May
03

Course Review Aloha Golf Club

Posted under Course Reviews by SwingingKatz

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At the time of writing this Aloha has JUST been announced as the European Tour Venue for the Andalusian Open on the 10th to the 13th of May.

A beautiful day ready for a beautiful game. Aloha is a private members club and one of the most exclusive clubs on the South Coast of Spain. Feeling very privileged to be playing here!

The club boasts honorary members such as Miguel Angel Jiminez a legend for being one of the top earners on the European Tour as well as a very nice man! He also has a pony tail and a big cigar close to hand most of the time! Miguel is a regular at the clubs pro am competition in December each year.

So after the customary bucket of balls on the driving range we make our way to the first tee an elevated tee with amazing views over the area. The first is a dog leg to the left with tree’s down both sides of the fairway, a long par five to start the day.

Four perfect drives straight down the center of the fairway all within a 2 meter square extraordinary!

The course itself is an amazing blend of challenges with water hazards and tree’s around every corner. The first is no different, having driven past the dog leg curve there is a long way to go to reach the green. Now for those that know me you will know that I can’t at the moment hit a fairway wood for love nor money, so I have a long three iron to get within chipping distance. Having seen both bunker and water down the left hand side of the bunker I opt for the right which has an inviting wall to bounce off of if I get into trouble. OK a slight top but the ball is sat in the middle of the fairway a long 8 iron from the green!

A seven Iron and a chip later I am putting on a very smooth green that is like putting on ice, when you think that this course is to host a European Tour Open Competition in May it is understandable the difference between the hobby golfers and the ones that know what they are doing. Thanks to my partner we are down and win the hole. Still one over par isn’t too bad.

The second hole goes down as my nomination for “That Hole Needs to be DUG UP!” which you know every golfer has (the hole actually boasts a top 100 award for most beautiful hole). Not good hit the water from the tee and then found water with my second tee shot, this hole over for me but my partner has done it again and sunk his put to take us two up!

The third hole and a moment to take in the view, the whole course is with fantastic views but the third tee offers completely clear views of La Concha which is the largest mountain in the area. Back to the golf and a par 4 with olive trees down the left and out of bounds to the right, the green is slightly downhill and difficult to see but there are plenty of landmarks to aim at from the second shot. Not so good here pulled back to a one shot lead.

The next hole brings in the first of several very long par three holes. Now as previously mentioned I don’t carry fairway woods at this time so I have my Driver, 3 iron or trusty 4 iron which I can hit cleanly 80% of the time. With 185 Meters to cover I opt for a clean 4 iron and manage to hit the green long first putt isn’t going to see me birdie but a nice par to halve the hole.

The fifth hole is another long par 5 dog leg to the right the perfect line is at the bunker (notice I said at the bunker and not in the bunker cause that shot is a nightmare) Out of the sand for my second shot and a long way to go to find the green, with water down the left its best to stay as center of the fairway as possible.

You might notice the fifth hole ended quite abruptly, I will let you draw your own conclusions!

The sixth it a dog leg to the left again but the best line is at the left hand bunker and try to carry over the bunker if possible if not to drop short. The reason for this is that the fairway drops away down to the right and if you are not careful you can end up on the 5th fairway or worse the 1st! Just short of the bunker and I have an OK line into the green which I take a long 4 iron into the bunker. A chip and two putts and onto the next!

The Seventh is one of the most extraordinary holes I have ever come across, you can not see the flag until you are stood at the top of the fairly steep hill that leads you down to it. So after duffing my tee shot just past the ladies tee I opt for a 7 iron to the top of the slope then it is a gentle chip down the slope to the green. Now I have seen a seasoned pro take 4 putts on this green so I was pleased to get down for a 6 after a horrible start.

The Eighth is another of the courses very long par three holes with a high starting point which for those with no fairway woods is a bit of a bonus. Long 4 iron off the tee just to the right of the green with a nice bit of luck I was in for a 5 after missing a sitter for a 4!

Over to the ninth which has a fairly long climb up to the green. A good drive will get you about two thirds of the way up the hill but due to the holes hump it is impossible to see the green. Bit of a hit and hope for the higher handicap player. Either the shot bounced off the roof of the half way house or its in the bunker, best get the sand wedge then! Out the sand and still a short chip to the green I elected to putt and the ball settles nicely 1 meter from the hole. In for another 5.

Onto the tenth and probably one of the most easy on the eye holes on the course. A very long par 5 with water to the right and a fairway that cuts into two with an upper longer but safer route and a lower shorter but more risky route. My tee shot leaves me a long way to go but I am clear of the trees and have a good line in to set up a chip to the flag. A good 3 iron and I am chipping to the green for my third shot so a possible birdie, well it would have been had it gone onto the green, as I said before the greens are amazing but at the same time if you do not play the ball to stick then the ball rolls and rolls. A chip and two put leaves me down for the hole! All square.

At the eleventh I come face to face with my nemesis the up hill hole from hell a long drive will find you on the up slope and with the flag still nowhere near in view although the markers say that my second shot is only 150 to the hole I elect for a 4 iron rather than a 7 as this hill is going to end up being more than I thought it was. Unfortunately the smash the skin off it devil on my shoulder got the better of my and I have one of those amateur golfer topping moments that sees the ball move around 5 inches. Second attempt puts the ball up over the hill and just short of the bunker to the left of the green. A chip and a two putt later and it is onto the next hole.

The twelfth hole slopes down off the tee shot and runs off towards the fairway bunkers on the left and the right. the ideal place to finish is between the two bunkers but around 30 meters past them. I ended up in the bunker on the right which is not so perfect and with water on the front of the green I don’t want to risk splashing out so opt for a 8 iron and let the hill take it to short of the water. A chip and a putt later and we are ready for the next hole.

Not sure if someone told my playing partners that I hate playing up hill before or after they chose the course but this hole is massive. Par 3 up hill 200 meters! So driver out and still short by 30 meters a long chip and an unforgivable 3 putt and we are done on this hole. My playing partner for the day found a bunker and a tree to navigate his way around and still managed to hole out better than me after my disastrous putting!

Hole number fourteen is a dogleg to the right which if you are a resident of the housing on the right hand side you need to consider a crash helmet when sunbathing by the pool, all tee shots away nicely some slightly to left but having taken a tight line down the right I have a good chance to hit the green with my second. Arriving at the ball sees me close to the one tree on the fairway but with enough room to get up to the green, which I end up just short of. Electing to putt I am in the hole for a nice par.

Fifteen sees heavy woodland to the left which if like me you have a tendency to slip up on the odd tee shot is a great place for golf balls to hide! Fortunately I manage to find the bunker on the left which saves my ball from being lost forever! Out of the bunker onto the back of the green which is surrounded by sand two putts and we are home and dry.

Another dog leg left and the sixteenth has a welcoming wide fairway which I find the center of, if I was a longer hitter I think it would have been possible to find the green in two but unfortunately my 3 iron finds the bunker in the center of the fairway and I have a very awkward stance for my third with one foot in the bunker and one foot on the fairway. Holding down the shaft I manage to launch the ball nice and high to avoid the green bunkers and land to a dead stop on the green. Two putts and a par on a par five that is longer than it seems.

The seventeenth is another long par 3 which has an arrangement of rocks on the left, needing a driver to make the green I manage to find the fringe. Happy I pull my putter for the walk up to the green which pleases everyone as I am the only one in position to putt. Two putts sees me get another par not bad approaching the eighteenth with a reasonable score.

Water down the left driving range to the right and a long uphill second shot to the green to look forward to the only place to hit the tee shot is straight down the middle. Just sort of the water on the left I approach to take my second shot which is a long uphill slap with a three iron. This rolls off the back of the green meaning I now have a chip and a putt. The chip could see the ball run back down the hill if I am not careful, I roll pass the hole but leave an easy two putt to finish the day.

This is a long course with amazing views and challenging holes that require concentration and patience when putting the greens are like glass and the course will prove a fantastic challenge for the tour golfers when they arrive on May 10th.