Doña Julia Golf

Doña Julia is perfectly located smack bang in the middle of the Costa del Sol around 15 minutes from the town of Estepona and is considered one of the best all round courses in the region.

Designed by famous Spanish golfer Antonio Garrido and opened in 2006 the course is very conveniently located just 1km from the A7 motorway and with easy links to Gibraltar International Airport, Estepona and Malaga.

The course itself offers magnificent views out over the Mediterranean sea and views stretching out over the local mountains and stunning Spanish countryside.  The first 7 holes make their way up the hills and culminate with the especially picturesque 8th tee and the highest point of the entire course.  The back 11 start the journey back down the hill towards the sandy beaches of the Costa del Sol, this gives the golfer 2 entirely different experiences.

Doña Julia is utterly pristine, the fairways are spotless, the vast greens are so clean and undulating offering a tricky challenge for high handicappers and low handicappers alike.  This course has everything expected from a top end golf experience, pretty vistas, mature woodland, crisp white bunkers and sparkling blue water hazards dotted amongst perfectly manicured fairways and greens.

A par 71 course consisting of 5 par 3’s, 9 par 4’s and 4 par 5’s.  The tee box distances and slopes are as follows:

White – 6021 yards – slope 131 

Yellow – 5653 yards – slope 132

Blue – 5261 yards – slope 126

Red – 5025 yards – slope 122

Signature hole at Doña Julia

The signature hole must be the 10th, as stroke index 1 it certainly lives up to the bill of the most difficult hole on the course.

Teeing off from an elevated box and showcasing a spectacular view down towards a varying selection of hazards and danger, a precise tee shot of over 200 yards is required to conquer this tricky par 4.

The thin fairway reveals a tree bang in the centre and the perfect shot would land just to the left of this tree around 215+ yards, anything left of this is going to find the woodland on the neighbouring 4th.  Anything right will find the thicker forest or the well placed bunker to the right side of the fairway directly in the middle of the landing zone.

To the right of this lies a large lake that flanks the entire right side of the fairway, a more powerful drive pushed to the right will definitely find the water.  Should the tee shot land dry and safe to the left side then a second shot taking on the green leaves another 170+ yards or so and even though the first lake is defeated a second lake long and right awaits the golfer with the green sloping to the right and again inviting any over powered shots into a second watery situation.

Anything pushed left will find the 2 inviting bunkers and create a nervy bunker shot to land before the water.  To finish this hole with a bogey or better is a true achievement.

In summary the value of this course is incredible for the quality offered and Doña Julia very clearly lives up to the title of one of the finest courses in the Costa del Sol.