It came as no surprise that the Ladies European Tour named Los Naranjos Golf Club as host of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España – to be held from 25-28 November 2021. And the decision wasn’t just down to the array of investments in drainage and surfaces the club carried out during the pandemic to improve its facilities and service, but, above all, it was also due to the compelling course design by Robert Trent Jones.
The decision led to a clear mission at the club; to present a course in an enviable condition for the enjoyment of the competing players, members and all those visitors who wish to book a round through its website. In short, to set out to be the perfect host.
Borja Díaz – Head Greenkeeper
How long have you been at Los Naranjos and where else have you worked?
My first role was at Desert Springs in Almería, in 2000 where I began as Assistant Greenkeeper. Following two successful years I developed my position and was offered a role as Head Greenkeeper at La Quinta Golf in Marbella. I managed the team for seven years before moving over to Valle Romano Golf in Estepona in 2008. I enjoyed the variety and change in the work and stayed until 2013 before moving to Los Naranjos. I have been here ever since, and it has been great to see the changes to the course over this time.
How have you seen the course change over the last few years
The main changes to the course are related to the quality and improvement of all the key areas. We have made significant investment to our greens, tees, fairways, bunkers etc. and these improvements are now ongoing processes to continue in this positive trend. We get a lot of golfers throughout the summer, so it is vital that we are able to maintain the quality we are striving for throughout this time and into the winter too. In addition to the overall improvements, we have also focussed on projects such as drainage, cart paths and finer improvements and manicure details. This has not only given us positive member feedback but also from the guests who visit us internationally.
What specific preparations have you made leading up to the event and how closely have worked with the LET in preparing the course?
Ever since the agreement was confirmed we have been working very closely with the LET and set out a clear agenda as to the requirements that were needed for this event. By giving ourselves time we have been able to easily incorporate some of the standard agreements such as the cutting heights of different areas (tees, fairways, roughs, semi roughs), we have also put a lot of effort into the consistency of the bunkers as well as preparing the green speed for the tournament.
What are the final arrangements that you will be doing in the week before the event
We will be in a very good place ahead of the tournament and so we won’t have too much to do apart from tweak the final details. We will liaise with the LET over the hole locations and ensure that the smallest of details are completed.
Julian Romaguera – General Manager
Tell us about your time at Los Naranjos
I joined Los Naranjos GC as General Manager in May 2016, at the age of 29, and although I was very young, I took the position with a big sense of responsibility. I was welcomed to a club with a fantastic social atmosphere and a golf course that was well known within the costa del sol. Over the last 5 years, we have managed as a team to strongly upgrade the facilities of the club, improve the service and even customise it to our member’s needs. All these changes along with the vision implemented have resulted in some international awards winning as well as the appreciation of visitors and colleagues in the industry. It is a very special club, and I am happy to see the positive changes that it is experiencing over the years.
How would you describe Los Naranjos.
Los Naranjos Golf Club is an 18 holes Robert Trent Jones Sr course layout opening in 1977. In general terms is a very friendly course for the amateur as you can see the green from the tee in 90% of the holes and it is quite forgiving in the miss shot. However, scoring it not as easy as it may sound. The first nine layout is tighter and tricky, requiring good shots to score well. The back 9 may look easier as the undulations become flatter, but this is nothing further from reality, as the greens are well protected by bunkers and lakes. The combination these two 9 holes make it very unique and enjoyable.
Did the club have to ‘pitch’ for the event? How did it come about that this is being hosted by the club?
Since I joined Los Naranjos GC, I had the vision of hosting a Tour event at the club, but I was not comfortable enough with the quality of standards we were providing both in club house and the golf course. I had the opportunity in my career to work and live the golf industry in USA, Asia and Mexico and I wanted to bring a bit of the best of each place to the club. Over the years we have been improving in all aspects to make significant changes to make big tournaments happen.
Los Naranjos Golf Club has today all the elements needed to host any professional or amateur at any level; a great conditioned golf course, top standard service, upgraded facilities and also a fully committed team. I believe the Ladies European Tour and Royal Spanish Federation of Golf perceived these improvements in the same way and it was not complicated to get into an agreement to make this happen.
What kind of preparation has this entailed – both with the course and to a wider extent the club?
Hosting a Tour event of any kind involves being able to deliver high standards of hospitality and quality in all aspects, have alternatives and solutions for contingencies and also make sure everyone feels welcome. Although our course is ready for a challenge like this, it is reasonable to believe we would like to make it look even better than usual and provided an upper standard hospitality event. Even our course is not new in hosting tour events, it is true we have been decades without hosting one and we would like to make everyone speak well about us and feel proud of the work done.
How important do you think hosting this event will be for the prestige of the club and its reputation in Spanish and European golf?
Los Naranjos Golf course is a mixed course, this means we have shares for new members available as well as accept one day visitors. This tournament will be important because it will influence these two sides as we will make our members feel proud of the club they belong to and hopefully attract new members as well. On the other hand, the worldwide TV coverage will strengthen our brand in the European markets and also reach golferer that did not have chance to visit us before.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to this event.