Spain’s Costa Verde or Green Coast is a 2,000-kilometre stretch of coastline along the Bay of Biscay. It is a region that’s known for its natural beauty, rich history and now, its 16 golf courses, six of which were designed by Seve Ballesteros. In our next few articles, we will feature six of these courses that are part of the portfolio on offer by the only destination management company (DMC) in this region, Costa Verde Golf. CVG is the brainchild of Tony Fuller Melia, an Englishman who has lived in the region for many years.
Golf Santa Marina
Golf Santa Marina is located around 40 minutes west of Santander Airport. It was one of the last courses that Seve designed. His 4-metre statue is a prominent feature situated just outside the pro shop and a great photo opportunity for all Seve fans. It’s a members club and it opened in 2001. There are five sets of tees to choose from ranging from 4662 yards to 6389 yards and has a par of 72. As always, choose the set of tees that suit your game and handicap.
With the design of Santa Marina, Seve has tipped his hat to Augusta National and the land the course is built on has similar elevation changes and sloping greens as the Masters venue. Although Seve designed the layout, the front nine is named after his uncle, Ramon Sota. The course even has its own named Amen Corner, not 11, 12 and 13 like Augusta but over holes 4, 5 and 6.
Amen Corner
The sign at Amen Corner
Our favourite holes on the front 9 were the there holes at Amen Corner and the par 5 9th hole. The sign at Amen Corner reads “As Seve said…..The greatest difficulty of the course is on holes 4, 5, and 6 which are compared to Amen Corner at Augusta National”. Amen Corner at Santa Marina however consists of two par 3’s and par 4 unlike Augusta Nationals’ which has a par 4, par 3 and par 5.
We took on the challenge of playing these holes in par. How did we do? Watch our video above to find out.
Closing out the Front Nine
The daunting approach to the 9th green
The front 9 ends with an uphill dogleg par 5 of 550 yards. From the back tee, it’s two good shots to carry the burn. We recommend that you lay up short of the burn as the landing area over it is tight and undulating. If you play it as a 3-shot hole, it’s a straightforward par. Do not be tempted to cut the corner on your second shot, it’s a longer carry than it looks, trust us!!
A Mountain of a Par 5
The 2nd shot up the hill at 10
The Seve Ballesteros back 9 is longer and hilly. Our favourite holes on the back 9 were the 10th, 13th and 18th. The 10th is an uphill par 5 which will take 3 good shots to reach the small green. It’s a hard walk up this hole, the hilliest on the course but when you go up, you eventually will come back down.
The 13th green
The 13th hole is a par 5 of 506 yards. From an elevated tee, your tee shot is downhill and the fairway sweeps left to right. Your second shot, if you choose to take it on, is a risk or reward shot with water on the right and a small green tucked behind an embankment. We are happy to report that our 5 iron 2nd shot found the putting surface and we made a birdie!!
Closing out the Back Nine
The 18th hole is a stunning finishing hole. It’s a par 3 of almost 200 yards. There are steep embankments both short and left of the green and a water hazard on the right. From the elevated tee choosing the correct club is essential to have a chance of making a par.
Watch our video above to see if we made par.
The Clubhouse
Clubhouse and outside seating area
The Clubhouse at Santa Marina is a converted 16th-century mountain mansion. There is also a 17th-century chapel onsite if you want to say a few prayers either before or after your round! On the clubhouse ground floor, there is a bar and lounge area and on the upper floor, an intimate and atmospheric restaurant. The locker rooms are located up the stairs next to the Pro shop and buggy area. In the warm weather, there are both covered and uncovered seating areas to enjoy the local food and wine, which of course we did. All in the name of research you understand…
Fantastic Food and Wine
A late lunch with great friends, a perfect end to a cracking day at Santa Marina
After our round, we had the Menu del Dia. For 22 euros, we had 3 fantastic courses with unlimited wine. Home-made pate to start. The main course was Bacalao, salted cod in a tomato sauce and a sweet treat selection to finish. The food at Santa Marina was as good as we had on this trip. The local wine was exceptional, especially the Behetria de Cieza, a zesty white from Cantabria.
In Our Opinion
A visit to Santa Marina is a must for those who love good golf and are fans of Seve Ballesteros. The statue of Seve as you approach the Pro shop is a wonderful photo opportunity and the club has several reminders of Seve around the place. There is a large wrap on the wall of him celebrating winning the Open at St Andrews as well as a board listing all of his wins around the world. There is even a small locker that bears his name along with one for his uncle, Ramon Sota and another for Jose Maria Olazabal.
If you wish to visit the Costa Verde region, we highly recommend using the services of Costa Verde Golf. Tony and his team would be delighted to hear from you whether you are just a couple who just happen to be in the area or if you are interested in booking a golf trip to this area. They can advise on golf, accommodation and the best places for local food and wine and where to visit on your days off from golf. If you are planning any! Tony’s email is [email protected]
At a Glance:
- 18-hole championship course
- Five-star food and service
- Lovely traditional Clubhouse and locker rooms
- Excellent practice facilities
- Padel tennis court and croquet lawn
- Extremely well-stocked pro shop
- Beautiful condition
- For more info on Golf in the Costa Verde, click here
- For more info on Santa Marina, click here