All information the Lush condition

You are unlikely ever to play on better fairways. The turf is manicured and magnificent and the Bermuda grass thrives on the hot Andalucian summers and frost-free winters.

But while the grass is lush it's also very tough. The rough is cut to a height of only 2in (5cm) but is long enough to cause problems. Your ball settles down in the grass and is difficult to move. Because  the  rough   lines  the fairways, there is no margin for error.

The greens are a generous size and receptive but many large bunkers await any loose shot. These bunkers aren't filled with sand but with finely crushed marble from local quarries - they present a dazzling picture when the sun is shining.

Each hole has four different tees that vary the length considerably. On some holes the championship tees are over 100yd (90m) behind the women's tees. From the championship tees the total length is over 6350m (7000yd), and plays all of it because of the lack of run on the fairways.

But the flexible siting of tees means the club player can enjoy the same course that the top pros find so taxing. A cluster of gnarled old cork trees seems less daunting from the men's tees than from the championship tees.