How would the average golfer fare playing Real Club Sotogrande – home of the Andalucia Masters?

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Last week’s Andalucia Masters final at Real Club Sotogrande was one of the highlights of the 2024 DP World Tour season.

France’s Julien Guerrier eventually defeated Spain’s Jorge Campillo to claim victory after a grueling (and record-equalling) nine-hole play-off that was reminiscent of the grueling first-round clash between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut at the -2010 Wimbledon.

It then took the pair 11 hours and five minutes to complete their match, with Isner taking the fifth set with 70 games to 68.

Guerrier and Campillo didn’t need such levels of courage, stamina and bloody stubbornness, but it was still a great example of bravery, where their mental strength and golf swing stood up to the task that was overwhelming them.

If only the same could be said for your writer and his golf when he played this course less than 24 hours later.

From humble to ridiculous is one way to put it. Going from tight to loose is another.

But here is the good news. You can’t play the prestigious Real Club Sotogrande – 60 years old this year and consistently top ten in Europe’s top 100 rankings – and have a bad day, no matter how poor your golf.

It’s just not possible.

Why is that? Well, there’s always another beautiful hole around the corner, always another beautiful shot to take, always another sight to smile at, always touching.

The day had started in a wonderful way. Andalucia in October enjoys warm sunshine but the mornings are cold and, due to dew falling overnight, this building on the Mediterranean coast looked at 9am like an English parkland on a frosty February morning.

Starting on the second hole with a decent shot down the middle it all looked good and a bogey-6 felt right in the conditions.

In addition, the first attempts to design a route through the cacao trees were slow.

There is a sense of legend about those holes. The trees twist and turn like scenes from a children’s story about the perils of the jungle – and the fairways twist too, providing versions of the golf course that threaten to be dangerous.

The seventh tee is incredibly popular and typical of treed holes.

Unlike the nearby Valderrama there are wide open roads, but beyond the short grass the trees present a danger. The fairway sweeps down towards the lake and passes there to the green in general.

In the distance are the peaks of the Andalusian mountains, which add to the game with a sense of awe.

What’s amazing about this dungeon and Real Club as a whole, though, is that it’s challenging, often terrifying, but also fair, fun and simply beautiful to watch.

In the middle of the back nine is a Florida-like three-hole course surrounded by stunning houses that can easily distract – and that’s exactly what happened to this average golfer.

How did I do in the end, though? However, the format has given a big boost. We were playing Tour Scramble (all four golfers were eliminated, we picked the best ball, everyone played there and one became our friend).

So, in theory, with three birdies, I beat my handicap, as you would expect from a course in such amazing condition with a very generous scoring system.

But let’s be honest: I wasn’t Guerrier or Campillo.

Mentally, though, I felt as triumphant as a Frenchman as I sipped my Alhambra cerveza in the restroom.

Just playing at the Real Club, one of the best venues in continental Europe, was a win and one I will never forget.

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