Founded in 1989 the annual event is now considered the European Tour’s most important tournament in Germany.

During his time in Munich, Sanchez promoted all golf courses in Andalusia on behalf of the Andalusian Golf Federation, as well as Atalaya’s two championship courses – the Old Course and the New Course.

For the past several years the venue of the BMW International Open has been played on alternating years at the Golfclub München Eichenried, which staged the inaugural event 30 years ago when NBC Sports personality David Feherty was named champion, and the Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof in Pulheim, near Cologne.

This year’s tournament was plagued with rain and lightning that created very difficult playing conditions for even the very best. Unfortunately, Spain’s Sergio García did not make the cut.

Andrea Pavan of Italy and Matthew Fitzpatrick of England were tied, at -15, for First Place at the end of play on Sunday afternoon, creating the need for a playoff. After intense play Pavan did the necessary to be crowned the 2019 BMW Open Champion. Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain tied for Third, at -13, along with six other competitors.

The Andalusian Golf Federation team, Jesus from Costa Ballena, Mercedes from the Andalusian Golf Federation, Salvador from Benalup Golf and Andrés Sánchez from Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Kaymer, the great German golf star, played spectacularly, even though he did not win the championship.

Atalaya Golf & Country Club’s brochure on display at the Andalusian Golf Federation stand.

Rafa Cabrera Bello, who ended the championship tied for Third with six other players, and Andrés Sánchez.

La entrada Andrés Sánchez attends the BMW International Open se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Some 100 golfers from all areas of the Costa del Sol competed in an 18-hole individual Stableford tournament on the New Course. Competitors gathered on the tee boxes of their designated starting holes for a 09h30 shotgun start. In keeping with the theme of the day, the majority of participants were women.

Atalaya’s Enjoy Golf Academy also collaborated by opening its doors to all women interested in learning golf, as well as to those desiring to support “women through golf”.

The golf tournament offered four categories, and First Place trophies were awarded to the winners in each of the four classifications. In Ladies’ Category One, with a handicap range of 0 – 22.0, Fiona Shaxon from Sotogrande took First Place, with 37 points. The winner of Category Two, with a handicap range of 22.1 and upwards, was Belinda Romero Pineda from Almenara, carding 34 points. In Men’s Division One, with a handicap range of 0 – 18.0, the top honour went to Atalaya member Franciso Siconolfi, who posted 33 points. In Men’s Division Two, with a handicap range of 18.1 and upwards, Paul Wiget, another Atalaya member, placed first with a spectacular 35 points.

Atalaya’s former Men’s Captain Richard Phillimore was the proud recipient of “Nearest to the Pin” honours. His prize was an impressive assortment of confectionery delights from Café Les Deux, Marbella.

The day proved to be thoroughly enjoyed by all and was packed with surprises. The first was a very welcome and unexpected sack lunch, compliments of La Sala Puerto Banús and Frutas Eladio. The treat was delivered to all competitors as they were starting their 10th hole of play by Atalaya’s friendly Marshals and Starters, members of the Caddy Mater team. Then, at the end of play, the upbeat sounds of popular Costa del Sol singer Gema Cabanas greeted all as they gathered at the Kiosk, near the Old Course’s ninth green, for their 19th Hole celebrations.

The final surprise of the day was a fabulous tombola. A vast array of prizes, that seemed never ending, was awarded via a scorecard draw. The only requirement was for the winner of each prize to be present to accept his or her gift.

Sponsors of complimentary green fess were: Alferini Golf Club, Flamingos Golf Club and Tramores Golf Club, all three a part of Villa Padierna Golf Resort; Aloha Golf Club; Atalaya Golf & Country Club, Old Course and New Course; Chaparral Golf Club; Los Naranjos Golf Club; Marbella Golf Country Club; and Mijas Golf. Four vouches of ten golf lessons each were donated by the Enjoy Golf Academy at Atalaya Golf & Country Club, and Golfriend’s gave a golf bag.

Restaurants providing dinners for two and monetary vouchers were: All in 1 Café, Centre Comercial Monte Halcones; Asador de Aita, San Pedro de Alcántara; Everest Fusión, Centre Commercial Diana; La Escalera de Manolo Espada, Benahavis, which also provided bottles of wine for the raffle; La Rosa Restaurant, Centre Commercial Guadalmina; Restaurante Amigos, Benahavis; Restaurante El Guarda 1926, Benahavis; Restaurante Eugenio Las Cañas, Benahavis; and Restaurante Posidonia Banus, Nueva Andalucia, which will be opening its doors within the next few days.

Other business giving prizes were: DelMediterraneo Liquori Tradizionali Italiani (Limoncello and Narancello); Frutas Eladio; Grupo Artenovum (Contemporary Art); MARCH Cirugía y Medicina Estética; NARS Cosmetics and Kiehl’s (Facial Treatments) through their El Corte Inglés stores; Peluqueria Pepe Moreno; Roche Bobois Marbella; Scandi Supermarket; and Yoga Classes Estepona.

The highlight of the raffle was a draw for the use of a bright red Audi RS3 for a weekend. Scorecards of all players were re-entered in to the lottery to ensure everyone had a chance of winning. This very generous gift was provided by Audi Safamotor, Official Audi Dealers in Málaga, Marbella and Córdoba. The thrilled recipient was Fiona Shaxon, who went home not only with First Place honours in her division of the golf tournament but also with this colossal prize.

Special appreciation is extended to the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, to Lynn Fisher of Marbella’s G.I.R.L.S Golf Society and to Montse San Francisco, the editor of Ladies in Golf – A Magazine for women with swing. All helped Atalaya immeasurably with the success of this event.

Information about the “global community” that is acting internationally as “one voice” to support both girls’ and women’s golf may be found at: womensgolfday.com

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La entrada Women’s Golf Day at Atalaya se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

As an example last Thursday, the 30th of May, a special Day Out attracted some 41 Atalaya members, family and friends. The venue was a walk on El Caminito del Rey.

Participants headed by bus from Atalaya’s parking lot a little after 09h00 primed for an exciting day. Most were feeling both anticipation and a bit of a thrill about what they would experience.

The opportunity to traverse the “Path of the King” which hangs some 100 metres above the Guadalhorce reservoir in the El Chorro Gorge is not an everyday event. The Caminito is located about 25 kilometres inland from the city of Malaga.

Unfortunately, only a few minutes into the bus ride to the King’s path, tour guide Manu announced that due to very windy conditions the Caminito was “closed” for the day. What a disappointment for everyone!

It all seemed a little surreal – like going to a concert and learning that the main act had cancelled at the last minute.

However, none of this slowed down the optimistic Atalaya delegation. The group made “lemonade out of lemons”, and the day went forward as planned.

First stop was for coffee at the Restaurante Hostal El Cruce in Ardales (www.ardaleselcruce.com). Next stop was the El Kiosko restaurant and bar (www.restauranteelkiosko.com) from where everyone walked through the tunnel that leads to the walkway that provides access to the North entrance of El Caminito del Rey. The picturesque and pleasant walk is about 2.7 kilometres in length along a winding and gently sloping path about two metres in width. The return journey back to El Kiosko provided time to imagine what the day might have offered had the walk on the Caminito itself been a reality.

A traditional Spanish lunch followed at La Garganta, known as the “Balcony at El Caminito del Rey”, (www.lagarganta.com). The restaurant/hotel is only a short drive from El Kiosko.

Throughout the day one of Atalaya’s festive members added a special treat for all to enjoy by entertaining the group with various harmonica tunes. He even provided a last goodbye melody as the bus arrived back at Atalaya.

All were tired and content. Even though the day was not the one anticipated, the experience will long be remembered with fond memories by everyone.

La entrada Caminito del Rey Day Out se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

The tournament’s format, called “Swedish Medal Play,” is quite different from the normal events played at Atalaya. Competitors regardless of handicap are required to pick up after playing a maximum of five shots over par on any hole.

This year’s Non-Violence Trophy winner is Atalaya’s Men’s Captain Richard Phillimore, who carded a Net score of 66 points. Phillimore is the proud recipient of a limited edition, 19 centimetre replica of the famous knotted gun sculpture.

The replica that Phillimore received was painted by American professional golfer Dustin Johnson. Johnson is one of several well-known celebrities who have decorated their own personal versions of the original knotted gun sculpture crafted by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

In Men’s Division Two, with a handicap range of 12.5 – 17.9, Rafael Lopez Garcia placed First with a Net score of 70, and in Men’s Division Three, with handicap range of 18+, Joseph Dürrmeyer placed First with a Net score of 67.

For the ladies in Division One, with handicaps of 0 – 18.3, Gunilla Parmlid took First Place with a Net score of 70, and in Ladies Division Two Pia Christiansen placed First with a Net score of 67.

This year more than Euro 350.00 was raised to support the very worthy Non-Violence Project Foundation. The project’s mission is: “to inspire, motivate and engage young people to learn how to solve conflicts peacefully.” For additional information go to: http://nonviolence.com/

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La entrada Kalborg sponsors Non-Violence Trophy se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Audi has divided the map of Spain into four territories – Northeast, Northwest, Central, and South – and is organising three qualifying tournaments in each of these four areas. Atalaya’s prestigious Old Course is one of the chosen venues for the South region of Spain.

All tournament entrants will compete individually in one of 10 categories – three men’s handicap divisions, two ladies’ handicap divisions, two senior handicap divisions, a Scratch category, and two divisions reserved solely for Audi customers.

All 10 category winners at Atalaya will qualify to play in the Territorial Final at La Cañada Golf Course in Cádiz on Saturday, the 28th of September.

At La Cañada Atalaya’s winners will compete against the winners of the other two qualifying tournaments in the South Spain region to name the 10 South Territory winners. These 10 winning individuals will form a team that will compete against the winning teams from the Northeast, Northwest, and Central areas later in the year at the National Final.

During the tournament at Atalaya refreshments will be offered at the turn, and Audi vehicles will be on display. After the tournament the day’s winners will be honoured and a raffle featuring Taylor Made products will add a special feature and provide to those who possibly did not play as well as hoped the chance to go home will an unexpected prize.

To register for this exciting event and realise its many benefits go to: www.audiquattrocupgolf.es

For all who register to play in this tournament, Atalaya is offering a special 50% Green Fee discount on the Old Course of €60 through Friday, the 3rd of May. To take advantage of this great offer and practice for Saturday’s tournament, book online at https://open.imaster.golf/en/atalaya. Be sure to use the Promo Code: AUDI.

The deadline to sign up for the Audi Quattro Cup Team qualifier at Atalaya is Thursday, the 2nd of May 2, at 2:00 p.m. Please join all of us at Atalaya Golf & Country Club to celebrate this challenging and unique experience with Audi.

La entrada Register today for the Audi Quattro Cup se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Several weeks ago Andrés Sanchez, Atalaya’s Director General, purchased three new sheep for our two golf courses – two females and a male. The trio quickly acclimated to their new surroundings, and now are cohabiting very positively with the large, brown sheep that has made Atalaya’s New Course his home for some time. The four sheep are continually spotted together. Daily they are expanding their territory, exploring more and more of the nooks and crannies that make both of Atalaya’s courses so special.

When catching a glimpse of the four as they meander about Atalaya’s green spaces, you will see a small and very welcome addition to the herd. The little one – likely a boy – arrived on the 17th of March – a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day present for Atalaya!

For the curious the brown sheep is called Morgan. The small, very white boy is Baart, and the two ewes are Butter Cup and Dolly. Butter Cup is the proud mother of the new lamb. Baart, Butter Cup, and Dolly were recently named by Atalaya member Jim Page, who submitted the winning entry in the club’s Sheep Naming Contest that was held earlier this month.

Please take a few minutes during your next round to enjoy these lovely creatures as they traverse our courses. They are one of the many features that make Atalaya Golf & Country Club one of the most desirable golf destinations on the Costa del Sol.

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La entrada Atalaya welcomes baby lamb se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

On Monday, the 11th of March, Atalaya’s bridge club, now known as the Diamonds Bridge Club, celebrated 12 years of success. As is the tradition the agenda of the day included bridge followed by a special dinner party. This year’s venue was El Campanario Golf & Country House. The event proved to be a huge success, with 28 bridge players who were later joined by their spouses, partners, and friends for the evening’s special dinner.

Atalaya’s bridge club evolved organically more than 12 years ago when long-time Atalaya members Regina and Frank Beckmann invited a few friends for an afternoon of fun. Week one turned into week two and then week three and so on. More and more players regularly turned up for a hearty game, and all of a sudden what had started as a simple idea became a real-life entity.

The Diamonds Bridge Club meets every Monday at 15:30 in the clubhouse bridge room. Each week a sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in the walkway across from the club’s administrative offices. Many Atalaya members, as well as guests, attend. English and German are the most common languages spoken. All are welcome. For additional information please send an email to: info.atalaya-golf.com.

For those who are looking for more than one bridge game each week, Atalaya, additionally, offers bridge on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Starting time is 16.00.

On Tuesdays the Benahavis-Bridge Club, with an international flavour, welcomes players from all over the world. English, Dutch, and French are the most common languages spoken. Scoring is recorded through the “Bridgemate” wireless system, and each session’s results are immediately available after play. For more information contact either Eric or Evelyn at: benahavisbridgeclub@gmail.com.

Bridge Club Biznaga plays at Atalaya on Thursdays. The club’s organiser Phia van Lohuizen says that the club is first and foremost a social and friendly venue. After play each week tapas are served at the clubhouse restaurant, Ventanas de Atalaya. Bridge Club Biznaga also uses the “Bridgemate” system. For additional information please contact Phia at: biznagabridgeclub@gmail.com.

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La entrada Atalaya’s Diamonds Bridge Club Celebrates 12th Anniversary se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Each year businesses, public offices and schools are closed to allow all of the people of Andalucia and their friends to celebrate in style, and Atalaya Golf & Country Club is never in the background when it comes to organising a grand “fiesta” to commemorate Andalusia’s autonomy.

This year’s “Día de Andalucía” venue at Atalaya included a golf competition on the Old Course for members and their guests followed by a Spanish luncheon celebration and awards ceremony.

Ironically for a Spanish celebration, the Canada Cup golf format was chosen for this year’s 18-hole tournament. The Canada Cup is known to be a very difficult and somewhat unforgiving pairs competition, where the Individual Stableford scores of both members of a two-person team must be recorded on each and every hole. When it comes to playing a Canada Cup, there is no room for error on the part of either partner.

This year’s tournament winners Jaime Pinzon and Manuel Troyano were in no way intimidated by the Canada Cup challenge and proved that they could easily conquer the format. The pair accumulated a final score of a remarkable 74 points, which averages 37 Stableford points for Pinzon and 37 points for Troyano over 18 holes. Atalaya’s strong ladies’ team of Doris Müller and Mechthild Zethreaus also rose to the occasion and carded an admirable final score of 72 points, only two points behind their male counterparts. The ladies easily walked away with second place honours.

The Canada Cup tournament was only the beginning of a long day of celebration at Atalaya. After golf everyone gathered at the Clubhouse for a true Andalusian fiesta. To begin – sherry, oysters, cava, and, of course, Spanish ham – were served with the greatest of traditional Andalusian fanfare. A delicious Spanish buffet followed. Then, the crowd was entertained with a delightful flamenco show followed by dancing and even more dancing. More dancing and drinks kept everyone active until late into the evening.

Because of the generous contributions of this year’s sponsors, more than 52 prizes were awarded to those who participated in the golf competition. In addition to the normal prizes for the tournament’s top scorers and closest to the pin, a tombola provided an opportunity for those competitors who perhaps had experienced an off day on the golf course to still go home with a treasure tucked under their arms.

Special thanks and sincere appreciation are extended to this year’s very generous Andalucia Day sponsors: Golfriend’s, Carrefour, Caliartraex, Clinica de Podologia, Costa Fermont, Fontaplus, TecnoPVC, La Casa del Rey, Ventanas de Atalaya, Materiales de Construction Estepona and Melrose Properties.

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La entrada Atalaya celebrates “Día de Andalucía” se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

Valentina finished the two-day, 36-hole tournament with an impressive 140 strokes, 4 under par. She dominated both days of the competition and was the only competitor to post an under par winning score on the leaderboard.

Beatriz Barrios, with 149 strokes (+5), walked away with Second Place honours in the Ladies’ Division. Beatriz is sponsored by the Real Club Sevilla Golf.

Felipe Fernández of Seville placed first in the Men’s Division. He played rounds of 73 and 72, respectively, for a total of 145 strokes (+1). The Men’s Division Second Place winner, with a total of 146 strokes, was Francisco Bolaños. Francisco is federated by the Real Club Sevilla Golf and was proclaimed as the tournament’s runner-up.

Click HERE for a complete list of tournament results.

La entrada Valentina Albertazzi wins the Seville Championship se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.

President Michael Pollak and his wife Evelyn organised a fantastic dinner and dance party after the golf competition on Saturday the 10th of November.

At the halfway house Evelyn served Austrian sausages and sweets to all players.

The weather was fantastic, but still the course was not easy to play this day. A big thank you to Evelyn and Michael!

See below all the pictures from the evening.

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La entrada President’s Cup 2018 at Atalaya Golf se publicó primero en Atalaya Golf & Country Club.