Interview with Javier Jiménez-Casquet, Managing Director of La Hacienda Links Golf Resort

La Hacienda Links Golf Resort is located in the south of Spain, near Sotogrande, a paradise for golf lovers due to the variety and quality of its courses. The resort has revolutionised the tourism scene in the area with a project that has made it one of the most exclusive and luxurious golf resorts in Spain.

The starting point was the redesign of the Links course by famed designer Kurtis Bowman, followed by work on Heathland course and now the opening of its new halfway house in a unique setting that has earned it a nomination for “Best Halfway House in the World” by the World Golf Awards, as well as two other nominations for “Best Golf Course in Spain 2024” and “Best Golf Course in Europe 2024”.

The next milestone in the project will be the opening of the 311-key Fairmont hotel, which will include rooms and luxury villas.

The architect Kurtis Bowman was chosen for the remodelling of Links course, which will be completed in 2022. What is your assessment?

From the first moment Kurtis Bowman came to Links course he clearly saw that it could become the Pebble Beach of Europe and I think the result has exceeded our expectations. So, the balance is very positive.

The players who have come here have let us know that, especially those who have known the course for many years. The solutions provided by Mr Bowman have been magnificent and now Links course is much more open to the sea. It is very playable, but at the same time very challenging, with some dizzying greens.

Continuing with the developments at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, a new halfway clubhouse has been opened next to the 10th hole. Why were this location chosen?

It is very curious, because it was originally a meadow where historically there was a nursery that was no longer used because it was not properly maintained. The first design for the 9th green was going to be a dogless with much more distance and it was going to be placed here, but this implied a large construction site and a somewhat complicated course. During a visit to the works, we saw that it would be an ideal location to have a halfway house like other clubs had and the truth is that I think the result is magnificent.

It is a unique enclave in the area with idyllic views, both to Gibraltar and Africa, as well as to the other side, a small bay with the Torrecarbonera lighthouse.

What role do you see the new clubhouse playing in the overall player experience at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort?

Well, it’s not a clubhouse per se, it’s a halfway house for a 10-minute stop. I think this closes the circle of a unique experience for the player because there are few halfway houses, at least in Spain, that can enjoy an enclave like this.

We have learned that you have been nominated for some important awards as “Best Halfway House in the World”. Tell us, what are the players going to find there?

We are very proud of this nomination. From the very first moment we knew that it was going to surprise not only players, but anyone who comes to enjoy the view. Here you can enjoy not only a drink, but also a menu of Mediterranean dishes at Calma Bar. This is the latest addition to Sal Verde, Azotea Grupo’s second gastronomic project in Cádiz, which already has a restaurant in La Hacienda clubhouse and chiringuito on El Faro beach.

Last edition of the World Golf Awards, it won a halfway house in Scotland which is a lighthouse, and the truth is that it is magnificent, although I don’t think ours is any less. A funny detail is that players are given a ten-minute clock so that they can continue with game and the course does not collapse.

Within the global project of La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, what will be the next actions?

The next milestone will be the opening of the hotel project that will turn La Hacienda into a reference resort in Europe. The hotel, as you know, will be a five-star Fairmont hotel with 311 keys, including rooms and luxury villas and three restaurants, which will complement a leisure offer that was previously lacking in urbanisation itself. However, we will try to have some surprises soon, and we will continue to complete the offer so that the client does not have to leave resort.

After all these actions and all that has been invested in the courses, what is the feedback? How is the year going?

Well, the truth is that 2023 ended quite well and 2024 is exceeding our expectations. We are ahead of what we had budgeted in terms of revenue and the reception from European and even American golfers is magnificent.

It should be remembered that the average prices in the area have been increasing last years, of course due to improvements in these courses. And it is true that we had some fear that market would not understand this, but the feedback has been very good. The customers who come here understand that service and facilities are worth the price they pay, and already booking for 2025, I don’t think we could have dreamed that we would be in such a favourable situation in 2024.

Our industry is usually critical of the administrations, but I think that at this point we should be grateful for efforts have been made by Town Councils, Provincial Council, Mancomunidad and, of course, Junta de Andalucía.

Now we are seeing the return of all the sponsorships, such a Solheim Cup, LIV Golf League, or DP World Tour. All this has undoubtedly contributed to boosting our promotion in markets that some years ago were very distant, such as Asia or America.