 GRAN CANARIA
Oasis golf courses in arid valleys
 Where to play
For the time being, Gran Canaria
offers six 18-holes championship, one 18 hole par-3 and one
9-hole.
Gran Canaria has the privilege to host the oldest golf course in Spain : The Real Golf Club de Las Palmas which has been
designed by the famous Mackenzie Ross and opened on December 17 in 1891. It was naturally
at the time when the British where staying on the island and playing there was, as usual,
their sole privilege. Nowadays the club has conserved its original touch moreover in the
clubhouse but also in the interior rules where etiquette has to be strictly observed. It
deserves to be pointed out at a time when it could be enforced in other golf clubs. The
course is a bit different from what it was at the beginning having been enlarged on the
plains of Bandama near an extinguished volcano with a diameter of 800 m and a depth of
200. Mainly fairways are somewhat narrow between lines of trees, leading to well defended
fast running greens. Some views over ravines to the seashore are spectacular due also to
the fact that the course is located on the back hills of Las Palmas at about 600 m high.
So that it is prudent to take a pullover for fresh mornings or evenings. In the old
Clubhouse, bar and restaurant open their windows over the course and the cellar is
excellent. For those who like to stay near the greens, there is also a golf hotel.
At a few kilometres downhill from Bandama, just near to the Highway 1 at km 6 lies Cortijo
(old farm estate) where has been erected a golf complex. First, the El
Cortijo Golf Centre is dedicated to education and training of golf for
beginners but also for good golfers who want to improve or test their own skills. The main
equipment is an 18-hole par-3, American style, which experts say it can be compared to the
best in the world of golf. Without any doubt, it looks like American courses with all kind
of obstacles from large lakes to deep bunkers between palm trees. It is very demanding and
needs accurate hits as well as the putting green which offers all the kind of
difficulties. Its floodlit allows night playing and the restaurant overlooks the course.
Secondly, further in the valley, El Cortijo Campo de Golf
Club has open its first 18-hole championship course. Located in an arid
ravine (where people were used to litter out-of-order appliances and fittings), green
fairways slaloming under 600 palm trees around lakes and bunkers have transformed the
dirty ravine in a sort of oasis. It is more evident on the back nine holes when it comes
to the tee of the 14 which, from the top of the hill, dominates the whole complex. From
there one can admire the talent of the designer Blake Stirling, Head Designer to Pete Dye
(The Teeth of the Dog in Domingo): he carves the course in the natural site in such a way
that it seems to have been there since ever. It is a difficult course but six tees per
hole make it affordable and exciting for all skills. Even it is a young course, it already
has hosted championships like the Peugeot Oki Tour and the Spanish Women's tournament.
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Real Golf de Las Palmas is the oldest Spanisch course
The 18 par-3 at El Cortijo Golf Centre
The back nine of El Cortijo Campo de golf are carved in the natural environment
and the famous Toro de Osborne guards the front nine
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