Villamartin

Villamartin has a par of 72 with 4 par fives all over 500 yards long and 4 par three’s, the seventeenth being the most spectacular. This course is straight forward and plays as you see it, at 6132 metres in length its another good test for any level of club golfer.

This course is a favourite with many of our golfing parties because of its location close to the restaurants and bars.

Hole 1 Par 5, 485 Metres,
The first hole at Villamartin is a great opening par 5, it is a long dog leg to the left. From the tee its your driver and the fairway is quite wide but watch out for the bunker down the left as it can come into play, best line is middle right of fairway. Your second shot with a fairway wood needs to be hit with a draw or hit down the left side of this sloping fairway to give you the best line into the green. Your third shot should only be about a wedge but you need to fly over the Olive tree’s just short of this large green. There is only one bunker to the far left side of this green and with a good third shot in should give you a chance of making a birdie.
Hole 2 Par 4, 360 Metres,
From the tee its your driver and its a wide open fairway. Watch out for the out of bounds far right and left also there are three fairway bunkers down the left side of this fairway. With a good drive from the tee you should only have a short iron to the green. This is a large green and from the fairway it looks flat but watch out for the big slop to the back of this green, club selection is all important. There is one large bunker to the left of the green and one short right side.
Hole 3 Par 4, 345 Metres,
This par 4 has a wide fairway and up hill for the first 220 metres or so then flattens out to the green. For the big hitters watch out for the bunker at the top of the hill left as it can come into play. Your second shot should only be a medium to short iron. The green is another large flat one protected by two bunkers one front right and the other far left.
Hole 4 Par 4, 336 Metres,
This is a short par 4 and you can use a driver or 3 wood from the tee. All the trouble is left at this hole, there is a long fairway bunker down the left and further left there is a deep ravine with tree’s. Best line from the tee is down the middle, with a good tee shot its only a very short iron to this new green. The green slops from back to front and is protected with three bunkers, one front right, back right and the other back left, easy par 4.
Hole 5 Par 5, 465 Metres,
This is another great par 5 and its a driver from the tee. This hole is a dog leg left all up hill and the fairway slops to the right with out of bounds to the left. Your best line from the tee is just left of centre as the ball will kick right. Your second shot should be places up the middle right to give you a good line into the pin with your third shot. Short left of the green there is a deep ravine with large tree’s avoid going left. There is one flat bunker about 50 metres short right of the green and another deeper one right edge of this green. Played as a par 5 you should have a good chance to make a birdie or easy par.
Hole 6 Par 3, 188 Metres,
This is a tough par three for any player, club selection is all important at this hole. The green is very large and wide, there is a top flat level to the back and it slops from back to front but to make par here you need to be close to the pin as there are many difficult slops to deal with. What make the tee shot harder is the large wide bunker covering the hole of the front of this green you must clear this bunker from the tee to make par or be very good with your lob wedge.
Hole 7 Par 4, 308 Metres,
From the tee this hole dog legs to the right, this is one for the big hitters out there, you can cut the corner and drive the green or end up being snookered behind one of the many Olive tree’s protecting this green. The best line from the tee is down the middle left, this will give you a good view down to the green for your second shot with only a short iron. Watch out for the bunker to your far left side of this wide open fairway. There are no bunkers round this green but watch out for the Olive tree’s as they surround this green and make it tricky to get close to the pin to make par.
Hole 8 Par 4, 333 Metres,
This hole play very similar to hole 3 but very slightly shorter. Its a driver from the tee up hill to a wide fairway but watch out for the tall tree’s on the right side and the bunker at the top of the hill again right side. Your second shot is about a short to medium iron to a green largely protected by bunkers. One front right, back right, front left and back left. A good crisp second shot to the green will reward you with an easy par.
Hole 9 Par 3, 152 Metres,
This is the shortest hole on the course and at stroke index 18 also the easiest hole. Depending on the tee position it should only be about a 7 iron to this huge green. If the tee is to the right side you will have a small water hazard to play over to hit this green. The only trouble here is far left, there is a deep gorge with tall tree’s. The green runs from back to front and there are two bunkers both to the back of this green.
Hole 10 Par 4, 320 Metres,
The tenth tee is just in front of the clubhouse and from the tee it looks very narrow. There is out of bounds down the left side and woods to the right. Best line of this tee is middle left with a 3 wood from the tee. Just short right of the green is a large gully try and keep clear of this as it make your second shot very difficult. With a good tee shot you should only have about a 9 iron or wedge to this large soft green. Watch out for the two bunkers left side of this green and try not to go through the green as there is a very steep bank which may result in a lost ball.
Hole 11 Par 5, 450 Metres,
Yet another very good par 5 and a good chance of making birdie here. The tee is elevated and set back in tree’s you look down on this very wide fairway. This hole plays as a dog leg left, up hill for the first 300 metres. Your best line from the tee is middle left just inside the tree at the top of the hill. There is only one fairway bunker left of the tree and from there its all down hill to the green. The line on your second shot should be played with a draw or straight over the top of the tree left. Its worth going to the top of the hill to get your best line as its a tricky green to hit in two shots. To make an easy par here your second shot should be played with a 4 or 5 iron, this will leave you a good wedge to the putting surface. The green slops from back to front and is protected with three bunkers, one front left, front right and one at the back of the green.
Hole 12 Par 4, 385 Metres,
This is a long par 4 and it requires a good long tee shot. The first part of the fairway is flat and there are two bunkers that can come into play from the tee, one left the other right to make the green in two you must miss both bunkers from the tee. After the bunkers the fairway dips down and then plays up hill to an elevated green. With a good drive your second shot will be about a medium iron up to a long wide green. The green is open from the front but watch out for the green side bunkers left and right, also try not to miss this green to the right as your ball will take a very nasty kick down the slop and make it very difficult to make par.
Hole 13 Par 3, 185 Metres,
Club selection is all important at this par three. You play from an elevated tee to the green below, it normally plays one club less than you think. The green is quite flat and is protected by bunkers both sides of the green. Watch out for the two bunkers 30 metres short of the green you don’t see them from the tee.
Hole 14 Par 5, 520 Metres,
This hole is stroke index 1 on the score card and rightly so. From the tee its your driver, don’t go left as there is a deep gorge that runs all the way up the left side of this wide fairway. Your best line from the tee is the bunker up the right side of the fairway your ball will kick back into the middle of the fairway as it slops right to left. With your second shot you should lay up short of the deep ditch that runs all the way across the fairway, this should leave you in a good position to hit the green in three. One your third shot there is a line of tall tree’s to play over up hill to this large green. The green is protected by one large bunker short right and another green side left.
Hole 15 Par 4, 320 Metres,
From the tee there is out of bounds down the left side of this flat fairway. Down the right side there is a new water hazard. With a good tee shot down the middle your second shot will only be a short iron to the green. Things to watch out for on your second shot are the new water hazards front right, right and back of this large green. There is also one bunker green side left, but with a good crisp second shot you should have a birdie chance at this hole.
Hole 16 Par 4, 375 Metres,
This long par 4 plays as a very slight dog leg left. From the tee your best line is just right of the left hand fairway bunker as the fairway slops left to right. It can be quite a long second shot but if you hit the ball straight it will run down onto the green. The green is long and wide so club selection is the key to making a good par at this hole. Watch out for the green side bunkers both left and right.
Hole 17 Par 3, 220 Metres,
This long par 3 is quite spectacular looking from the tee. The tee is elevated and there is a deep gully between you and the green. This green is more like something out of National Augusta, your club choice is the key to making par here. If the pin is at the front of this huge green take one club more and try to hit the steep slop to the left of the pin or go long and hit the slop passed the pin both shots we see the ball roll back towards the pin. If you hit the top levels back or left on this green you are looking at a 4 putt. The green is protected by three bunkers one front, right and left.This is a great par 3 and one you will want to play again and again.
Hole 18 Par 4, 385 Metres,
This hole plays as a dog leg left with out of bounds down the right hand side of this wide fairway. Its a driver from the tee down the middle watch out for the fairway bunker far left. This fairway is covered with Olive tree’s and you need a bit of luck here so that you are not snookered by one of them for your second shot. If you are in the clear its about a 7 iron to the green. There are two bunkers well short of the green and a further two green side, one front right and one back left. This green is wide but also very long so club selection is all important to making a good par to finish with.

The course record for Villamartin is held by José Maria Olazábal – he shot a superb 63, nine under. The course was designed by a Paul Putman and opened in 1972. Villamartin provides a course for all skill levels to enjoy since it requires the use of every club in the bag.The greens at Villamartin are superbly designed and very large,thats why many important tournaments for pros and amateurs have been held there in the past. The fairways have bermuda grass on them and the greens are covered with Penncross grass. As a golfer myself I like all the holes at Villamartin from the long doglegs to the short ninth over the water to the blind shots over the hills.

Yet another must for all golfers.

Facilities
Pro shop, driving range, buggy hire, clubhouse, New caddy master and pro shop April 2012.

Our rating 4 out of 5.

This 18 hole review was written by Steven Franchi.

Steven and a group of friends played in April 2015 and really enjoyed it. Some had not played there for years and remarked that it looked like there had been much investment in the course. All had an enjoyable days golfing.