Covering more than an impressive 2 million sq. metres, Corvera is a superb project with Olazabal's stunning course as its main feature.
This growing area of Murcia is a great new option for any golf holiday in SpainCorvera Golf is one of the newest gems of golf in Murcia - a sensational championship course designed by Jose Maria Olazabal. The twice Masters Champion and Ryder Cup hero (his 6 Ryder Cup matches include 3 wins over USA) was provided with this stretch of land on which to create his par-72 layout.
The natural slopes and undulations mean that golfers will enjoy magnificent views of the Mar Menor, while the layout itself promises to be a star attraction of an increasingly popular destination.
Hole by Hole Description:
· Hole 1 - 390m par 4 with wide tees and a slight downhill slope
This is a long hole but not too difficult for amateur players as befits an opening hole. The tee shot is guarded on the left by two large bunkers which deter from playing to that side. The right side of the fairway is more open and allows for an easier shot without the risk of penalty. The second shot offers a straight approach into a green protected by a large bunker to the left and a slightly smaller one to the right.
The right front and centre sections of the green are protected by a bunker which calls for a very precise approach shot - especially if the flag is located close to the right edge. The left front and centre are more open offering a slightly shorter approach with easier access. The back section of the green is not as guarded however a longer approach is required to avoid the bunkers.
· Hole 2 - 221m par 3 - a long hole with a slightly elevated tee offering a very attractive view to the green.
The change in elevation assists greatly to cover the distance from tee to green. The tees are situated to the right side which encourages a fade or sliced tee shot (for right handed players) to land in the area protected by bunkers and semi-rough. The triangular green is protected with bunkers on the left side & the front section provides easiest access. The left greenside bunker is at the narrow mid section dissuading the player from playing to that side. The rear bunker penalises a shot which is too long thereby demanding a tee shot of great precision in terms of distance and accuracy.
· Hole 3 - 417 m par 4 with a gentle downhill slope & a tee shot protected on the left side by 3 large bunkers.
The second shot requires a medium iron into a green which is protected on the entire right side by a large bunker which comes into play 20m from the green. The pin can be placed very close to the sand creating the need for an approach of real precision.
· Hole 4 - 362m par 4 with a slight slope assisting the drive although the landing area is more or less level with the teeing area.
Not a long hole but one that calls for careful thought & precision. The ideal landing area has a large bunker which makes it difficult to hit a long tee shot to shorten the hole. To the left side are two lakes which provide an attractive backdrop when lining up your approach to the green. There is a small area of rough between the lakes providing possible escape for a shot pulled to the left.
The approach is flanked to the right side by two bunkers with a further bunker on the right side of the green. This creates a clear distinction between the sand on the right and the lakes on the left. The second shot should only be around 100m - however the green is long and narrow making club selection more difficult depending on the location of the flag. The left side of the green is more open than the right - however the lake is located directly on the left border.
· Hole 5 - 519m par 5 the difficulty of the hole is increased due to it being uphill.
The tee shot is drawn to the lake on the right side therefore the forward tees are located away from this line. To complicate matters there are two small bunkers located on the left side penalising a shot played down this side. The combination of lakes and bunkers require a long & accurate tee shot. Two circular shallow bunkers sit in the middle of the fairway awaiting the second shot - however If the opening tee shot hits the fairway then there should not be a problem in clearing these bunkers with the second shot.
The green is well protected by two bunkers should you be tempted to reach the green in two. A perfectly struck long iron will allow access to the small green however this is not easy due to the distance of the shot. In reality the hole should be played as a traditional par 5 requiring three shots to access the green.
· Hole 6 - 430m par 4 the longest par 4 on the course made more difficult by a tricky green.
The length is offset by a gentle downhill slope however this is definitely one of the toughest holes on the course. The drive is to a generous landing area allowing for a certain margin of error. A bunker to the right dissuades players from driving down to this side in order to shorten the hole. Anything up to a 3 wood is required to reach a long green bordered on the left by a lake and to the right an area of rough with a small bunker.
Although the distance may not be an issue for low handicapper players the approach also calls for great precision. Less capable players may have to accept reaching the green in three shots and hope for a single putt to achieve par.
· Hole 7 - 496m par 5 running directly parallel to hole 3 this hole is difficult due to its length - a par is very achievable but birdies will be few and far between.
There are two long bunkers awaiting the tee shot - one for a shorter hit shot and the other for a longer shot. The landing area is located between the two so great precision is required. This complication combined with a slightly elevated green makes it very difficult to access the green in two shots.
The landing area for the second shot is protected by a large bunker to the left thus encouraging precision rather than an aggressive approach. The green is protected to the left by a large bunker and to the right front by a second bunker demanding a high ball flight. The back and right of the green is not protected which allows access -however there is an area close by with trees and a plant border.
Hole 8 - 138m par 3 a short hole requiring no more than a mid to short iron.
The green has many undulations so great precision is needed depending on the location of the flag. The green is protected only by two bunkers - one greenside, deep and round requiring a high soft escape and a second larger bunker on the right side slightly separated from the green.
· Hole 9 - 367m par 4 a slight downhill slope with the landing area on the left 50m from the boundary line and the right side protected with a large bunker.
The second shot is to a large green heavily protected by two big bunkers - one left and the other right. Easiest access is to the front as the bunker to the left protects the line of sight whilst the bunker to the right covers the whole right side.
· Hole 10 - 332m par 4 a short hole with a slight dog leg to the right.
The angle of the dog leg is protected by a medium sized bunker creating the decision to either follow the line of play or to risk a shot over the bunker whilst at the same time avoiding a second smaller yet deeper trap. The second shot is to a green protected by natural vegetation and planting rather than bunkers. & with numerous flag positions available the hole requires precision rather than power
· Hole 11 - 503m par 5 a hole that appears flat actually has a gentle downhill slope.
The drive is protected by two bunkers to the left and a lake to the right that runs all the way to the green. After the tee shot there are no further bunkers on the hole and the difficulty is created by dips and contours around the landing areas and cutaways
The green has two well differentiated areas - a wider short section with easier access and a longer narrow section. They are separated by the lake making access via this route more difficult A very attractive hole, maybe "the signature hole" of the course, due to the lake on the right, the cleared area to the left and a highly contoured green
· Hole 12 - 418m par 4 the second longest par 4 on the course and also the most difficult.
A dog leg to the left and with a landing area to the right located slightly higher than the tees. It is not overly difficult to carry the bunker on the right however clearing the bunker on the left side is a different proposition as it has been designed to be longer than the usual carry distance at approximately 270m from the tee.
The most logical shot is down the left side landing just short of the bunker leaving a second shot of approx 170m - however the shot carries risk as there is rough in this area. Ideally the second shot should be played from the left side of the fairway as this offers a more open approach to the pin.
The front section of the green is fairly straightforward however access to the back of the green requires more club plus great precision as the entire right side is protected by a bunker.
· Hole 13 354m par 4 a hole that requires great precision particularly with the second shot as there is an out of bounds area on the right.
From the back tees the hole is almost straight - however as you move forward through the teeing areas the hole becomes a slight dog leg and the further up you move the less likely it is that a sliced shot will travel out of bounds.
There are three bunkers in the landing area, two to the right and a smaller one to the left. This encourages play along the left side of the fairway which is protected by mature and newly planted trees. The tee shot requires precision as the distance between the bunkers is only 40 metres. The sensible shot is to play a lofted wood short of the danger leaving a medium iron to the green. The approach demands precision to a circular green with two large irregular shaped bunkers protecting the green edges and a further small grass hazard at the front.
· Hole 14 - 529m par 5 the longest hole on the course.
This could be considered the most difficult hole on the course if one thinks of more than just making par at each hole. The drive is to a landing area relatively free of danger in order to allow as long a drive as possible.
There are two bunkers but the area between them is quite wide. The one to the left can be carried over quite easily and the bunker on the right is designed to penalise a fade error only. The second section of the hole forms a gentle dog-leg to the right with two bunkers around the landing area, thus a sensible and accurate shot is essential. If the intention is to get to the green in two then both shots must be very long & very precise. The best option on this hole is to accept three shots to reach the green.
The green is fully protected by three bunkers - one on each side and a third at the back. This reinforces the advice that the green is most sensibly and successfully accessed with three well placed shots rather than by trying to get up in two
· Hole 15 - 214m par 3 another long par 3 that requires a long and precise shot to make par.
The green is protected by two wide bunkers - the first at the front on the right side with a clear area between the bunker and the green which leaves the central area relatively clear. The second bunker runs all the way along the left side of the green and punishes a shot that is hit too long or with too much draw for the right handed player.
The green is irregularly shaped and divided into three areas. The front left is the easiest section, the middle area is of medium difficulty whilst the area to the right and the rear is the most difficult as it requires a high ball hit over the bunker and holding the green
Hole 16 - 370m par 4
The sensible tee shot should be played to the area of fairway which is free of hazards and where two small bunkers frame the landing area. Beware the seven further bunkers which although small and shallow lie in wait in the outer edges of this area to penalise a longer shot which attempts to bite off too much distance. This leaves a mid iron approach to a green that is well defended with bunkers on both sides.
· Hole 17 - 204m par 3 with a green which is broader than it is long to allow for slight sideways drift from the tee.
Finding the pin is difficult as the green offers many landing areas with slopes and ridges. There is an "ante green" area just short of the putting surface with low ridges and contours - this creates the effect of closing the green from the tee and highlighting the areas of difficulty.
In addition two medium sized bunkers are placed in the short area of the green further protecting the entrance and penalising shots down the green edges. The centre and rear of the green are free from hazards.
· Hole 18 - 388m a challenging par 4 to finish the round
The fairway runs downhill all the way giving the hole a particularly attractive visual design. The sloped area on the right side has been designed to create a perfect viewing location for tournament spectators.
The drive is flanked by a bank to the right and by three medium sized bunkers - two located to the left and a third to the right close to the line of play. The green has a large bunker on each side creating a narrow area of access and the putting surface is contoured and shaped to place great importance on the closing putts which so often determine the eventual winner.
· Practice area
The high quality driving range provides fully covered individual bays facing in a Southeast direction which allows for ideal practice conditions.
The outfield has been constructed with five target greens from 50m up to 250m. In addition to the long game area there are 2 separate short game areas for dedicated chipping and putting practice capable of accommodating large groups for teaching purposes.