Club De Golf Valderama - Spain

Valderrama is the Crown jewel of golf ill Spain, and the top-ranked course in continental Europe. It is kicked away in a quieter corner of the Andalusian coast­to the west of the Costa del Sol and close to the Rock of Gibraltar-in the hills above Sotogrande with its swank marina. The patriarch and guiding force of Valderrama is Jaime Ortiz-Patino, heir to the Bolivian tin fortune, who has worked relentlessly to bring the course into the forefront of world golf While Valderrama's manicured fairways and pampered greens earn it comparisons to Augusta National, the abundant ancient cork oaks and flowering mimosa give it a distinctively Andalusian character. Two of the most memorable holes are the par-five fourth, with the green guarded by a waterfall, and the par-five 17th, where the sloped green fronted by the pond creates havoc for the pros. There is a good mix of short, tight par-fours and longer holes, and each of the four par threes is memorable. Valderrama was designed by Robert Trent Jones and originally known as Los Aves, before Patino and a few friends acquired the Course in 1985, and brought Jones back for further refinements. In 1997, Valderrama elevated Spanish golf to new heights when it became the first course in continental Europe to host the Ryder Cup, with the European team captained by Seve Ballesteros holding off the favored Americans to claim a one-point victory.

Torrequebrada - Spain

Torrequebrada is located in the heart of the Costa del Sol, between Benalmadena and Fuengirola. Designed by Spaniard Jose (Pepe) Gancedo, once described as the Picasso of golf course architects, the course opened in 1976 and quickly became one of the most popular of the 30 or so courses clustered around the jet-set playground of Marbella and Puerto Banus. The course is laid out in the billowing hills above the Mediterranean, with the fairways lined by palms and pines and over 100 species of trees. Gancedo is known for working with dramatic terrain and Torrequebrada is no exception. Water comes into play on nine of the holes, most notably on the 16th, where lakes have to be navigated on both the drive and the approach. Torrequebrada is the home course of European PGA Tour star and Ryder Cup veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez.