Saurines de la Torre

This great golf course opened in October 2010 is another fantastic addition to the golf courses in this region.
Situated in Roldan, Murcia area follow the signs for Torre Pacheco we now have another excellent Jack Nicklaus creation 18 holes,Par 72,6473 metres the course is similar to his Las Vegas course.
Steven played there with some golfers in March 2012 and the feedback is that this is the best kept secret in this area.

Many improvements have been made at this golf course and it will continue to grow in popularity.

Our last group of golfers said of “Saurines de la Torre” this golf course is as good if not better than Las Colinas!

Please read our comprehensive 18 hole review.Its a must when in the area.

Hole 1 Par 4, 338 Metres,
This opening hole at Saurines de la Torre Just in front of the caddy masters office is a rather tricky par 4. This hole is pretty much uphill all the way to a plateau green. From the tee there are three massive bunkers out to the right and just within driving distance there is a strip of baron land that encroaches onto the fairway from the right. The best line from the tee to avoid trouble is down the left, however this will give you a longer approach shot to the green and you will be coming in over one very long deep bunker cut to the left of the green. There are two further bunkers up at green side one out to the right and one pot bunker front left, you need to avoid these if you want to make par. This green slopes from back to front and is one of the easier greens to putt on. The best bit of advice I can give you here is, be aggressive with your second shot as there is no trouble at the back of this green. Superb par four and is stroke index 14.

Hole 2 Par 4, 401 Metres,
This long par 4 has a wide open fairway so it’s time to go for a big drive to shorten your second shot. One thing I must add at this point, all the tees fairways and greens are of fantastic quality on this golf course this makes it a real pleasure to play around. This hole plays as a dogleg left to right but I would say your best line is middle right side of this undulating fairway, this will leave you a straight shot to the green. There is no real trouble on this hole as such but it still takes two good strikes to find the putting surface. At about 100 metres short of the green the fairway starts to narrow and there is a bit of dead ground which you can’t see which make your approach shot look shorter than it really is. There are also two mounds one green side left and one right. For anyone hitting a wood into this green it’s a nice chance to hit a low runner straight at the green. For the longer hitters of the ball you need to have a look at where the pin is as this green is flat for the first half then slopes towards the back edge just waiting to through your ball of the green. If you do go long at this hole and the pin is at the back edge it will leave you with an awkward pitch back to the hole. This hole looks and sounds easy but its stroke index 6 on your score card.

Hole 3 Par 4, 379 Metres,
This hole takes quite a good straight drive to find the fairway as it is narrow. Out to the right side at about 135 metres from the green there is a large rocky, grassy mound that you want to avoid it would take a very big drive to carry over this and land on the wider part of the fairway at the other side. So the best line from the tee is middle left side. The second shot here can play long as it’s uphill to a very large two tiered green, so take one more club than you first think it’s going to be especially if the pin is cut towards the back edge. As you approach this green you will notice that there are well maintained run of areas all around this green however the deep gully mid to back right is not the place to be. There are only two bunkers to avoid one mid-left, the other short right side of the green. This is a cracking par four and will take two good shots to make par.

Hole 4 Par 4, 403 Metres,
At stroke index 2 on the score card it’s a real challenge. This fairway is wide and again full of many different undulations, (The fairways on this course remind me of home with a links type surface). The best line from the tee is down the right hand side because at  about 130 metres on the left the barren ground creeps in and make this fairway only about 20 metres wide. The approach to this green is uphill and the safe line if you can’t reach in two is out to the right, this will give you a good chance of getting up and down in two. There is one bunker out to the middle left side of the green and normally the pin is tucked in-behind it. This green is large and toward the back edge is well banked and will help your ball stop very quickly.

Hole 5 Par 5, 494 Metres,
This is a cracking par five. Played from an elevated tee you will soon see that there are many undulation on all the fairways here, sometimes this will help give you an extra few metres from the tee if you land on the down slope and other time the ball will stop quickly if you land on an up slope. This first fairway is quite wide and at the 150 metre marker you will find a rather large lake that runs up the fairway and round the right hand side of this green. To the left side of the fairway you will find a hard dessert type of barren land that features on most holes at this very interesting golf course. The best way to play this hole is a nice drive down the middle right side then a long iron or wood up the left side of the fairway which will open up the green for your approach shot. The green is large and slightly uphill to the putting surface, two things to watch out for one being the lake to the right the other being the pot bunker to the left side of the green. Par at this hole is a good score.

Hole 6 Par 3, 201 Metres,
Standing on the tee you will be faced with a rather challenging tee shot, to the right the lake from the first hole continues down the entire length of this hole down passed the green. There are three bunkers around this green on middle and two between the water and the green. Out to the left there is plenty of room should you not wish to take on the water from the tee, however this will leave you with a very difficult pitch to get close to the pin. Even if you hit a good tee shot at this hole and land on the green it will still take two very fine putts to make par, you will see what I mean once on the course.

Hole 7 Par 4, 323 Metres,
Now for a birdie chance and at stroke index 16 on the score card should make for at least an easy par. This tee is slightly elevated and gives you a good view of a wide open undulating fairway.  Both side of this fairway are banked and lined with barren ground covered with many palm trees and different thick grassy plants so the best line from the tee is down the middle. As you approach this green you will find two pot bunkers out to the right side of the green and one deep bunker cut into the front left of the green. It’s slightly uphill to the pin and the green is quite wide. If you go to long at this hole there is a bank towards the back of the green and a nice run off area out to the right to pitch back from. The putting surface is fast with only a few borrows to contend with.

Hole 8 Par 5, 498 Metres,
Hole 5 is long and straight with a more than generous fairway to aim at , the good news is there are no bunker till you reach the green. There is plenty of room down the right side of this fairway and it is also banked at both sides so if you should miss it your ball has a good chance of kicking bank onto the fairway. At about 150 metres from the green the fairway starts to narrow and also at this distance there is a hard rocky mound in the middle of the fairway just to distract you. The best line to take with your second shot is up the left side as this will leave you an easier approach shot to the pin. There is only one bunker on this hole and it’s placed to the far right side of the green. This hole is stroke index 10 on your score card and sounds quite straight forward, however the day I played the pin was cut on the top back left side of the green and I was pin high in two shots and after hitting four shots I was further away than I was in two !!!. This green demands all of your golfing skills to make par. The putting surface is quite wide and deep, from the front its flat then there is a steep slope that runs across the green from left to right and the back part of this tiered green is rather small and falls away down into a tight cut grassy area, if the pin is cut to the back of the green and you go through this green it will take your best pitch of the day to make par.

Hole 9 Par 4, 352 Metres,
Now for an easier hole Index 18, standing on the tee with driver you can see the green straight ahead, the best line of attack is middle right side this will open up the green for your second shot. For the longer hitter beware as a well hit tee shot down the middle left side of this fairway will find a lake.  The lake to the left starts at about 50 metres short of the putting surface and continues past the left side of the green, there is also a very well placed bunker between the water hazard and the green (not the side you want to come in from).Coming in from the right side you will only see one pot bunker out to the right but watch out as there are two. The best advice I can give you for the second shot is to try and land on the back portion of this green and take all the trouble out of play. There is a bank at the very back of the green that will stop the ball if too long and there is also a well cut run of area to the back right which will give you a good chance of getting up and down.

Hole 10 Par 3, 151 Metres,
Now for a lovely looking par three and also the shortest one on this great golf course (if your group is going to play nearest to the pin this is the one to do it on). From the tee you look down over the same lake as the previous hole to the putting surface, club selection is all important. One good strike here and it’s an easy par three, one bad strike and it spells disaster. There is a very well placed large pot bunker cut into the middle left side of the green between the water hazard and the green just waiting for any ball that comes up short. There is one more bunker at the extreme right side of this green. The green itself slopes from back to front edge and has many humps and bumps to contend with. If you’re not sure what club to hit at this hole take one more as there is a generous bail out area through the back of the green, this will also take the water hazard out of play.

Hole 11 Par 4, 360 Metres,
Its driver time again and the first part of this well contoured fairway is wide open, however at about the 150 metre marker it narrows considerably, best line from the tee is up the right side. The tricky thing about this hole is your second shot as there is nothing at the back of the green to give you an idea of distance and there is a gully short of the green which make it look like a short second (if you have a buggy go up and have a look so you can plan the best plan of attack). This green is elevated with slopes and run of areas all the way around it.  There is only one bunker protecting this green and its out to the left side of the green. This hole offers a good chance of a birdie with a well hit positive second shot.

Hole 12 Par 4, 420 Metres,
From the tee you will need a well hit drive to have any chance of reaching this long par 4 in two shots. You also have two options from the tee one is to play safe down the left side of the fairway the other is to play out to the right side of the fairway which is the more dangerous line but the shortest route to the green. At about 260-270 metres from the tee the fairway splits both to the left and right, this is because there is a large rocky mound up the middle. The fairway then becomes one again past this rocky area up to the green. Playing in from the left of the fairway leaves not only a longer shot to the putting surface but also a much more difficult shot as there is another rocky mound to fly over to reach this green.  Out to the far right side of the green there is one pot bunker. My best advice for your second shot at this hole is to aim for the back of the green as there is a steep bank which will stop your ball. This hole is stroke index 3 on your score card and rightly so.

Hole 13 Par 5, 507 Metres,
This is the longest hole on this course. The best line from the tee is down the right hand side of the fairway, this will give you a good look at the green. If you go up the left side your ball could kick down into the rough it will also leave you with a very difficult line to the green. Again if you don’t have the length with your second shot to hit this green your best bet is to play up the right side of the fairway avoiding the rocky gory that cuts into the fairway from the left at about 100 or so metres short of the green.  As you approach the green it plays slightly uphill and there are two bunkers cut into the right side of this long narrow putting surface. The green is about 35 metres long with a nice run of area to the back right passed the two bunkers short right. If the pin is cut back right it takes a very good golf shot to get close, if you even pull your approach shot by 10 feet there is a ridge that runs through this green that will kick your ball way left of the pin. Par is always a welcome score at this challenging hole.

Hole 14 Par 3, 207 Metres,
This is the longest of the par three’s on this golf course and will test and challenge how straight you can hit the ball if you want to hit this long narrow green in one shot. The fairway is wide with many lumps and bumps on it but there isn’t any serious danger. There are run of areas short right, left and also through the back of the green, if you do miss this green there is still a chance if you hit a good pitch to make par. This hole plays very slightly uphill and has steep rocky mounds both to the left and right hand side of the green, so as long as you have the distance to reach this green there is still a chance to get a nice bounce down onto the putting surface. At the mid-point of the putting surface the green slopes gently towards the back edge, so if you land passed the pin your ball will bounce through into the grassy run of area. This hole plays as stroke index 5 on the score card.

Hole 15 Par 4, 412 Metres,
This is a tough well designed golfing hole, it’s also ranked at stroke index 1 on your score card. The perfect tee shot at this hole is straight down the right side with a draw for maximum distance. This long par four plays as a slight dog leg from right to left, but watch out for the lake that runs the full length of the hole on the left side of the fairway. The safe line from the tee is over the lake and down the right side of this generous fairway as there is plenty of room out there. Again on the right there is a rocky grassy bank that runs from tee to green. If you do end up driving down the left side of this fairway you will either have to strike a very good golf shot to carry onto the green or play safe up to your far right to give you an easier third shot to the pin. The green its self is large but full of undulations and trick borrows just waiting to try your passions. If, like most holes on this golf course you hit long through the back of the green you will be left with a difficult pitch to the pin. Par at this challenging hole is a very good score especially if into the wind.

Hole 16 Par 4, 352 Metres,
Standing on the tee you will soon notice that this is one of the easier holes on this super golf course. You can see the green from the tee as it’s a nice straight hole again with many undulations on the fairway. So nice drive anywhere on the fairway, what also helps at this hole is that it’s banked with those rocky grassy areas that should through your ball back onto the fairway if you hit a way word tee shot. Once at your ball as always take time and choose the correct club to reach the pin. The putting surface on the hole is large and flat towards the front as you get to the middle of the green it starts to climb just before it slopes downwards and off towards the back edge. The safe line here is the left portion of the green as there is a bank that should kick your ball into the centre of the putting surface. Don’t be too aggressive with your second shot here as if you go to long you will find that your ball is well through the back of the green leaving a very difficult pitch back to the pin. This green also falls away to tight cut grassy run of areas to the back right hand edge. Two well struck shots should give you a good birdie chance at this hole, which is stroke index 17.

Hole 17 Par 5, 500 Metres,
As you can see this is a long par 5 and there are two lines from the tee the first being for the longer hitters of the ball which is to try and carry onto the plateau down the middle left side of the fairway this will also give you a view of the green in the distance. The second is to play down the right side of the fairway which is wide and flat but will leave you with a much longer shot to the green. Whichever line you have taken from the tee I think it’s well worth while going up for a look to see where you want to place your second shot to leave an easy approach shot onto the putting surface. The last 100 metres or so on this hole is all uphill to a very tricky green with many slopes and undulations to contend with. This green is also very long, so you want to get as close to the pin in two or three shots as possible to ensure you only take two putts. One last thing if you are to bold with your approach shot there is plenty of safe room through the back of the green.

Hole 18 Par 3, 175 Metres,
The final hole has a stunning view from this tee. Yes, another long fun and very testing par three .This hole can play quite easy or very difficult depending on where the pin is cut on the day you play this golf course. So last iron of the day be aggressive and have a go at the pin. If the hole is cut to the front it plays much shorter and much easier, however if cut on the top tier of this green coming off with a 4 is a good score. This green is like no other that I have played in 43 years of golfing, you will see what I mean once on the course the Himalayas spring to mind. Anyway this is in my opinion is a superb golfing hole, and it will test your patience if given the chance.

Our rating 5 out of 5,

This 18 hole review was written by Steven Franchi.