Around the golf

Every Monday for the past 8 years, Sta Maria has hosted our regular stableford competitions and is consistently one of our most popular venues. At 72€, the green fee for these competitions is by no means the lowest, but proves the point that price in itself is not the be-all and end-all. The true measure is whether players leave the club feeling they have received value for money. And the Santa Maria Club certainly provides value for money.

Santa Maria is one of the few which can genuinely call itself a golf club, as it easily manages to look after it's members while accommodating and pleasing it's fair share of visitors. In fact, together with Miraflores and El Paraiso, it closely resembles most British golfers' idea of a members golf club. The ambience is there the moment one enters the clubhouse and the terrace bar/restaurant, with it's splendid views of the 1st. tee and the eighteenth green against the backdrop of the Sierras. The clubhouse even has a billiards room, with two full-size snooker tables. The course itself, while not long, rewards accuracy rather than brute strength, giving golfers from scratch to 36 handicap an equal opportunity to score well. No two holes are the same and all are isolated from each other. It is one of the few clubs which police handicaps, ensuring that the course does not get clogged with beginners who should still be learning the game at golf driving ranges and academies. Four to four-and-a-half hours is the norm at Santa Maria for a fourball, which is more than reasonable these days, when tour professionals playing 3 balls, can take just as long.

The day's enjoyment does not end there, however. The 19th. hole offers the opportunity to enjoy a drink and a snack in a relaxed atmosphere, while watching others perform as they make their way down the 18th. fairway. Last Monday's competition was over-subscribed, so it does pay to book early. Just call 952 582 943 to make sure of your place.