Course Review - Real Club de Golf de Sevilla & Quail Hollow Club

This week the European Tour returns home from Asia, with South Africa's Thomas Aiken defending the Spanish Open title he secured in an emotional breakthrough win last year, just a few days after the death of all-time great Seve Ballesteros.

The Open de Espana celebrates its centenary and also the 40th anniversary of being the inaugural event on the fledgling European Tour in 1972 as the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla hosts the national championship for the third time. The course was laid out bordering the Guadaira River in a tranquil and scenic setting by Spanish Major Champion Jose Maria Olazabal and it opened for play in 1992. This well-balanced par 72 layout is 6550 metres of expansive and generous Bermudagrass fairways, undulating Pencross greens, and more than 90 strategically placed bunkers. The Real Club de Golf de Sevilla is an exquisitely manicured and presented golf course with nine lakes and over 10,000 trees adding to the visual spectacle of this challenging and special layout that ranks among the top 3 in Spain.

The PGA Tour caravan rolls into the prestigious Quail Hollow Club in the financial powerhouse of Charlotte, North Carolina for the 10th edition of the Wells Fargo Championship. The golf course was designed in 1961 by George Cobb whose many other credits includes the par 3 layout at Augusta National. Cobb's original design has undergone substantial renovations over time, most significantly by Arnold Palmer and iconic architect Tom Fazio.

Quail Hollow is carved out through mature oaks and pines in the Piedmont Plateau and captures the outstanding natural beauty of this vast region. Highlights of the 6800m par 72 layout include the par 5 7th that is bisected by a serpentine pond complete with waterfall and a rock wall, and the 550m par 5 10th that features a tight winding fairway lined by giant trees and tufted bunkers. The round finishes with the daunting three hole stretch dubbed The Green Mile that is consistently the toughest on Tour, comprising two long and difficult par 4's bookending an intimidating 200m par 3 with a peninsular green. Quail Hollow will be more than a good warm-up for next week's self-styled 5th Major, the Players Championship, attracting a strong field that includes Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

A Golf weather
Editorial.