The definitive guide to
Calahonda & Riviera del Sol
Miraflores Golf
Hole Eight (277 metres par 4) ** Choice hole**
This is a good hole which needs thought through carefully. There is O.O.B and trouble all the way to the left. The fairway is narrow and yet it needs a driver to get up the hill to leave a shot to the green. To the right are trees and more trouble with red O.O.B. stakes, so a good tee shot is imperative and the fairway is a must. This achieved, a short iron to the green will leave one satisfied to have avoided the pitfalls of this hole. The view back to the tee with the mountains behind is superb.
Hole Ten. (272 metres par 4)
The tee shot on ten is blind, but a long iron or three wood to the left of the fairway is ideal, as the fairway cambers and will carry the ball round to the right. From here, a good short iron is needed to reach the green below one. The left side of the green is banked, which gathers up the slightly wayward approach, and leaves one a birdie chance. The only trouble on this hole is the O.O.B. to the right off the tee, but long and left is where you want to be.
Hole Twelve (477 metres par 5) ** Choice hole**
This is one of the best holes on the course. The tee is elevated and looks down over a narrow landing area, with the clubhouse to the right and the Monte apartments up on the hill. To the left is la Rinconada luxury apartments and most of the remaining holes in view. In front and in range of the driver is a lake with a large fountain in the centre of the fairway. An n accurate tee shot is needed, ideally just short of the lake. This will set up a long iron or fairway wood to the green which gives a chance of a birdie put. It is at the twelfth that the course changes into a pretty, spacious course, and leaves behind it the tight dogleg holes that are commonplace on the outward nine holes.
Miraflores Golf Club
Ctra.de Cadiz
29647 Mijas Costa
Malaga
Spain
Telephone 95 293 1960
Fax 95 293 1942
Overview.
The Miraflores Golf Course, Calahonda is short by modern standards, measuring 2632 metres on the front nine, and 2356 metres on the back nine holes, giving a total of 4988 metres off the yellow tees. The length from the competition tees is still only 5113 metres.
Calahonda is a family course; ideally suited to holiday makers and mid to high handicap golfers. It is also suited to Lady Golfers who tend to hit the ball less far, but straighter than their male counterparts. I would also recommend it as a course to play with youngsters, as it is not long but is friendly and accommodating to all ages. Despite these comments, men should be not be put off as there are plenty of challenging holes, and keeping the ball straight, on what is a tight course is always at a premium. The driver can be used on many holes to great effect, providing the ball is kept straight. Effective use of the driver on many holes, particularly when cutting dog-legs will produce many birdie and eagle opportunities.
The course was designed by Falco Nardi and opened in 1990. It is situated behind Miraflores Family Resort, one of the coast’s favourite family holiday resorts, and is only two minutes from the N340 coast road. It is a course designed around the natural valleys of the area, and as a result there are some hills and undulations to encounter, but there are also some lovely views from high up on the course. The course is not the longest on the Costa del Sol, but in terms of value for money it is a good bet, with the green fees competitively priced.
At Calahonda, Miraflores Golf Club also offers a golfing academy, practice area, putting green, spikes bar and excellent restaurant with good quality, reasonably priced food.
Prices in Calahonda are competitive and are much better than many other courses on the coast. A green fee is €36.50 for 18 holes with a buggy an additional €36.10. There is an excellent twilight ticket, available after 1700 hrs in the summer, where a full round will only cost €28.00 per round! I would opt for the twilight package if playing with someone else at € 83.00 for two green fees, including electric buggy.
The Front Nine.
The front nine holes have a number of good dog legs, including the second, third, sixth, and ninth. The safe scoring option is to hit a long iron for position off the tee, or a fairway wood, but the aggressive golfer can cut off doglegs on most occasions with the driver, leaving only a sand wedge, or short approach to the flag. A good driver of the ball will leave himself numerous birdie and eagle putts.
Throughout the front nine, out of bounds is to the right and left of the fairways on holes one, two, five, and eight, with OOB on all the other holes to one side.
Hole One. (250 metres par 4)
A straight long iron shot will leave an approach with a nine or eight iron to the green. The only danger off the tee lies to right out of bounds. Any shot hooked left is likely to be caught in the high netting and returned into play.
Hole Two (407 metres par 5))
The safe tee shot is a long iron or fairway wood to the dogleg, but a well struck driver over the trees on the left of the dogleg, leave a four or five iron to the green, setting up a possible eagle putt. You have to go with the driver on this hole as the landing area is generous, and there is no punitive rough of bushes to catch you out.
Hole Five (285 metres par 4)
The fifth hole runs north, and requires a tee shot over a small lake, which in the height of the summer can exude some pungent odours! There is OOB on both right and left, so a long iron for position might be a safe option here, leaving a mid iron to the green, but beware the water that guards the rear of the green. Strangely this green has no bunkers, so it is possible to “run one” onto the front to stay out of the water.
Hole Three (345 metres par 4)
An iron or wood hit to the right of the fairway will set up a good approach angle, needing a seven or eight iron to this green. The greens hold well so a longer iron should stop on the putting surface.
Hole Four (181 metres par 3)
A solid iron shot is required, and pullers and hookers need to avoid the left side, which is out of bounds all the way to the green. There are a number of thatched apartments behind this hole, and behind these is Miraflores altos with superb views down over the sea.
Hole Nine (299 metres par 4)
Another dog leg with trees lining the left of the fairway. A long iron is needed to reach the corner, or for those brave enough, a big driver, cutting off the corner will get your ball to the green or failing that into the greenside bunker. At 299 yards, the driver over the corner is possible but is not for the faint hearted.
Hole Six (453 metres par 5) **Choice hole**
The fairway goes left and then snakes it way right, with the green very sharply to the left at almost 90 degrees for the approach. Out of bounds is to the right and left off the tee, and the fairway is narrow right up to the dogleg at around 380 yards. A safe tee shot might be 3 wood or long iron but position to the left is critical, opening up the fairway to the right for the second shot. This is a blind second, but this executed, a wedge will see you on the green which hides round to the left. This is one of the best holes on the front nine and needs careful thought
Hole Seven (135 metres par 3)
This is a straight forward par 3 to a slightly elevated green. Choose your club and strike it solidly, but do not be short or too long or it run off the back, requiring a chip back onto the green.
The Back Nine.
The back nine at Miraflores Golf Course is quite simply much nicer than the front! There are fewer apartments lining the fairways, and the holes are better. The whole experience changes and it opens up more and creates a feeling of space, instead of these tight, dog legs that are prominent in the front nine. The apartment blocks are fewer, and those that exist are pleasant and well positioned, like La Rinconada, a block of luxury apartments overlooking the twelve hole; one of the best on the course with a fairway fountain and lake and palm trees.
More thought seems to have gone into the back nine holes, and the length of hole improves – the par 5 12th hole, a lovely par 5 14th hole and the par 3 16th surrounded entirely by water, with its white wooden bridge, all make for a more enjoyable experience. Let’s have a look, hole by hole.
Hole eleven. (108 metres par3)
A tee shot to a highly elevated green. The green is therefore blind, so choose enough club, particularly as there is a large bunker protecting the green to the front and gathering up anything short. Choose your club and then take one more. To the rear are a few trees, and plenty of grass to work with, so opt for long, not short on this hole..
Hole Thirteen (129 metres par 3)
This is a relatively simple looking par three, which from the tee looks further then 129 yards, and I would suggest needs more club. The striking feature of this hole is that the green is extremely narrow and long, giving a very small landing area. Behind the green is a wall with shrubs and bushes which is out of bounds. I believe this hole is playing longer, and is dubious about the distance provided on the tee to green distance guide..
Hole Fourteen (414 metres par 4) ** Choice hole**
Fourteen is a good golf hole and requires two hefty blows. From the tee the options are a long iron to the dogleg left, or a driver over the corner, however there are apartments and an extensive O.O.B all the way left so this is high risk. From the bunker, the second shot is glorious and requires a perfect three or four iron to reach the green. This is a classic par four and one of the best holes on the course, challenging even the low handicappers.
Hole Fifteen (120 metres par 3) ** Choice hole**
A great little par 3. The green is completely surrounded by water and therefore requires an accurate short iron. The ball can easily run off a well placed tee shot and end up in the moat at the back. A high shot, or a shot with spin is required to keep the ball on the putting surface. This is a picturesque hole and simply great fun.
Hole Sixteen (291 metres par 4)
The tee shot need only be a good straight long iron, avoiding the O.O.B. on both sides of the fairway. The approach shot to a green on the right, is straightforward, and providing the tee shot is in position, there should be no problem in hitting this green in regulation
Hole Seventeen. (307 metres par 4)
The ideal tee shot is a driver straight down the middle, short of the hazard. The approach is to an elevated green, with La Rinconada apartments straight ahead, and the Monte apartments up on the hill to your left. The approach shot is not difficult, but this hole needs two stright hits to keep out of trouble.
Hole Eighteen (238 metres par 4)
The finishing hole is blind from the tee. There is an option to go for the green in one, and it is reachable with a perfect drive, however the green is protected at the front, so the logic is questionable. The best approach is a good driver, with a bit of fade leaving a sand wedge to a large sloping green. This is not a difficult finishing hole, and at stroke index 14, allows a good chance of a par or better finish.
Useful Contacts
Local accommodation in Miraflores
www.miraflorescosta.com
0034 667758384
0034 666482560
Reservations Miraflores Golf
Tel (34) 952931960
Fax (34) 952 93 19 42
Golf Academy
Tel (34) 952 93 93 81
Fax (34) 952 93 95 21
golf@sunshinegolf.com
La Cala De Mijas Tourist Information
www.CalaDeMijas.com
Restaurants Bars
Miraflores Club
Tel (34) 952 93 29 41
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Directions to Miraflores Golf
Take the Riviera exit from the coast road and go along the slip road parallel to the N340 and turn left turn into the main Miraflores resort. Head up the hill past the Miraflores main clubhouse, and the Jardin and Pueblo apartments on your right. Alternatively you can take the road uphill directly by the Opencor supermarket. At the top the road forks left by the Monte block of holiday apartments; continue past these and take the next sharp right. Go over half a dozen speed bumps and after two hundred yards, take a left into C/Manuel Pinero and keep going. You will pass La Rinconada apartments on your left, but keep going which brings you out into the Golf Club car park, with the white clubhouse with bell tower directly in front of you. For those wishing to have a golfing holiday and seeking accomodation, a choice of twenty apartments from studios to three beds are available at low cost for golfers through Miraflorescosta. Apartments can be booked at www.miraflorescosta.com.
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