Valderrama Golf Club

Real Club Valderrama

File:Real-Club-Valderrama.png Real Club Valderrama, Spain
Club information
Location	San Roque, Cádiz, Spain
Established	1974
Type	Private, with limited tee-times for visitors
Owned by	Club de Golf Valderrama, S.A.
Total holes	18
Tournaments hosted	Andalucia Masters (2010–2011); Volvo Masters (1988–96, 2002–08); Ryder Cup (1997); WGC-American Express Championship (1999–2000)
Website	www.valderrama.com
Designed by	Robert Trent Jones
Par	71
Length	6,390 m (6,990 yd)
Course rating	76.1
Slope rating	147

The Real Club Valderrama (Spanish: Real Club Valderrama) is one of the best known golf clubs in Europe. It is located in the resort of Sotogrande, San Roque in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, a few miles from Gibraltar, and has a single 18-hole course, along with a 9-hole par 3 course.

Valderrama was constructed in 1974 as "Sotogrande New," to the designs of leading American golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. Renamed "Las Aves" in 1981, it was acquired by Jaime Ortiz-Patiño in 1984. The golf course was redesigned and expanded by the original architect and became "Valderrama."

By 1999, Valderrama was rated the top course in mainland Europe by Golf World magazine.

The fourth hole, La Cascada, is the course's signature hole. It is a par 5 with a pond to the right of the two-tiered green. The practice ground was called the best in Europe by Nick Faldo.

The club's course was the traditional host of the now defunct Volvo Masters, hosting the event from 1988 to 2008, with a five-year break when the event was moved to the Montecastillo Golf Club.

Events staged

• Ladies Spanish Open: 1982
• Volvo Masters: 1988–1996; 2002–2008
• Ryder Cup: 1997 (the first ever held in Continental Europe)
• WGC-American Express Championship: 1999, 2000
• Andalucía Masters: 2010–2011

External links

• Official website