El Valle, or the ‘Tournament Course’, was designed to take advantage of the desert surroundings of the resort with the many natural elements making this one of the most picturesque courses in the Nicklaus Golf Trail. The course has recently been host to the European Tour Qualifying School, The Spanish Senior Open, Rolex sponsored amateur competitions and used by many prominent local companies for their golf events, this is real testament to the quality of the design.

There is certainly a challenge from which ever tees you chose to play from, with a modest Par 71 rather than length which seems the norm in designing new courses. El Valle relies on the many outcrops, undulating fairways and greens to give even the most experienced player a good challenge but rewards those with accuracy and course management. The 2nd hole Par 4 measures 440 yards from the yellow tees and demands a long straight tee shot, with bunkers to the left and right waiting to catch any shot just slightly off line. This will be followed by a wood, long iron or if lucky a mid iron to an elevated green; short with this and you roll off on the big slopes guarding the right hand side, long and you have an impossible chip to the fast and sloping green; walk away with a Par and you’re very happy.

All courses have memorable holes, El Valle can boast several! Two of the best being the 8th with a backdrop of mountains; a better vista of a hole on El Valle you will think would be hard to find. But then when you arrive at the 11^th, a short Par 4 greets you with an elevated tee on an outcrop of rocks. For a moment, take a look at the spectacular views across the course and to the Mar Menor in the distance. At just 300 yards, it’s certainly a risk and reward shot which can very easily see a good card ruined.