The course itself is fairly flat although there are a few elevated tee’s that give you a great view across the beautiful surroundings. Standing on the first tee I noticed I was going to have to reduce the effort I put into my swing today due to a small incident involving an elbow and a high speed golf ball a few days back.

Just before you all click away because you think there is a massive hole by hole review coming there are just a few select holes below.

The first hole is a fairly short par 4 with bunkers down both sides and a slightly raised green with two hidden bunkers behind the green. Definite Iron shot from the tee, position is absolutely everything.

The second hole is one of those elevated tee’s I spoke about so take your time and have a look around, the hole itself is a very long par 4 which has a very unforgiving bunker on the right just within long iron range, as I found out to my cost. This is stroke index one for this course and the main problem on the hole is the distance.

The par 3 eigth is the longest par 3 on the course and it is a choice of water or sand there is water one side and bunkers the other. Not for the faint of heart!

The tenth is a hole with a number of different problems to overcome. These include bunkers within driver range, the green is also well protected by bunkers and the approach to the green is protected on both sides by sand and water so great care is required if going for the green with your second as well as going for position.

The final hole on the course is another long par 5 and again water down one side of the fairway and bunkers the other causing issues both sides. In particular at the point where the fairway narrows and the water hazard and the bunkers come nice and close together.

The course is in fantastic condition and as it is winter the green fees are around $66 for 18 holes which considering the quality of this course is well worth the money.

With the weather conditions yesterday the course just got even harder, with grey clouds looming during the morning through to mid afternoon and the winds gusting and impossible to read saw some big scores being put up on the card. Two that stood out were that of Sandy Lyle who was 23 over par after two rounds and Ronan Rafety who registered a massive 30 over par after.

Conditions were a little better later in the afternoon which saw Justing Rose mainly thanks to his ace on the first day, take a 4 shot lead as the only player under par after two rounds. However with Valderrama claiming so many souls in the past few years it would not take too much to see the winning score be an over par.

So where are the key points? All of the holes have their features mainly the tree lined fairways that mean anything slightly off line from the tee is a potential shot dropped as the trees are not very forgiving. Miss the green and end up in the rough then you are in the deep sticky stuff in more ways than one. The rough for this competition is tough as it has been for all of the tour competitions this year.

Holes to be aware of as tough going are the long par 5 fourth hole with water to the right of the green makes those unpredictable winds a major factor when playing your second into the green. Then there is the par 4 tenth with water on the left and right a good tee shot doesn’t mean you are in prime position and the slope up to the green can be a killer as Mark Foster found out in the second round stopping his ball on the green to see it roll off and very much away from the hole (about 50 yards).

The winds on the back 9 play a massive factor in the high scores and the elevated tee on the long par 3 fifteenth a tricky green to hit and Sergio Garcia saw his shot fall short and in the sand because of the winds. The hardest is left till last, the seventeenth classed by some as one of the hardest holes in golf, a slight right hand dogleg par 5 you need a really good second shot to get the ball to stick to the green and stay there.

As the weekend goes on I have no doubt that there will be more big numbers put up on the score cards but having taken the long walk around the course yesterday I can completely understand how the worlds best have struggled with the conditions this week.

The greens on this course are have a great deal of contours that can leave even the best in trouble, expect difficult pin positions on this course with a greater accuracy needed on the approach to the green than a lesser course.

The first hole needs a good accurate drive to the left of the fairway, over to the right will see the second shot troubled by the trees around the green, too far to the left and your in the thick rough or the fairway bunker. There is a brook that runs in front of the green so the cleaner the view to the green the easier the hole becomes.

The second is another long par 4 which again requires an accurate drive but this time to the right side of the fairway. There has always been a reputation for strong winds gusting from the right on this hole. An accurate second shot with a mid iron will be needed to hit the green on this hole as the green is protected on the right by a large pine tree and on the front left is a deep bunker which if the pin position is close to the front can make life very difficult.

Moving onto the third and a level head is needed from the tee, attempting to go for distance over position will see you over to the right of the fairway and no clear view of the pin. Finding the fairway will leave you an uphill approach tp the green that drops away to the right.

After the initial holes all being par 4 we move on to the first par 3 of the course where hitting too far is not an option. The back of the green and over could find your ball plummeting to the bottom of the river.

A good tee shot is a must for the 5th water and a fairway bunker down the right of the fairway and deep rough on the left speak for themselves.Leave your tee shot short and you will end up with a massive task to climb the hill to the green for your second. The green is protected by bunkers on both sides and go a little too far to the right and you will end up dropping down a steep slope which will leave you struggling for par.

The sixth hole is a fantastic downhill par three that is surrounded by water and sand. Over the back will find you close to getting wet feet. The ideal place is on the right as the green has a big big break.

Onto the first par 5 of the course and for the shorter hitter is a task and a half. This dogleg right has water as its rough on the right of the fairway and green. The pro tip for this hole is “Left is right and right is out of the question!!” A very narrow entrance to a green that has a large hump in the middle that could prove a real challenge on the wrong side of.

A nice straight forward par 4 awaits on the 8th. One of the more open fairways and exposed greens on the course. The green is slightly elevated that can make this one club longer than you think.

To finish of the front nine is a very long but straight par 5. The perfect position here is down the right which gives you sight of the green hidden to the left. Be careful not to go over the back of the green as you will end up with a visit to the pet cemetery which is behind the green.

Off the tenth tee will see a nice straight drive that should be on the left side of the fairway as the green is well guarded by bunkers. A high second shot is required as any run off this narrow green will see either water or sand.

There are four regimental bunkers and a river waiting at the green of the par 3 eleventh where you will have to take on the mental challenge of going over the river before you can take on the challenging green.

Another long par 5 at the 12th this time up hill and with a double dogleg to the left. To get a good position from the tee you have to avoid the bunker on the left of the fairway. The bunkers on this hole have been positioned to catch you at every shot. Your second shot should be leaving you with around 120 yards to the pin where you need to get up and down to the middle of the green for a chance at a reasonable score.

You don’t get many choices with the par 4 thirteenth a slight dogleg to the right but the fairway is well lined with trees and the front of the green well guarded by bunkers. Once on the green there are some nice but subtle breaks that can catch out even the best.

Another dogleg to the left this time on the fourteenth a nice wide open fairway is waiting to accept your drive but be careful of going to far right. The green is protected by bunkers on either side of the fairway and water over the back.

Not often we say this but aiming at the bunker to the left of the green will allow you a easier shot into the fifteenth where straying to the right will be kissing goodbye to your ball as you are teeing off down the line of the tides. The green is one of the flatter on the course but watch out for the slope at the mouth.

If you hang between clubs on the sixteenth you will end up getting another ball from your bag. The short par three has a nice wide but short green to aim at with bunkers over the back for those who decide longer is the best bet. However a watery carry is going to be tough on some of the shorter hitters.

A nice straight forward tree lined fairway awaits on the seventeenth one of the more easier par 4 holes on the course although going long to the green could leave you with a very tricky recovery shot.

Guts for glory going down the last the hole is split by the river Maigue and to make it to the green in two you have to be close to the left side of the fairway and willing to take the gamble. This is one of the best par 5 finishing holes in golf!

A fantastic course with a lot of water and not for the faint of heart.

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.

I am going to review the whole course as all of the holes are worth talking about:

The first is by a long straight par 5 to start that crosses over the driveway, and the perfect opening shot is to clear the road and leave a good second down the hill to the green. It is impossible to see the green till you are practically on top of it. The green has two bunkers one left one right so if you are accurate then you stand a good chance of rolling your second shot onto the green.

The second is a dogleg to the left and has a tee shot that takes you between tree’s which can be punishing if you stray one way or another, there is out of bounds to both the left and right, as well as a small pond on the right so a stray tee shot could leave you in a bad way. Once to the corner you have a good lead into the green with just a large tree to the left. The green is mostly sloping back to front so a good approach close to the flag is a good position.

The third is a very short par three which has an elevated tee, there are two very large punishing bunkers on the front of the green and a slope off down to the lake at the back of the green. Although very short (a 80% pitching wedge) going off the green in any direction can mean dropped shots.

The Forth hole is strangely difficult with tree’s on both sides of the fairway and a bunker on the right, the green is hidden by tree’s off the tee and although this is a dogleg it is a small turn and the corner can be taken by going over the trees on the left. A good drive can put you on the green putting for an eagle but a steady iron off the tee will leave you in a great position to a very open flat green.

The fifth has to be one of my favorite holes of all time (having hit the pin once gives it a special place in my heart) a very straight par three with a bunker on either side of the two level green. There is also a very large oak tree to the left of the green which if you stray in that direction it can cause problems getting onto the green. The green is easily reachable with a good 7 iron.

The sixth is a dogleg left with the biggest dogleg I have ever seen. The hole is a par 4 and very tough the tee shot is with trees down either side as well as bunkers in easy reach should your tee shot not carry as far as you want it to. The perfect tee shot is to keep it close to the left trees very straight carry the bunker and end up on the far right side of the fairway. This will leave you with a shot into the green without having to go over some very large tree’s on the left of the fairway that make this a very tough hole. The green itself has some very challenging mounds and for fast greens this is something that needs a good approach shot.

The seventh is a very straight par three but very long, around 180 yards with trees down the left and deep rough to the right. If you can get close or on the green keeping away from the bunker on the right it is a very clean hole to play.

The eight is another dogleg left this time 90 degrees left. A good tee shot will find you to the left of the fairway clear of the tree line on the left. Beware if you tee off too far you will end up out of bounds and even though there is no real reason behind the out of bounds there is a lake that you can end up in so be careful. Into the green with bunkers on either side again also there is a drop off the back of the green that could find you in deep trouble in a ditch.

The final hole is very long and requires some very good accurate golf, it is very easy to get mislead by the wide fairway that leads up the hill. The perfect line is to the left of the fairway but not in the rough. The reason for this is that in the middle of the fairway is a massive oak tree splitting the fairway in two. If you are over to the right and not a confident golfer you could find that the car park comes into play, if you get over to the left side you can get a good second shot past the tree. This hole is a par five and needs three good shots to get you onto the very inviting green.

There is a small club house that has a fantastic little cafe. I have played this course a number of times and enjoyed it every time. I even played it in a downpour that saw the greens turn into water hazards. Well reccomended.