Course Review - Finca Cortesin & TPC Four Seasons Resort

The 47th playing of the Volvo World Matchplay Championship brings an elite 24 man field to Finca Cortesin between Marbella and Sotogrande on Spain's Costa del Sol. The golf course at this 5 star resort was opened in 2007 and hosts the Volvo World Matchplay for the 3rd straight year.

Designed by American born architect Cabell Robinson who began his career with icon Robert Trent Jones, Finca Cortesin is in a lush natural setting that offers magnificent mountain and sea views. The 6650m par 72 layout is characterised by magnificent conditioning, superb bunkering and large undulating greens. Comfortably ranked inside Spain's Top 10, this beautiful and well-balanced golf course has a number of holes that deserve a special mention.

The 3rd is a reachable par 5 of 495m where water on the left is in play for those either going for the green or laying up to the small putting unbunkered putting surface with steep runoffs. The 10th is a long downhill par 3 with the Estepona Mountains as a backdrop, followed by an almost 600m double-dogleg par 5 that will yield only a few birdies. Finca Cortesin's signature hole is the 385m par 4 13th, played to a large sloping green that is well protected by bunkers and a water hazard.

The US PGA Tour celebrates 100 years since the birth of all-time-great Byron Nelson as one of only two events on the calendar named after professional golfers comes to TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas. The HP Byron Nelson Champion reminds us of a magnificent career highlighted by the two most dominant years in golfing history when, starting in 1944, Nelson amassed 26 victories including an amazing streak of 11 consecutive wins.

TPC Four Seasons in Nelson's home state was designed in 1982 by Jay Morrish with Lord Byron himself acting as player consultant. 2009 saw a complete remodel, with no hole remaining unchanged. The 6600m layout's fairways and rough were changed from rye to Bermuda grass, and the bent grass greens were enlarged and re-contoured to offer a wider variety of pin placements, with the strong North Texas winds helping to protect the par of 70. Players will be tempted by the driveable par 4 11th, and the two finishing holes are presented in dramatic amphitheatre settings.

A Golf Weather
Editorial.