It is now one year ago that Meliá took over the golf management at Villaitana. Located in Benidorm, in the heart of the Costa Blanca, its two hotels, two 18-hole golf courses, 5,000 square metres of aquatic areas, two tennis and six paddle courts, children’s park, children’s club, artificial beach and YHI Spa with complete gymnasium, as well as its convention centre, make up the resort’s extensive range of amenities.
Since that moment, all of Meliá’s efforts have been focused on raising quality standards for all its amenities to the demanding overall levels set by the company. However, there is one area that warrants special mention: the effort made by the whole Meliá Villaitana team to ensure that maintenance is a sign of identity for both courses, with the aim of positioning them as key reference points. In this interview granted to Golf Circus, Villaitana head greenkeeper Alfredo Pérez Lorente explains the various initiatives undertaken with that objective in mind.
Tell us a bit about Alfredo Pérez Lorente and your connection with Villaitana…
In the first place, my connection with Villaitana goes back 10 years ago. I was enthusiastic about the project from the first moment and have put all my efforts into helping to ensure the resort is in the best possible condition and that golfers can enjoy playing at one of the best courses in the Valencia region. I’m an agricultural engineer and for 15 years my career has been dedicated to grass sports surfaces for golf and football. In 2012 I had the honour of receiving the Greenkeeper Award presented by the Spanish Association of Greenkeepers (AEdG), of which I am a member and a member of the executive committee. My work is currently centred on Villaitana’s two courses, combining that with studying for a post-graduate masters degree in sports organisation management.
Since Meliá took over the management, what is the main work you have undertaken?
It’s now one year since the Meliá hotel chain took over management of the two Villaitana courses and right from the start a major economic effort has been made to carry out the renovations necessary for the golf courses. We are currently working on remodelling all the bunkers, adding sand and preparing them to provide maximum playing quality.
Several major renovations have been carried out to the practice area. The first was the creation of a new practice surface for the short and long game at the back of the practice range, where a 5,000 square metre grass surface has been constructed, with a new practice bunker and three practice tees at different levels and with various target points and objectives.
Also, a new practice area near the hotel called the Golf-Park; we were honoured with its recent inauguration by our president, Gabriel Escarrer Juliá. The Golf-Park is approximately 6,000 square metres, and comprises two chipping greens, two practice bunkers, a practice fairway for approach shots and an area of rough for chipping.
In addition, on the first platform of tees on our practice range there is a new covered area with capacity for 20 players, equipped with two vending machines for balls and all the comfort and convenience of a shaded area – which is so important on days when the weather is bad or, for example, to accommodate our promising young golfers during their summer camps
What other plans do you have in mind, and how far do you want to go?
Our main objective, and mine as head greenkeeper, is to position Meliá Villaitana Golf Club’s two courses among the best in Spain. To that end we have to work particularly hard on maintaining all the playing surfaces. We are carrying out major renovations and investing a considerable amount of money to ensure clients receive the best quality service and golfing facilities.
At Meliá our objectives are for high quality, especially in course maintenance, in order to – in the short term – make Meliá Villaitana Golf Club a reference point for the whole of Spain.
We understand you also work with other institutions and have shared your experience in other areas and with other golf projects…
I belong to the Spanish Association of Greenkeepers and I’m a member of the executive committee. Every year we organise an annual congress attended by many industry professionals. I’m currently involved with issues relating to sports surfaces for football at a national level.
Another of my current projects is collaborating as a greenkeeper during the 2018 Ryder Cup. I travel to Paris every year for the French Open, to work during the tournament, and later on during the Ryder Cup. For me this is invaluable work experience; I’m actively involved in maintenance of the course where one of the world’s premier tournaments will be held. It’s a rare opportunity to improve your knowledge as a greenkeeper.