Golf Course Review – Mar Menor
This golf course is located only 15 minutes drive from San Javier airport and the beaches of the Mar Menor and close to the small town of Torre Pacheco on land that was previously a fruit orchard and includes a nine hole golf course that was designed by Dave Thomas.
To find this course travelling on the AP7 motorway from the North (direction Cartagena) or from the South (direction Alicante) take exit 790 for Los Alcazares (centro) and follow the signposts for Torre Pacheco. Continue directly ahead on this road and over a few roundabouts and at the next roundabout turn right and follow the signs for the resort for which the entrance to the Resort is located on your left after approx 800 yards.
The clubhouse and pro-shop are incorporated as part of the large and impressive hotel building and as you would expect the facilities are excellent with large changing rooms, toilet and shower facilities and stud bar and access to the El Olivo and AQVA restaurants. There is an adequately stocked golf shop where you can hire buggies, electric trolleys and golf clubs. The practise facilities are good with a driving range and a practise putting green with tuition available from fully qualified golf coaches.
This course was originally opened as a 9 hole course designed by Dave Thomas later converted into an 18 hole course designed by the great Jack Nicklaus. The new holes were opened in 2009 and were easily integrated and combined with the existing holes resulting in a par 72 course of 5,801 metres (6,381 yards) which is relatively short by modern standards but with three lakes positioned on both ‘nines’ just to make things ‘interesting’. Without doubt this is an ideal resort or society golf course with an emphasis based on positioning the ball in the correct part of the fairway from the tee and then below the flags on the undulating greens. The four par 5 holes are reachable for the longer hitters with the 6th hole being the longest at 477 metres or 525 yards(yellow tees) and the par 3 holes are all medium to long in length with the 17th being the shortest at 140 metres or 154 yards (yellow tees).Some of the earlier holes can ‘lull’ you into a false sense of security but when you reach holes 13,14 and 15 all of which wrap themselves around a man made lake, you are quickly brought to your senses. In particular the 15th hole will test your patience as the small landing ‘areas’ from the tees are well guarded by sand bunkers with one in particular running almost the entire length of the hole on the left hand side right up to the green and you can play this hole in a number of ways by letting the ‘big dog’ eat or play two medium irons from tee and then to green. This course is relatively flat and is ‘walkable’ for those that consider themselves ‘fit’ and should be enjoyed by all standards of golfer.