development would face out to a large rise in the land, and therefore have very limited views. To give property owners an outlook over the lakes and to the course, we had to f latten this area of the site, moving more than a million cubic metres of earth to other parts of the site.” The most obvious destination for this fill was the southern side of the property, where the land sloped steeply towards a stream that runs alongside the boundary. The earth was used to reduce the severity of this slope, and in the process saw the banks of the stream built up considerably. Once this major earthworking was completed, Spanish golf course contractor GTM could turn its attention to shaping the golf course. The opening three holes were the first to be completed, having been grassed in 2021 and now fully established. The entire left side of the par-five first is protected by two of the interconnected lakes that demark the course from the real estate, while five bunkers are set into a bank that runs along the right side of the hole. Despite these hazards on each side, the opening shot is very inviting, thanks to ample fairway width for all but the longest hitters. The green is reachable in two but nestled against the water, so most players will look for a safe spot to lay up. The par-three second plays perpendicular to the first, with the green extending into the lake and protected on three sides by water. The hole is relatively short, maxing out at 170 yards from the back tees, but tee shots will need to cover an imposing front-left bunker to access a tiered green that tilts from back to front. Pin positions at the back will entice players to aim beyond the safety of the centre of the green to the narrower top tier. At the par-four third, which takes golfers to the south-east corner of the property and towards the distinctive headquarters of the local television network TeleMadrid, a long drive will catch the downslope towards the green and set up a good birdie opportunity. Holes four to nine were seeded this year and play over the landscape that was created using the fill generated by the major excavation work. The LA F INCA GOLF LOS LAGOS The par-four third presents a good birdie opportunity 58 Photo: Fernando Herranz Sánchez
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