GOLF MONTHLY REVIEW

Saw this on CDA Services. 

Looking good.

J&P

Golf Monthly reports on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course here on Polaris Worlds, Condado de Alhama located in Murcia, Spain.

“The latest gem within the Polaris portfolio is the signature track of Mr Nicklaus, Condado de Alhama.  We were fortunate to be one of the first groups to play this absolutely divine course.  If ever a track has been designed to hold a pro event this surely is it.  This is a club that is ‘going places’, as shortly Jack will be giving us two of his Bear’s Best courses to sit alongside this, his main offering.

Obviously still in its infancy, the course has some way to go before it beds in, but already the greens are quick and pure running- maybe about 10 on the stimpmeter.  The third, whilst appearing on the card to a ‘long slog’ par 3 of 226 yards, is in fact a tremendously difficult, exhilarating challenge- especially if the wind is from the west and the pin is on the right/  Our friend Jack has given us many examples of severe run –off areas around the green and here we have some vicious examples front left and middle right.  I made a mental note for the next round: hit the green and stay there.

After another great par 3 at the 7th, play turns thorough 180 degrees and you are faced with the largest area for one hole my playing partners and I have seen this side of St Andrews.

The 8th is 430 yards from the back tees, and presents two routes to the green.  Play down the left and it makes the hole 20%longer, but with a nice view of the green for your second shot; play directly at the green and just pray you land on the short grass because if you don’t you’ll be in one of seemingly dozens of bunkers.  Here, we had to wear shades in the glare of the crushed marble white sand!

If your bunker play is not up to scratch- as ours wasn’t- then a horror score is easy to acquire.  This will surely become a ‘hole to play before you die’.

Typically Nicklaus, and with the possibility of staging big events in mind, the 18th coupled with the 9th and constructed in a small valley.  In the middle is the lake that is mandatory in most Nicklaus designs, with the 9th requiring a small fade off the tee ad the 19th a slight draw.  Putting on both greens might be helped if you have a degree in physics.

As a whole the Jack Nicklaus Gold trail is a remarkable concept by the Polaris people, and in time will rival any group of courses.

Article from this months golf monthly magazine  – June 2010   www.golf-monthly.co.uk

Great coverage and ill be sending this to everyone I know - we need more of this positive press to help Condado move to the next level

Hi

     On Terry & Jill's website it says the course at Condado has had two different reviews in golfing magazines does anyone now what the other one is as have the golf monthly and as you can see below is a great review and would also like to get a copy of the other magazine it was in.

A Norweigan Golf Magazine has also done a review I have seen it but could not read it, but was told it was a good review.

Perhaps one of our Norweigan owners can tell us which it is?

In the review that's posted on this thread there's a line -

"This is a club that is ‘going places’, as shortly Jack will be giving us two of his Bear’s Best courses to sit alongside this, his main offering."

Is this still considered to be correct or has the article been written well before recent developments, which is possible as I know articles aren't generally written just days before publication? We understand the land for these additional courses now belongs to the banks and so those courses wont happen- hence the Paramount Studios rumour. But if anyone knows different we'd be interested to hear that information and I'm sure the Isla owners would too. Not expecting to read that development of these courses would be imminent just that whether they are still a possibility.

Nicklaus has signed 18 holes in Murcia
At a time when all the shouting loudly about unemployment and Spanish housing crisis has Jack Nicklaus signed a masterpiece on the Spanish east coast. In all silence.

. TEXT: TOM ERIK ANDERSEN
Sunday 28 February 2010, kl. 16.28

The financial crisis continues to cast long shadows of a sun in the Spanish housing market. Many players have gone doll, many more workers have lost jobs their prices for homes have fallen and a large number of planned projects will not even be completed.

The situation is not much different in Murcia an hour drive south of Alicante. Few places in Europe have seen development in recent years. At a time when everything still looked like the Polaris World started the construction of six golf resorts in this quiet corner of Spain. The combination of sunshine, a warm Mediterranean coast, affordable housing and golf courses in the top class was to lure homebuyers from across the continent. The plans were gigantic, stakeholders were buses to the construction sites and view apartments. And long did it well. Sales offices were opened in all major European cities, also in Oslo. From offices at Fornebu was conveyed homes for many Norwegians. But it was above all the British who formed the largest buying group.

And one day there was a full stop. 
 
Hit hard

The financial crisis hit the Spanish housing market hard. The pound has weakened significantly against the Euro, did not help sales. The buses stopped running. Sales offices were closed. People lost their jobs.

It has not been easy for Polaris World and the other developers. But fortunately for residential development had buyers come too far to paralyze what is about to become a new golfing mecca of Europe.

Everyone can not have been fired. Over the past two years, over 3,000 residential units completed only on Condado de Alhama, the crown either in Polaris World Murcia project. When everything is completed, probably delayed in relation to the original plan, the resort will have three 18-hole golf courses, all designed by Nicklaus Design. Just before Christmas, opened the first of them, and not just any court. It was the highlight, signature course, designed by Jack Nicklaus himself.

Jack was not there, but we were even present at the opening. There was a random Thursday without anyone knowing about it. Nor does the Polaris World employees in the provisional pro-shop. They only got the go-ahead on the phone early in the morning - it was fine, that they could get people out.

Then of course, had a select few have been there before us. A Hi5 tournament was held at the beginning of the month, a group of journalists from across Europe had been trying played wonderful eaten. A few representatives from the Spanish Federation likewise. 

Jack's masterpiece

Not so much as an e-mail has gone out to the more than 3,000 homeowners who have bought the first housing. However, the path is there. Free. Through word of mouth, it is fortunately a growing number of golfers who know about it. Most leave the place again impressed with what they have seen.

Only 15 minutes drive from the sandy beaches of Mazarron, at the foot of the national park of Sierra Espuna, with views all the way to the snow-covered peaks of Sierra Nevada, the Jack Nicklaus signed a masterpiece that already - after only a few months - is recognized as one of the best courses in Spain.

There are no homes on the Seve path. The white penthouse apartments ranging in four etajer along the driving range and the fairways on holes 10 and 12 Behind these, in boligtun bearing the names and Jardines Naranjos, Polaris World has sold thousands of apartments with two and three bedrooms. On its own island out in one of the artificial lakes, the apartments will have views over the next two golf courses.

Many apartments are still empty, bought by speculators who were looking for a quick profit by buying early and selling at a profit on completion. As well it is not. Speculators have to wait long for the profits they dream about. Some are also on the water over his head, and must sell now. It can provide affordable purchase for stakeholders who dare to act outside the general accepted business hours. 

Ryder Cup here?

Currently it is not so much to get to the Condado Alhama d. A town center - yet relatively lonely equipped with a supermarket, a restaurant, a provisional pro-shop and a pub - sits behind the green on hole 12 There are also three football fields, tennis courts many, a volleyball court, and soon also a fitness center.

The long-term plans, however, contains so much more: a five-star hotel on naboresortene La Torre and Mar Menor, stately villas, several apartments, several restaurants, shops, spa center, and more golf. How much that will be completed according to dn impressive master plan that can be seen on the adjacent sales office, nobody knows. There are drawn only on the shoulders and answer in round terms. Out of repugnance, but because it is not known, because the future is controlled by the market. Probably also because Polaris World has had to cancel almost all of the information department's, it seems at least that.

Information is not resort giant's strong hand at the moment. It is said little, even less communicated. But the delivery capability of the building, on the product, no one can take from them. Infrastructure, track the quality and number of mating call pitches utenfo Condado de Alhama says more than anything about the ambitions for what has been named Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. In the quiet whispered it both on the European Tour and, even less, about the Ryder Cup. Should it occur, the buyers who struck now - at a time when all media reports on the Spanish housing crisis and called "track away!" - Have done a pretty good buy.

Here is the article in the norwegian golg magazin - Norsk Golf

(Google translation)

Bent

These articles make balanced and excellent reading, if we could get this information into the main stream and property press we would be on our way to getting back on track.

Anyone got any suggestions/contact

Phil

Fought my way through the info as posted by Norden- and dont feel its telling us anything about the further two golf courses.

Another review on the golf course in this months issue of the Camposol district journal - page 38

http://issuu.com/thecamposoldistrictjournal/docs/may10?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Its also interesting to read that the medical centre is near to opening and a pharmacy.

All the reviews of the course are very positive and mirror most of those comments made by people who have played the course.  Excellent design, good condition, and superb greens.  The big drawbacks are the scrublands between holes and the absence of a clubhouse. 

But its great that the course is being viewed so positively as the scrublands will come right over time and the clubhouse is down to resources.

I for one can't wait to get back on the course this summer and the silver lining of no clubhouse and some tidying up work still required is that getting a tee time shouldn't be too difficult.  Once everything is completed I could see the course being very busy indeed.

Great to see the articles and learn a tip or two about playing the course.

I popped into W H Smiths at Victoria - the July edition thats on sale does not have the article so I think it must have been June.

Happy golfing!

Ian

Hi Ian

It is in the June Edition.

Our local WH Smith managed to get me that edition  a few days ago

Jan

Golf Monthly have a back order service. If anyone wants the edition that came out in June then you can order for a fiver including p&p. The number is 01733 385170

Cheers

Jay

Hi all,

We live in Holland.....

So, is there somebody who wants to make a scan of it??

Maybe i can us it for my website.

Thanks.

Best regards, Onno

Jan, thanks for your posting, will see if I  can get a copy.

Ian 

Naranjos 4