Course Information.

Would you say that you are an adventurous golfer, enjoy a challenge; never play safe????, well you may want to put Monte Mayor on your courses to play before you die.

Monte Mayor is a must to play, though there may be some who would argue the point. Monte Mayor is one of a kind -- a course people generally either love or hate, with no opinion coming in between the two.

Pepe Gancedo, the Pecaso of golf design, was given some horrendous terrain in the foothills of the Ronda Mountains. The scenery was spectacular, but the task confronting Gancedo was interesting to say the least.

The end result is a course that is totally different from any you may have previously played.

"At the end of your round you will not only be mentally exhausted, but exhilerated and delighted that you have not only beaten the bull, but also enjoyed a very special course."

The mountain tops have literally been hacked off to provide a flatter surface for a green here and a tee there. Tee shots are made across ravines, streams and gorges to greens that stand-alone on plateaus on the other side or in the depths of valleys, surrounded by thick, wild vegetation.

Every hole presents a different and unique challenge. On the few occasions when a hole appears normal, it comes as a disappointment -- even boring. Is Monte Mayor impossible to play; No, you need to play the course as the designer intended. If you go for the driver every time you will pay a high price in lost balls and blood pressure. This is real position play with some par 4s requiring a sensible 5 or 7 iron off the tee before a long second to the green. The local rules are lenient, and any lost ball is considered as being in a side water hazard.

This is a game of chess, tactics and planning pay a big part in scoring on this course, so don’t expect to play well the first time, better you make Monte Mayor a days experience and take on the second round challenge after a good lunch.

The scenery is nothing less than breathtaking; with views of the distant Mediterranean Sea and towering peaks of the Ronda Mountains. Everywhere there is the feeling of being isolated at the end of the world, totally alone and removed from the every day.

It's entirely appropriate that the club's emblem is a charging bull, and only when you play it for yourself will you discover how well suited the emblem is. You have to face it, stave off its charges, sidestep its attacks and outwit the animal at every turn. There is no question that golf at Monte Mayor is different. At the end of your round you will not only be mentally exhausted, but exhilarated and delighted that you have not only beaten the bull, but also enjoyed a very special course. I still believe it to be one of the best in southern Spain.