By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
at PGA Catalunya Resort
The top quality field assembled for this week's Open de España will be given every opportunity to hone their games with the help of PGA Catalunya Resort's sublime and truly unique practice facilities.
The Girona venue, which was elevated to Destination status within European Tour Properties’ exclusive network of 13 world-class golfing facilities in 2013, truly embodies the mission to deliver "a level of on and off-course facilities guaranteed to provide a memorable golfing experience for all members and visitors".
Opened in October 2011, the practice area at the stunning 36-hole resort, which has been voted Spain's Number One Course for the third year in a row, is unrivalled in Europe when it comes to a comprehensive golfing experience.
Alongside the impressive driving range offering superb views over the Tour Course sits the vast 2,000 square metre putting green and chipping area, while four different types of grass are used on the practice greens and five bunkers – each containing a different type of sand – replicate the traps of some of the world’s most iconic golf layouts.
Speaking on behalf of the Resort, Superintendent David Batailler, who supervised the design and development of the facilities, talked about the inspiration behind the innovative project.
He said: “At the beginning we had a very good approach area but it was too small to host big events, so we decided to build a bigger area so we could host events like the Open de España and the Qualifying School which are both almost 160 players, and they can all practice here at the same time.”
Co-designed by European Tour champions Angel Gallardo and Neil Coles, the two championship layouts are matched in quality by the practice facilities at PGA Catalunya Resort, and one of its most notable features is the range of different bunkers available that provide a truly global practice experience for professionals and amateurs alike.
“The idea was that any player who comes here to practice should of course practice things they can then try on the golf course,” Batailler continued. “But we have lots of players who come here to practice things they are also going to be using in other places in the world.
“So as well as having a bunker to replicate those on the Stadium Course, the idea was to have a St Andrews style bunker; a Pebble Beach bunker; an Augusta National bunker – which is bigger sand than the Stadium Course; the organic style just in case you go to Hawaii and play Kapalua, for example, or if you got to the Canary Islands or any island that is in a volcanic region then they will use this type of sand.”
The monstrous putting green is qualified as creeping bentgrass and is made up of a mixture of A4 and A1, providing a premium and traditional surface to rival the top European greens, with a mixture of extremely undulating areas and laser-flat surfaces with extra small holes to fully test the purity of a player's stroke.
As well as the variety of bunker sands available in the practice area at PGA Catalunya Resort, players and visitors are offered practice greens of four different types of grass, from the aforementioned bentgrass, to Bermuda, paspalum and a poa area.
Batailler said: “Usually if bentgrass is well maintained it is nice and firm while poa tends to be softer and if you approach to a poa green the ball will always stop, so it allows players to practice their approach work and putting on a variety of different greens.”
Over the past 18 months, teams and federations from Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have been returning to the venue to play and practice.
The Resort, which is also home to one of Europe’s most successful new luxury property developments, created Spain’s largest putting and chipping green to enable coaches, teams, elite amateurs and professionals to use the venue as a world-class training base.
Miguel Girbes, Golf Director at PGA Catalunya Resort, added: “Our short game facility and putting green has helped raise the bar in terms of practice facilities, and has enabled us to offer a unique global experience in one place.
“Year-on-year we strive to have the best facilities in Spain and in Europe, and aim to provide the best practice conditions for all players.”
