With some truly awesome value for money on offer at Montecastillo in Spain, there is little surprise that this golf resort just outisde of Jerez on the Costa de la Luz has become a Your Golf Travel best seller. Recently, the writer behind the Euro Golf Preview blog packed his bags and jetted off to have a crack at the Jack Nicklaus course that lies in wait at Montecastillo and this is what he had to say about the resort…
Firstly, it’s not often that you can indulge yourself in a luxury holiday playing golf, but this winter with Your Golf Travel, I did just that. Secondly, it’s also not very often that you find a luxury resort like Montecastillo for such great value.
On arrival we were met by a pleasant and friendly concierge, who welcomed us and explained the details regarding the breakfast and unlimited golf that was all included in the deal. He then put our luggage and golf bags on a buggy and gave us a lift to our villa, which was only a 1 minute walk from reception. This great service from staff was continued throughout our entire stay.
The resort is a 10 min drive outside the city of Jerez, and a 15 min drive from the airport, making it most convenient. The airport also has a train station if you’re travelling from any other major city in Spain. Most of the guests either flew in to Jerez airport, or had rental cars, for which there is ample parking.
As outlined above, the customer service was great from all the staff. From the concierge to breakfast waiters and cleaners, no stone was left unturned. They will always try to help you if you have an issue or a question about something. They have a very good taxi service that they use, and you just have to request one and one will arrive in no time. The appearance of the Hotel is very smart and elegant, with sophisticated furnishings and a delightful atmosphere. It is a very safe environment.
The food is outstanding. There are large windows of time for you to have your meals, for example, breakfast is available from 7:30am until 11:00am while lunch and dinner are also very accessible to guests. The breakfast on offer is the perfect before a long day of golf, with all that you expect from a resort of this stature. My main recommendations are the scrambled eggs, cooked tomatoes, Spanish meats, and fresh pastries.
Like the restaurant, the bar is also very comfortable and an excellent place to spend the evening reminiscing about the day’s play. It is stocked with most beverages (alcoholic or not) and with a good selection of sandwiches, baguettes and plated meals available, hunger is never an issue. It also has a large flat-screen TV, which can be watched from an array of comfortable armchairs and sofas.
In the summer months, they have a large space outside for people to relax in the evenings with a refreshing drink. Here you may meet some of their wildlife that they are very fond of. From the outside seating area you can also get a view of the signature 18th hole and watch as golfers put the finishing touches to their rounds.
In the hotel the quality continues to shine through. The rooms have flat screen TVs and quite appropriately they have The Golf Channel available to watch. Other channels include Sky News, BBC News, and National Geographic amongst other Spanish channels that show, luckily for football fanatics, show their fair share of La Liga games. The en-suite bathrooms have everything you need; fresh towels and toiletries every day, and even a hairdryer for the follically endowed golfers among us!
On to the golf…
If you don’t already know, the Montecastillo Golf Resort hosted 5 consecutive Volvo Masters tournaments from 1997-2001. The decision of the European Tour to use this resort comes as no surprise and you will understand this when you play here. Jack Nicklaus designed the course and he played here in its very first event, the Turespana Masters in 1994. After a promising opening round 69 (-3), he shot 80 (+8) in the second round, and the then 54-year old missed the cut. A lot of other well-known golfers have played here, including Ian Poulter, Adam Scott, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Angel Cabrera, Ernie Els, and Your Golf Travel Ambassador Darren Clarke among others.
The course is challenging. Off the tee it is fairly tight but the course is not too long with many holes requiring just a short iron approach after a solid drive. There is a good selection of tees available on every hole so you can manage the distance you play from and it’s wise not to bite off more than you can chew as the course has plenty of very large bunkers which will test your short game, as will the greens which are very smooth and undulating. I’d imagine after a spell of good weather they’d run pretty quickly as well!
Around the course, there are a few elevation changes to take into account. These offer the chance to enjoy some spectacular views of the city of Jerez. The back nine offers a very exciting finish with water in play on each of the last 3 holes. Building like a crescendo towards the signature 18th hole, which has its tee box high up on top of a hill, you can make or break a score over these final holes. Thankfully the fairway on the final hole is one of the widest on the course, allowing for a thrilling finish!
The practice facilities are superb as well, with a fully maintained turf driving range, a great chipping green with two practice bunkers that are superbly looked after and a large, perfectly manicured putting green. When we arrived the first thing we used was the putting green, and the first 10 putts each went about 10ft past the hole! After adjusting it was amazing to actually putt on greens that were true and had accurate amounts of break in them. It definitely made putts from inside 5 feet a whole lot easier to make.
The Pro-shop itself is stocked with a wide array of golf clothes and shoes, and always has a friendly English-speaking member of staff ready to help. You just have to present your golf voucher before your tee-time, pick up a buggy or trolley and away you go. While walking the course will not be a problem for most, the elevation changes mean you face inevitable climbs and taking into account the hot weather, the use of buggies does make it a round all the more comfortable. Fitting in 36 holes a day is no problem and even if you don’t have time to stop after the first 18 for lunch in the dining room, the resort do snack-packs to take with you on your round. A lovely touch.
Tips…
The course is measured in metres, so if you are like most British golfers and have yardage ingrained in your DNA, I recommend downloading a length converter app for your phone so that you can convert distances on the course.
Another tip is to use the facilities before your tee-time. In my opinion it’s worth the extra effort to warm up on the range or chipping/putting greens so you’re “in the zone” when you tee-off on the 1st. Also, after making par on the 1st hole on our first day I thought “Well this is going to be an easy week…” I was bang wrong and would advise not to get ahead of yourself after a good hole, as every hole on the course has the potential to bring you back down to earth.
One last bit of polite advice is to bring enough golf balls for your trip!
Conclusion…
After spending a week at Montecastillo I would without doubt return for another golfing holiday with Your Golf Travel. It is the perfect resort for golfers and caters for all types of golfer. Whether you want a restful time playing the odd 9-holes, or for the golfer who wants to re-tune his game in the sunny calm environment that this part of Andalucía has to offer, Montecastillo is the perfect fit. It is also great for groups of golfers who want to play competitive or recreational golf. The course is perfectly designed so that most holes are self-contained and you can focus purely on playing golf. It will be sooner than later before I return here. See you on the 1st!
*Review courtesy of Tom Crouch at Euro Golf Preview and @eurogolfpreview