Valle del Este Golf, Almeria Spain

An oasis in the middle of the desert

Go back a decade and imagine a desert scrubland with a small white cortijo sitting in its midst surrounded by a few goatherds and the odd almond tree. Picture the local colours of yellow soil, crimson rocks, black granite and burnt orange sandstone sitting in the gentle contours of the land. Olive and carob trees dot the countryside as rabbits rush around, perhaps fleeing the odd pot shot from a local hunter.

Press the fast forward button and bring yourself to 2007: similar colours, still much the same landscape with the same ancient olives and carobs.

Probably not the same rabbits, but definitely their descendents and plenty of them.

But look closely and in between the shrubs and trees, are tees and fairways. The cortijo is no longer here – the typically Andalusian farmhouse has been replaced by local ‘Indalo’ architecture in the form of a four-star hotel and discreetly-placed residential areas, all part of Valle Del Este Golf Resort, situated near Vera.

Spectacular, challenging!

The two words heard most by people having finished their first round at Valle del Este Golf Resort. Designer Jose Canales, has managed to create a golf-course that is already considered one of the top new courses in Europe.

Is it a difficult course? With ample fairways, large receptive greens and measuring only 6300 yards of the back-tees and par 71, it should not be. Yet, somehow the course manages to extract every bit of skill from even the most seasoned of golf-pro, without ever becoming unfair for the beginning golfer.

Desert surroundings with the occasional view of the Mediterranean, rolling hills and steep cliffs make it visually spectacular. Its small round tee-boxes, as many as six on some holes, provide daunting looking carries. However, because most tee-shots are downhill, they seem much tougher on the eye that on the swing.

The fairways wind their way through a landscape that rivals some of Arizona’s best desert style courses. Cacti, large boulders and the occasional water-hazard only punish the severest of misses.

The greens, both very fast and true, due to their size, offer a large variety of pin-placements, on some holes up to a 4 club difference.

At par 71, the three par 5’s are all reachable with two good hits by tour-pro’s, but when you gamble and miss, you will pay the price. For the beginner, spectacular as they may look, they can be managed without difficulty by 3 or 4 more conservative shots.

The par 3’s, two of them uphill, are all completely different. Number 2, a long uphill hole with a large green requires a well struck long iron or fairway wood. Holes 6 and 14 can be reached with a mid-iron, and even a missed shot still leaves an opportunity for an up and down.

Valle del Este’s signature hole 12 however, does not. Certainly length is not a problem at only 174 yards of the back-tees. The dried riverbed of the river Nuño is. Many a golfer will wish to return to the driving-range before teeing of on this hole to get another 50 practice shots in. Short means reload, long, two small bunkers wait.

This hole, simply one of the best par 3’s in Spain.

No 470 yard uphill par fours on this course. They require brain not brawn. Placement of the tee means everything and very often, the less aggressive tee-shot gets rewarded.

On hole number 3, the player is forced to take a gamble. The further left the tee-shot the easier the shot into the green, but this means flirting with the out of bounds that runs down the entire left side of this 390 yard hole. Play it safe and to the right and you are forced with a large lake that encroaches into the fairway and the right side of the green. From here, nothing but a career-shot will find the green.

Maintained to the highest standards, together with the regions famed climate, they make Valle del Este a golf-course that can be played all year round, making it an unforgettable experience.

Beginners can take classes in the Golf School and practice on the driving range and all golfers can make the most of the Club House and Pro Shop. One of the main advantages of this unique course are considerably lower green fees – €72 for 18-holes – than the neighbouring Costa del Sol, but with the same quality of services.

Valle Del Este hotel sits at the north end of the golf course – all rooms overlook the fairways – and its design in various shades of ochre too blends in with surroundings.

The style is reminiscent of Spanish colonial architecture with influence from local ‘Indalo’ features – cube shapes and flat roofs. Inside, the overall sensation is of space and light, accentuated by the high ceilings and minimalist décor.

The four-star hotel offers a total of 142 rooms including six suites, 11 conference rooms of varying capacity and a purpose-built gym and spa offering a range of treatments. The hotel’s restaurant provides buffet-style meals with Lighter meals available from the pool grill house. Parents in need of a break can take advantage of the Children’s Club.

For those who prefer a more leisurely pace, the sauna and Spa guarantee a relaxing experience.

And to make the most of Vera’s nationally famous sandy beaches, there’s a Beach club situated on the nearby ‘El Playazo’ beach (free transport is provided for guests during July and August) and offering two restaurants. The Commercial Centre adjacent to the hotel offers guests a range of services such as a supermarket, shops, estate agents, bars and restaurants.