The members of Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain, have purchased Valderrama SA, the company that owns the Valderrama golf course, from Zagaleta International UK.

At a cost of €28 million, the members have reached an agreement which will see them acquire the famous Robert Trent Jones-designed course, as well as the club’s par three course, practice facility and clubhouse.

The Zagaleta group will continue with the Castellar de la Frontera golf, hotel and residential project, previously known as ‘Valderrama II’. No golf course architect has been announced for this project.

Valderrama was established by Jaime-Ortiz Patiño in 1985 and the course famously hosted the Ryder Cup in 1997 – the first time the event was held in continental Europe. That tournament was won by Team Europe, captained by Spain’s Seve Ballesteros.

Valderrama was bought by the Zagaleta group in 2016. The Zagaleta group also owns La Zagaleta – a golf course and housing development near Marbella – which GCA visited earlier this year following renovation work.