Three 9-hole courses make up the golfing facilities at Almenera, a 148-room hotel and residential complex located right next door to Valderrama. Most golfers choose the Pinos (Pines) and Alcornoques (Cork) loops, but the Lagos (Lakes) nine is common as well.
In the late 1990s, Dave Thomas designed the 27-hole course at Almenera, and he did an excellent job of routing a set of narrow fairways over hilly terrain while adding signature mounding, bunkering, and perfectly proportioned green locations.
Five holes on the "Lagos" course have water hazards, but there are about as many on the "Alcornoques" nine, so golfers looking to avoid the water in an 18-hole round here will have to play the lake-free "Pinos" twice!
The uphill final Alcornoques hole has been reduced by over 150 yards from a very arbitrary par five to a respectable par four (the 4th hole has been increased by 25 yards to a par five to achieve a score of 36 for the nine holes), and is now a much more satisfying way to finish a round.