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THE NAME Alejandro Maldonaldo will mean nothing to you unless, that is, you've been to Montenmedio and if I have to qualify the latter with the appendage "golf club" then you won't know that either. If the names are familiar you can probably guess what comes next.
If neither rings a bell, you have a treat in store simply reading what follows. In this age of the bottom line it's a tale to warm the heart.
It's about an uncommonly altruistic Spanish tycoon who decided that 300 hectares of coastal wilderness he owns in the region of Cadiz was too beautiful not to share. So he set about creating a low key resort on part of it, fencing off the rest as a vast nature reserve that was to become a major attraction.
A lover of horses and carriage driving tournaments, he then built an equestrian centre, an arena and a museum guaranteed to delight the aficionados of his sport. He followed that with an 18 hole golf course that will thrill anyone who has ever teed up.
That's where Alejandro comes in. No, he's not the owner, who insists upon remaining anonymous. He is the course architect.
Let me amend that. Alejandro designed and built the course, virtually by hand. Now, five years after the opening, he's the greenkeeper, his original calling, who lives and breathes for Montenmedio. He probably sleeps there.
It's the only course he's ever laid out and, a man of simple origins, he claims to know little of the intricacies of design. Called in by the owner from another club, he says he merely did what comes naturally. He paced the land for weeks, searching out green sites, then he shaped each one by hand after clearing a path for the fairways between the umbrella pines and cork oaks to link greens and tees.
Bunkers came later, when all else was completed. Earth movement and excavation was virtually non-existent. He worked hand in hand with Mother Nature, just as the first great architects did more than a century ago. The end result is a jewel of rare lustre, a glorious addition to Spanish golf and a memorial to integrity and flair.
It doesn't end there. While perforce a commercial venture, revenue appears of only passing interest. More important, according to the new manager, was to create a first class course with the emphasis on service and enjoyment. To this end the tee times, of 15 minute intervals, will be restricted to 60 players a day!
A realistic green fee of 5,500 pesetas will give access to a course of only 6,500 yards but which, because of the rolling terrain, offers a considerable challenge with its subtle dog-legs and small cunningly contoured greens. The rough is minimal, the bunkering astute and limited. So the essence is on strategy, with options for all classes of player.
A sumptuous clubhouse is now fully operational and there are plans for a small de luxe hotel. If you're any where in the vicinity you should make every effort to play Montenmedio. It will lift your spirits.
It's off the beaten track but easy to find, being 40 minutes north of Sotogrande on the main Cadiz road, and 50 minutes south of Jerez, which is 10 minutes from Montecastillo.
You'll have heard of the latter, naturally. It's been the venue for the Volvo Masters and in terms of architectural pedigree it occupies the other end of the spectrum from Montenmedio.
It's a Nicklaus design, a big, muscular course that demands total golf: strong driving, sound course management and imaginative approach shots. Then comes the difficult it.
The greens hold the key to scoring with their subtle breaks and slopes and intimidating size and speed. Miss the hole and you'll have a ten footer back: three stabs. Do that a couple of times and your stroke will become tentative, compounding the problems.
But it's great sport in a spectacular setting, a course that's improving with maturity after ten years or so. Play it on wheels, though: like most American architects, Big Jack used the site to its best advantage and that often brings long walks between green and tee with few short cuts on foot.
Stay at the Hotel Montecastillo which overlooks the course and you'll double the treat. It's five star with every creature comfort. As a guest you'll find the green fees most agreeable at 3,300 pesetas, or about £15, and a shared cart is 4,000 pesetas.
That's outstanding value for one of Spain's premier courses. Couple it with Montenmedio and you'll enjoy a holiday to dine out on at the club.
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