Murcia Golf Review – La Torre, Mar Menor, El Valle, Hacienda Riquleme & Roda Golf
Oliver
Murcia Golf Holiday Review
I have just recently returned from a 12 nights stay at La Torre Resort just outside Murcia on the Costa Blanca. During our stay we were fortunate enough to play the four course currently on the Nicklaus Golf Trail and all were excellent and very different in design. The only similarity between the courses is the vast amount of sand on each, which is a trademark of Jack Nicklaus and his course design. La Torre was shortest of the four but still a tight course with large fairway bunkers and quick greens making it a challenge for all abilities of golfer. Mar Manor, is 20 minutes from La Torre Resort and is currently a 9 hole course with the second 9 currently under construction and due for completion in October. This course is flat and very different in design as was originally constructed by Dave Thomas. It is surrounded by Florida style villas and has a 5 star plus Intercontinental Hotel and its large infinity pool over looks the 9th green. El Valle is my favourite of the four and is 10 minute drive from La Torre. This course has a Las Vegas feel to it, built into the desert, with million pound villas backing onto it and the clubhouse is very contemporary with large sofas on the terrace looking over the 18th green. Desert areas just into the fairways making it very narrow in parts and large lakes are an excellent feature on the last few holes. Hacienda Riquelme was the last of the four we played and it was obvious that this was the newer of the courses. The Clubhouse was a temporary building and the course was still establishing itself in areas. But this is longer than the others so is good for those who like to hit big but be warned there is more water on this course which does to come into play on several holes.
Roda is about 20 mins drive from La Torre. The first 9 holes of the course is long and tight with some long par fours! The back nine was a lot more open and shorter with some tricky par 3’s over water, a flat track but excellent Pro Shop and Club House well worth adding to a 7 night stay for guests for a bit of variety.
La Torre resort is great, we stayed in a 2 bed apartment overlooking the 2nd fairway with views of the clubhouse, it was within 5 minute walk of the resort centre. There is a choice of restaurants, an Irish theme bar and cocktail bar on the lake. Price wise everything was reasonable with a 2 course meal and bottle of wine costing around €28 per head. There are good deals for lunch in the Clubhouse which is perfect for before or following a round of golf. As an added novelty and for all those gadget fanatics there is the opportunity to hire a Segway buggy. These are two wheeler stand on buggies that are controlled with balance and have a bracket on the side to hold your clubs. They can only hold one person at a time but at €30 to hire well worth trying for at least one round.
La Torre is 15 mins from the Airport, Sand Beaches of Los Arcos with some good Restaurants and Bars. You do have the option for a group of guys to go to Roldan which is 5 mins off site of La Torre which has a couple of nice English bars and restaurants. 1 Bar called The Long Bar will even come and pick you up and take you back to La Torre for nothing! Cheap drink and food it shows all the sport perfect for a group of lads that needs a cheap night with a bit more atmosphere.
The overall experience was superb, this is definitely a resort I will be returning to for my next golf holiday.
