THE COURSE
Los Arqueros Golf 1rst Golf Course on the Costa del Sol designed by Seve Ballesteros.
Los Arqueros Golf & Country Club welcomes you to its magnificent 18 hole, par 71 course designed in 1991 by the
legendary Severiano Ballesteros.
The course is ideally situated close to the beautiful mountain village of Benahavis, renowned as the restaurant capital of the Costa Del Sol, and to Marbella, the centre of international tourism in Spain.
The golf course, although only 5,700 metres, was designed to challenge the experienced golfer and to test the resolve of those golfers fairly new to the game.
The course follows the contours of the terrain and blends harmoniously with the natural surroundings on Costa del Sol. This provides its own challenge with many water features and some tight narrow fairways to negotiate, but, if you forego distance for accuracy, you will be
rewarded with plenty of birdie opportunities.
The signature holes are the magnificent par 5 – 13th and the challenging par 4 – 12th. Both holes play from elevated tees with hazards left and right. The tee shot on 13 requires both accuracy and distance and the tee shot on 12 requires accuracy over distance. To calm
you down the mountain views over the Mediterranean Sea, they are one of the most spectacular ones that can be seen on the Costa del Sol!
To get you in to the right frame of mind for the challenges ahead, Los Arqueros Golf provides an extensive practice area including driving range, putting greens, chipping green and practice bunkers.
HOLE BY HOLE
Los Arqueros Golf 1rst Golf Course on the Costa del Sol designed by Seve Ballesteros.
The Course
Hole 1 – Par 4 – 347M
Narrow hole with a hazard to the right and an out-of-bounds to the left, difficult split-level green.
Tip: Use a long iron or a hybrid club and you will see a different hole.
Hole 2 – Par 3 – 156M
Spectacular hole thanks to its links-style bunkers.
Tip: Aim for the left side of the green.
Hole 3 – Par 4 – 361M
Magnificent hole with a large lake and a high green.
Tip: Place your drive to the right of the fairway to avoid difficulties, shot to green plays longer.
Hole 4 – Par 4 – 311M
Short and simple dog-leg, although the green is small and protected by a carob tree. Out of bounds left side of the fairway.
Tip: tee off with a 3-wood down the right-hand side of the fairway.
Hole 5 – Par 3 – 154M
Similar to hole 2 but uphill, protected by two tricky bunkers. Split-level green.
Tip: Avoid the bunker on the left-hand side.
Hole 6 – Par 5 – 519M
This is where our own particular Amen Corner begins. It is a very long, narrow hole with a hazard on both sides of the fairway and back of green. Tricky egg-shaped green.
Tip: Make the most of your driver and 3-wood.
Hole 7 – Par 4 – 304M
Second hole of our Amen Corner. The fairway is no more than thirty metres wide, hazards both sides of fairway and leads to a narrow, well-protected green.
Tip: As this is not a long hole, tee off with a 5-iron or 6-iron.
Hole 8 – Par 5 – 480M
This is the easiest of the three holes, although the first two shots are quite tricky. Hazard right to the fairway. If playing second shot over water hazard beware of out of bounds on the right.
Tip: High handicaps should tee off with a 3-wood, followed by a short second shot in front of the stream.
Hole 9 – Par 4 – 283M
The easiest hole on this side of the course, although the green has three distinct levels, out of bounds left and hazard right.
Tip: Tee off with a 3-wood, second shot plays longer.
Hole 10 – Par 4 – 330M
Guitar-shaped hole with a hazard to the leftand an out-of-bounds to the right of the tee. Complicated, split-level green.
Tip: Tee off with iron or a hybrid for safety.
Hole 11 – Par 3 – 144M
Straightforward hole, although difficult green. Out of bounds to the right.
Tip: Tee off with a club that is one or two numbers higher than your first choice.
Hole 12 – Par 4 – 320M
Nice views and surroundings, hazards left and right and back of green. Out of bounds to the right.
Tip: tee off with a 3-wood, short of green is better than being long.
Hole 13 – Par 5 – 458M
Magnificent view of “MARE NOSTRUM”. On clear days you can see the coast of Africa and the Atlas mountain range. Hazards left and right.
Tip: Make the most of your drive followed by a second shot towards the left bunkers. Very difficult green to hit in two shots. If you are a low handicap, you can risk it and go for the green in two.
Hole 14 – Par 4 – 289M
Short, easy hole that can be birdied by the average golfer. Hazard to the right.
Tip: You can use your driver but aim to the left-hand side.
Hole 15 – Par 4 – 376M
Another excellent hole with a slight dog-leg to the left and a tricky green. Out of bounds to the right and back of green.
Tip: Use your driver and approach the green from the right.
Hole 16 – Par 3 – 150M
Nice hole surrounded by water and bunkers. Out of bounds right and back of green.
Tip: Mid-to-high handicaps should target the right of the green.
Hole 17 – Par 4 – 350M
Wide hole from tee, out of bounds right. Second shot uphill and split-level green.
Tip: Drive down the left-hand side and select a club that is one number higher than your first choice for the second shot.
Hole 18 – Par 4 – 335M
A wide, short par four to finish. The green is the biggest on the course with split level. Out of bounds right of fairway.
Tip: Drive down the left-hand side of the fairway to ensure an easier second shot uphill.
OUR SLOPE
Los Arqueros Golf History
The underlying idea in the design of Los Arqueros was to create a course which followed the lie of the land and blended harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Seve took this philosophy to heart when designing the course, and each hole has its own particular personality. The result is a challenging course for the experienced player and a genuine test for those who are new to the game.
Los Arqueros Golf, a challenging 18 hole, par 71, inaugurated in 1991, has been designed by a man who is not only one of the world’s top professional golfers, but also a native of the country, Severiano Ballesteros. He has shared his knowledge and put his name into the creation of almost 30 golf courses throughout the world.
The design thinking behind Los Arqueros Golf was to lay out a course which closely followed the contours of the land and was in harmony with the natural setting. It is an idea, which Seve exploited to the maximum when designing the front and back nine holes, each with its own distinct personality. The result is a course which presents a challenge for the experienced golfer and is a real test of skills for beginners.
The course requires accurate play, especially in some tight tee shots where you may have to forego distance in your drive and opt instead for shorter irons or woods which ensure that the ball reaches the fairway. Hole 8 is especially tricky, as it is a long par 5, with a tight dogleg towards the right which slopes sharply downhill to the green, and a hazardous out-of-bounds area finishing in a stream at the entrance to the green. Watch out too for the 13th hole, with its high tee requiring an accurate and hard-hitting drive to a downhill area guarded by bunkers, and where only careful play will ensure that you save the par. The 3rd hole is also excellent, with a lake to the left of the fairway and a scattering of wide bunkers on the right – but it requires more attention than expected to finish successfully.
However, the most difficult hole is the 6th, as it is not only the longest, but the tee-off shot is the decisive one. Therefore, this is a demanding course which requires a calculated game, and where you cannot afford to take many risks if you want to make your handicap.
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