Atalaya Golf and Country Club Estepona-Malaga

Played the new course saturday and sunday. Enjoyable layout with some shortish par 4 holes. Makes you feel great to almost drive some greens (we can dream can't we) Pleasing to the eye but steep to climb in some places. Plans in the clubhouse to re-vamp the layout and eliminate the longish walk to 1st tee. handicap of 10 plus should definately include it in their itinerary.

Played both courses in January 2003 and was very impressed with the layout and quality of both courses. The starter was very friendly and changed our tee time at the last minute. The only downside was the obvious ability of some of the golfers on show who clearly were not club golfers.

Played both courses, Old and New on 2nd and 3rd May 2003. The New is set up like an English parkland course, very pretty and playing about 5,800 yards off the yellow was fun and enjoyable, expecially coming in with 36 points. The Old was a lot more hilly but still walkable, only managed 34 points here, but cannot believe it is nearly 1 1/2 miles to and from clubhouse and 1st tee. 5 hour rounds on both. They should really buck up on standards, 3 players in front of us with only 2 bags, driving 160 yards off the tee then waiting till the greens cleared to play a 210 approach shot, which was not made, hence 5 hours a round. Subsidised green fees if staying at the linked hotels. Worth a visit.

Atalaya Old is an extremely attractive, flat and enjoyable test of golf. There is absolutely no point whatsoever in hiring buggies as they are only allowed to be driven down the concrete pathways at the edge of each fairway; consequently, assuming your ball is in the middle of the fairway, you are constantly walking from side to middle and back again. When booking start times, always try to get the first time out, around 8 am, as the rate of play is generally dreadfully slow. In April our fastest round was 4 hours 20 mins, our slowest 5 hours.

Atalaya Old is a longish course by Spanish "holiday course" standards and as such will be best enjoyed by mid to low handicappers, but playing off the forward tees it is also an enjoyable outing for the less serious among us. There is a little corner arond 12 and 13 where water plays a relevant part but otherwise it is fairly open and very playable by all. It is fairly flat most of the way but being open the sun will tire you so buggies are worthwhile. A pretty and picturesque parkland course worth including in your plans.