Bonalba

Located in the Bonalba mountains overlooking the Mediterranean in the Mutxamel area of Alicante, Bonalba Golf Club opened in 1993. It was designed by Ramon Espinosa and is built on gentle ridges with wide fairways, undulating greens and strategically located lakes.

The complicated design makes Bonalba an interesting and fun challenge for the golfer. There is a great variety of trees including palms and pines along the course.

Hole 1 Par 4, 375 Metres,
This is a good opening hole but it’s quite narrow around the tee as there are many trees surrounding it. The hole plays as a dog leg to the right with out of bounds all the way up the right side of the fairway. The best line from the tee is just inside the fairway bunker to the right side, you will find that this is also the widest part of the fairway. Your second shot is up hill to the green which is protected at the front by three bunkers, one middle, one left and the third to the right. A well hit second shot finding this large green should make for an easy opening par.

Hole 2 Par 5, 509 Metres
Cross the road over to the right and onto the second hole. It’s your driver from the tee at this long wide open par 5; it will take two very long well hit shots to find this green. There are two bunkers to the left edge of the fairway and they can come into play if you pull your drive, the best line at this hole is straight down the middle. Once at your ball its a good fairway wood again down the middle avoiding the second set of fairway bunkers, one left and two right but there is plenty of room between them. Your third shot to this large green should only be a short iron; the only trouble here is the four bunkers round the edge of the green.

Hole 3 Par 4, 338 Metres
This is quite a straight forward hole from the tee all the way down to the green. There are trees down the left and two bunkers out to the right side of the fairway. Once at your ball club selection is the key to finding the putting surface in two shots. This green is quite small and protected by one bunker left, one right and one to the back right, a well hit shot will stop very quickly as all the greens here are receptive.

Hole 4 Par 3, 175 Metres
This is a good looking medium length par 3 played from an elevated tee down to the green. There is one large bunker front left and two on the right side of the green. Club selection is important here as the green is not only very long but also quite wide.

Hole 5 Par 5, 487 Metres
This is a super looking par 5 and from the tee the first part of this wide fairway is uphill, there is one bunker to the right and one to the left but they don’t really come into play from the tee, however there are two more bunkers out on the right side that do. Once at the top of the slope the fairway runs down hill to the green. The safest and best line for your second shot here is down the right side of the fairway taking the water hazard out of play. As you get closer to the green you will find that the fairway get quite narrow because of the water feature out on the left side of the fairway, it runs up past the green and definitely comes into play if you hit your tee shot up the left side. The green is protected by one large bunker short right and one small one through the back, this is a good chance to make a birdie at this hole if you can keep out of the water.

Hole 6 Par 4, 323 Metres
Yet another great golfing hole, from an elevated tee you look down at the water straight in front of the tee. With driver the best line is slightly right of centre this will give you the shortest carry over the water hazard, (don’t go to far right as there is a fairway bunker out there just waiting for your ball). With a breeze behind you the long hitters of the ball can have a go at driving this green but watch out for the green side bunkers and the water out on the left side of the fairway; it runs all the way from tee to green. This green is medium sized and quite flat but there are three well placed bunker surrounding it. This should be an easy par if you avoid the water hazard.

Hole 7 Par 4, 395 Metres
Now for the toughest hole on the golf course and at stroke index 1 on the card it’s a cracking hole. Standing on the tee you will see water to the left it runs the full length of the hole and to the right you have out of bounds. The best course of action from the tee is to carry the water hazard and find this narrow fairway with your driver or 3 wood. If you opt to use your driver don’t hit it to long as the water cuts into the fairway half way up and makes it even narrower than the rest of this fairway. Once at your ball you should have a medium long iron to the green, if you are to far back from this green the best shot to hit is a lay up shot down the middle right side of the fairway. There is one bunker about 20 metres short right and one at the right hand edge of this green, don’t go to long as there is one more back left that shouldn’t come into play. Par at this hole is a good score.

Hole 8 Par 3, 168 Metres
This is an excellent par three with one bunker about 50 metres short left of the green with one more out to the right side of the fairway. To the left of this very large green you have one bunker cut into the front left side and one more to the back left hand edge. The only place you don’t want to be at this hole is long and right as there is a water hazard to the right side of this green just to make things more interesting. The most important choice on the tee is what club you need to hit to find this green.

Hole 9 Par 4, 397 Metres
From the tee it’s your driver and there is no escape you must clear the water hazard in front of the tee. To carry over the water onto the fairway it’s a carry of about 120 metres. Further up the fairway there is one bunker right that doesn’t come into play from the tee however there are two more to the left that do. The best line from the tee is straight up the middle, I may add this fairway is quite wide and uphill all the way to the green. Around this green there are three well placed bunkers one right, one left and one more back left, the green its self is at an angle to you from the fairway but its large and very receptive. This is a good golfing hole to finish the front nine of with.

Hole 10 Par 4, 350 Metres
This is another great looking golf hole and at stroke index 18 on the score card should be the easiest. From the tee it dog legs to the left with a large water hazard about half way down the fairway on the left side. Out to the right you have a very generous landing area but watch out for the bunker about 190 metres from the tee it’s just waiting to collect any thing that goes short right. Once at your ball it should only be a short iron to this large green. The green slopes towards you from the fairway so hit a good attacking shot and give your self a chance of a birdie. There are two bunkers to the back right and left of this green for any shot hit to long.

Hole 11 Par 3, 181 Metres
From the tee you have a water hazard to your left but it doesn’t come into play at this hole you will be happy to know. Your tee shot here is uphill to the green so choosing the correct club is all important. There is one bunker to the front of the green which your tee shot will have to carry to make the putting surface. The only other trouble on this hole is the bunker through the back of the green.

Hole 12 Par 4, 396 Metres
This hole plays as a dog leg to the right and it also has a wide open fairway. This hole is also all uphill to the green, from the tee you need to watch out for the bunker far left side of the fairway and also the water hazard to the left, it shouldn’t come into play from the tee. The best line is aim just on the corner of the dog leg as this will give you a shorter shot to the green. Don’t cut of to much of the corner as there are two bunkers that you can’t see from the tee. Uphill for your second shot and its still quite a long carry to the green, a rescue club or long iron. You will be pleased to know that there is only one green side bunker to the far left hand edge, so no real danger for your second shot. This green is quite wide and flat to put on and at stroke index 2 on the score card par here is a good score.

Hole 13 Par 5, 493 Metres
This hole is a slight dog leg to the right with three fairway bunkers on the dog leg left side and one more on the right side at about 190 metres from the tee. The best line hear is straight up the middle or for the longer strikers of the ball to carry the right hand bunker with a nice draw on the ball. At about 300 metres up the right side of the fairway there is another bunker and just passed that you have one more in the middle of the fairway. This hole should be played with a view that it will take three well placed shots to hit the green. Just past the dog leg the hole plays uphill to the green which is protected by on huge bunker front edge and two more back right. This hole plays very long as you get no run on the ball so three well hit shots should be rewarded with a par.

Hole 14 Par 3, 184 Metres
This hole is stroke index 16 on the score card and from an elevated tee it’s a good strike straight at the pin. Around this large green you have on bunker front right and three more running from the left side to the back of the green. If you miss the green with your tee shot you should still have a good chance of making par.

Hole 15 Par 5, 486 Metres
This is a cracking par 5 down hill to the green with out of bounds to the right and houses and more out of bounds to the left. There are fairway bunkers to the right and left sides of the fairway but they don’t really come into play from the tee. So stand on the tee and give the ball your best drive down the middle to give your self the opportunity of a birdie here. With playing down hill to the green there is a good chance of hitting this green in two shots if you miss the two staggered fairway bunkers just short of the green. This green is open at the front but watch out for the two bunkers right side and the other two left side.

Hole 16 Par 4, 362 Metres
This hole plays uphill for the first part of the fairway then down hill to a large green, watch out for the out of bounds on the far right from the tee (Its not worth the risk to try and cut the corner at this hole). The best line is middle right as this hole dog legs to the right and just on the bend of the dog leg there are two bunkers to the left side of the fairway that shouldn’t really come into play from the tee. With a good drive from the tee you should only have a medium short iron down to the putting surface. The green is protected by two well placed bunkers to the front left and right, so you need to be positive with your approach shot and carry over both bunkers to secure a par here.

Hole 17 Par 4, 389 Metres
This is another cracking golf hole at Bonalba and is a slight dog leg to the left. This is quiet a long par 4 but plays much shorter than the distance would suggest on the score card as its all down hill to the green. You will be pleased to know that there are no fairway bunkers on this hole and the fairway is more than generous. The best line from the tee is down the middle or any where right of centre; what ever you do don’t go left as there is a rather large water hazard hidden by bushes and trees that will make it impossible to hit the green in two shots. Once at your ball choose your club wisely as it will still take a good strike to hit this green. The green is protected by two bunkers one right side the other to the left but there is a gap between them allowing you to run it onto the putting surface. The only shot you don’t want to hit here is a hook or a pulled shot as the water runs down the left side of the fairway as you approach the green and it also covers the left side of the green. This hole is stroke index 8 on your score card so it’s not as easy as you may think it looks.

Hole 18 Par 4, 359 Metres
Now for the final hole, heading back to the club house at this great golf course and at stroke index 10 shouldn’t cause too many problems. There is part of a water hazard to the left of the tee that you need to carry over to reach the fairway. Going with your driver from the tee watch out for the many fairway bunkers on both sides of this fairway. There is also out of bound up the right side and trees up the left, but don’t worry as the fairway is very wide. Its not to long a par 4 so it should only be a medium short iron up to the green. This green is protected by three bunkers one wide right one left and the last at the back of the green. Should you miss this green in two there is still a good chance of making par with a good pitch and put.

The course features include a covered driving range, putting green, practice bunker, on-course WC and on-course beverages.

Facilities
Restaurant, bar, tennis, sauna, parking, buggy hire, trolley and club hire.

Our rating 4 out of 5.

This 18 hole review was written by Steven Franchi.