Having been aware of Arcos ……..for some time now we finally took the opportunity to spend some time at the 4* Golf Venue in Arcos De la Frontera close to Herez on the southwestern part of Spain. This is a different type of golf holiday, this is a golfer’s golf holiday for people who want to pay the proper attention to their game, regroup and come home relaxed with a tighter game and a practice method to improve even more.
This is not a trip that will involve lots of travel to different courses, sampling the nightlife and generally rushing around. This is about you and your game and benefiting both in luxurious surroundings with great facilities.
The first part of this is the itinerary and this is a 4-day golf and golf coaching experience to Arcos Golf Club and Country Estate.
Day 1
Take the Aerlingus flight at 7.30am from Dublin to Malaga and that flight arrived at 11.30am. Hire a rental van and drive to Arcos Gardens. May I suggest to stop halfway along the trip and enjoy a spot of light lunch at the San Roque Club. The drive generally takes about 2hr 3o minutes from Malaga to Arcos. We opted for the unlimited golf plan and we played the front 9 holes after checking into the estate. A fish dinner in the clubhouse at 8.30pm that evening.
Day 2
This golf break was all about playing golf and we warmed up on the range at 7.30 am and enjoy a light breakfast at 8am. Followed by 18 holes at 9am aourn the majestic golf course. The practice facilities at Arcos are great and we took full advantage by beating golf balls on the range that afternoon. Dinner in the clubhouse at 8.30 pm.
Day 3
We followed a very similar pattern that day, but we did spend some time with a couple of the golf pros on the range working on our swings. Then that evening we did make a trip into the town of Arcos to see the old town and get a feel for the historical sights the town has to offer. In the town of Arcos there are tapas bars everywhere, so when in Rome, the gents enjoyed a few local tapas washed down by a few glasses of vino…
Day 4
We played a quick 18 holes and checked out of our rooms. We did stay for our farewell lunch in the Club House at Arcos and departed for Malaga Airport and the flight to Dublin was at 8 pm that evening. We took our time and traveling back to Malaga via the White Towns of Andalusia, or Pueblos Blancos…
Concierge’s notes:
The golfers who would typically take this trip usually are looking for golf, peace and quite! You might even consider working on your golf game and focusing on areas of your golf swing that need improvement. Then I suggest to bring along your PGA Golf Professional for some group coaching intensive sessions.
There is technology like Track-man that can get to any swing issues immediately for the golfer. But ensure you have a good track-man operator!
Arcos is held in high esteem as a golfing facility. It hosts the winter training for the Swedish, Finnish and English golf elite teams and was considered to be a high service residential golf property, which is moving into a golf resort with a lot to offer. There is a two-sided golf range along with chipping greens, practice bunkers and a gym. Space is plentiful and the group coaching sessions (which consistently prove to be very beneficial according to client feedback) that I can give to groups of 8-16 can be managed perfectly.
Of course, although Arcos is a pretty golf-centric destination, there are also fun options for all the family with paddle & tennis courts, equestrian trails, swimming pools, mountain biking & more. The wonderful beaches that stretch along the coastline from Chipiona to Cadiz are no longer than 45 minutes to an hour’s drive from Arcos and not to forget give or take 250+ days of sunshine a year. Good information to have aboard if you choose to bring the family.
Here is a little on the history of the Town of Arcos which is no more than 9kms from the Arcos estate.
Town of Arcos de la Frontera
One of Andalucia’s most dramatically positioned pueblos blancos (white villages), Arcos balances atop a rocky limestone ridge, its whitewashed houses and stone castle walls stopping abruptly as a sheer cliff face plunges down to the fertile valley of the river Guadalete.
Declared a national historic-artistic monument in 1962 in recognition of its exceptional architecture and impressive location, the old town is a tangled labyrinth of cobbled streets that lead up to a sandstone castle, the Castillo de los Arcos. As you’d expect from such a spectacular vantage point, there are exhilarating views over the town and the rolling plain below.
Although its time under the Moors was one of its most successful, Arcos has had a long history of occupation, as shown by the discovery of numerous archaeological remains from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Tartessian, Phoenician and Roman periods. Plentiful water and its superb defensive hilltop location were the main attractions for settlers.
Arcos’s population of 28,000 is divided between the newer town on the lower slopes of the ridge and the old town, which you reach by following Cuesta Belén up the hill. In the heart of the old town is the cobbled Plaza de Cabildo, its picturesque situation somewhat marred by its dual function as a car park. On the southern side of the square there are some stomach-churning views, where the mirador (viewpoint) ends in a steep 150m-high cliff.
Among the most memorable of Arcos’s pretty and often strikingly narrow streets are the alley-like Calle Cuna and Calle Maldonaldo, lined with elegant palacios built by the town’s 18th-century nobility and overhung by wrought-iron rejas of windows.
Tapas bars in the old town are concentrated on or near the central Callejón de las Monjas. Try the Mesón El Patio, an atmospheric cave-like bar near the Santa María church that serves good-value tapas. If you want something more formal, one of the most upmarket restaurants in town is El Convento on Marques de Torresoto, which is in a 17th-century palace and has plenty of game dishes on the menu. The terrace at the luxurious Parador on Plaza del Cabildo is the place to go for a leisurely drink in style and enjoy the best views in Arcos.
Down below the town is the Guadalete river lined with olive and orange groves. There is also a reservoir (embalse), the Lago de Arcos, which is good for a swim in summer. Part of the reservoir is a protected area, the Cola del Embalse de Arcos Natural Area.
Concierge Golf suggests!
I recommend a three or a four day golf coaching trip to Arcos Golf Club & Estate and I would advise that to maximise your time and enjoyment that you be accompanied by a PGA Golf Professional that is known to the group. You can enjoy his/hers coaching skills and all the extra aspects that he/she offers to help you and the group play better golf. Generally for this itinerary, this included:
- 3 night’s single room B&B
- Trackman swing data analysis
- Individual & group PGA golf coaching
- Unlimited golf at Arcos Golf Club
- Transfers to and from Malaga Airport.
- If you are looking for a holiday or a break to play other golf courses within three or four days, this may not be the option for you.
Price ranges from: €595 – €1095 per person
The price range is based on single occupancy, seasonality and subject to availability. This price range excludes flights & luggage costs and any other extras.
Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
John Dooley PGA
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.conciergegolf.ie
Office Tel: +353212409110
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