Alicante Golf – Editors Review
Alicante Golf is my favourite golf course on the Costa Blanca. The course is a good test for low handicappers like me, but also works for higher handicap players. I really like the way it winds it way through different housing developments, but be warned, you need a buggy because the distance between green and the next tee can be a few hundred yards.
The course was designed by the mercurial Seve Ballesteros, and is one of many on the Costa Blanca that he put his signature to.
There is plenty of water, but it’s well placed, so you don’t feel like you are constantly pitting your wits against the ponds and lakes. Having said that, holes 2, 3, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 & 18 all have water that can come into play! But don’t panic, only the par 3 12th and the par 4 18th require real nerve when playing to the green.
The course opens with a par 5, the only real problem is the bunker in the middle of the fairway and short of the green. The second is a downhill par 4 that requires you to aim out towards the lake on the left. The third is a tidy par 3 protected by water but with plenty of space around the green. The 4th is a long par 5 with water running up the right and around the back of the green. The 5th is a par 4 that requires a well placed drive to set up the approach shot. 6 is another par 3. The 7th is a slight dogleg left par 4, the houses seem to encroach on the fairway and make it feel narrower than it is. 8 is another par 3 where you need to carry over the bunkers at the front. 9 is the 3rd par 5 of the front 9 with a lake short and left of the green – a tough hole to finish the front 9.
The back 9 starts with a long par 5 that doglegs slightly to the right. 11 is another hole that seems narrow because of the housing – don’t be alarmed! The 12th is a great par 3 with water to carry right up to the green. 13 is a tight but straight par 4 and 14 is a dogleg left par 5 that has you playing over some roman ruins to reach the green – how many other courses does that happen on! The 15th is a fun par 3 – see My Favourite Hole below. 16 is the last par 5, again a slight dogleg left and what can feel like a wall of apartments down the right standing sentinel like grandstands over the course. 17 is a medium length par 3 with water in the front again. The 18th is a great finishing hole, it’s a dogleg left par 4, with water all the way down the left – this can be a real card wrecker, but thankfully I have parred this and even on one memorable occasion I managed to get a birdie when being watched from the hotel gardens on the right of the green. Being applauded off the green by a ‘gallery’ of golfers who were enjoying a post round relaxing beer is a memory that will linger for a long time.
My Favourite Hole – is the par 3 15th. This hole is surrounded on three sides by apartments, when you stand on the tee you feel like you are playing in a stadium. If you play in the afternoon you have this strange sensation of being able to hear residents on the balconies chatting away, eating lunch, but you can’t really see them. If you hit a great tee shot you can get some applause from the residents!
There is a good sized practice green near the 1st tee along with a chipping green and a driving range.
The last few times that I have played Alicante Golf have been in the afternoon in the summer months. Each time we almost had the course to ourselves and were able to take advantage of hugely discounted green fees which included a buggy. People think I’m mad playing in the afternoon, but it’s only marginally hotter than the morning, and you get a free buggy which you can always load up with a coolbox of drinks!
The staff in the clubhouse and pro shop have always been really helpful which is a bonus when you are playing a new course.
If you choose to play Alicante Golf then you need to make sure that your satnav is set up before you leave your villa or apartment. It’s easy enough to find, but tricky to find the car park!
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