, this course has been laid out on (relatively) flatter land along and around the Ojen River (in play on 8 holes). Aside from the ridiculously tight 400 yard, Par 4, 4th hole it offers wide fairways and much larger greens than the America or Asia courses (although they are as well protected!). A particular feature is the Par 3 14th at a massive 256 yards off the back tee and the Par 5 11th which measures a similarly daunting 571 yards. The Europa course has been laid using Bermuda grass as a consequence it is not as susceptible to drying out as during the summer months as the America or Asia Courses (which were sown using native grasses). Having drawn much favorable comment from some top players Campo Europa is a fantastic addition to La Cal Golf Resort.

La Cala Golf Resort also plays host to the only David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Spain.

The Clubhouse and Pro Shop Complex offers everything you would expect from such a quality establishment and the large Clubhouse Terrace offers a great place to eat, drink and watch the golfers on the Asia Golf Course

Facilities:

5* hotel, golf villas & golf apartments for rental. Leisure activities including a Spa, Squash & Tennis courts, cycling areas and a football areana Golf Clubhouse with bar & full catering facilities plus large terrace overlooking the Asia Golf Course Golf Pro Shop with equipment hire. Golf Driving Range, Par 3 'executive course' and David Leadbetter Golf Academy

Golfer's Reviews of La Cala Golf Resort:

These reviews represent the personal view of the individual, not those of PackYourClubs.com

Average Rating

Number of Reviews: 2

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La Cala Golf Resort - Europa Golf Course, 13 Apr 2011, by Peter Connon, United Kingdom, Handicap: 18

Clubhouse/Hospitality

Quality of Course

Practice Facilities

Value for Money

Played the La Cala 'Europa' Course in April 2011 and thought the resort, clubhouse facilities and the course were all top notch (paid €59 per person plus €30 per buggy). Everyone was friendly and the Clubhouse is lovely with a huge terrace providing great views across part of the 'Asia' Golf Course and on down to the coast (about 3 miles away). Food and drink very good and reasonably priced. The 'Europa' Golf Course is the newest of the three golf courses at La Cala and it was billed as being flatter than the other courses. Not in my opinion (definitely get a buggy!!!). The Europa course has some fantastic holes but with lots of scrubland areas lining the fairways and the river in play on several holes you have to think about your shot more than on most courses (sometimes you are looking at a fairway which has the river gorge running down one side of the fairway and 'lost ball' written all over any shot that misses the other side of the fairway!). That said it's a beautifully designed course with meandering, well bunkered fairways leading to some huge, bunker protected greens (the greens were much bigger than the America course - I didn't play the Asia). Apparently the grass used is Bermuda Grass which means the course is much more resistant to dying out during the hot summer months (again apparently, the America & Asia course can sometimes look like they need a good watering during the summer months). My only criticism of teh Europa Golf Course would be the Par 4 4th hole is just too hard - you drive to a fairway which is 80-100 yards wide but has the river running straight down the left hand side and a brush covered hill running all down the right ('reload' was the frequent cry). Then when/if you've found the fairway your next shot is diagonally across the river to the green (lost two balls and gave up!). All in all: people friendly, clubhouse good, course well laid out, constructed to a very high standard and maintained to the same high standards but it is billed as an easier course than the America or Asia courses - have these people actually played the course????? Would I recommend it to a friend - definitely but only if their handicap was 18 or less.

La Cala Golf Resort - America Golf Course, 13 Apr 2011, by Peter Connon, United Kingdom, Handicap: 18

Clubhouse/Hospitality

Quality of Course

Practice Facilities

Value for Money

Played the La Cala America Course in April 2011 and thought the resort, clubhouse facilities and the course were all top notch (paid €59 per person plus €30 per buggy). La Cala, set in the hills behind fuengirolais, is a massive golf & holiday resort (offering Tennis, Squash, Spa treatments, Football, Cycling and on and on). Spread across 1,000 acres it's apparently now the largest golf resort in Spain (larger than La Manga) but the golf villas and golf accommodation at La Cala (unlike most resorts) are not lining the golf courses. As a consequence you get a lovely feeling of space when playing the course. Everyone was friendly and the Clubhouse is nice with a huge terrace providing great views down across part of the 'Asia' Golf Course and on down to the Mediterranean. Food and drink very good and reasonably priced (the only criticism would be that there is a green below the terrace but you have to look over the wall to watch the play - missed an opportunity there!). The 'America' Golf Course is perhaps best described as a high quality 'resort' course. It offers big wide fairways and raised, bunker protected greens. The layout makes fantastic use of the many elevation changes offering some fantastic views (the 1st is a fantastic hole where you tee off to big wide, tree lined fairway 100 ft below you...). All in all: people friendly, clubhouse good, course well laid out, well maintained and designed to offer (and succeeding) an enjoyable challenge to golfers with handicaps 2-24. Would I recommend it to a friend - definitely (I'll certainly be going back)