Guide to Campo Asia

Campo Asia, formerly the South Course and opened 15 years ago, was one of the first courses built some distance from the coast and was one of Cabell Robinson's first courses after leaving the Robert Trent Jones organisation.

The hilly site resulted in a relatively short (5925 m.) course. Both the fairways and smallish greens are well bunkered, and the majority of the tee shots, many of which are quite dramatic to comfortably wide landing areas, are either downhill or level.

Water is present on only two holes, the reachable par 5 fifth and the short par 4 twelfth. Approximately half of the approach shots are to elevated well-defended greens. The four short holes offer tremendous variety, and although some require a carry over native grunkle, all are easily reachable.

This is an exciting course which puts a premium on the approach shot.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	IDA		10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	OUT	Total
White	319	267	145	336	489	349	168	407	449	2929		482	170	359	377	292	360	435	166	355	2996	5925
Yellow	286	252	119	290	461	325	125	338	424	2620		460	164	314	368	281	333	435	101	336	2792	5412
Blue	247	220	103	262	407	281	101	311	384	2316		413	116	292	339	214	316	375	91	313	2469	4785
Red	233	217	100	256	375	270	84	272	357	2164		413	114	217	333	205	311	370	74	266	2303	4467
HCP	12	16	18	4	10	6	14	8	2			3	13	5	7	17	11	1	15	9
PAR	4	4	3	4	5	4	3	4	5	36		5	3	4	4	4	4	5	3	4	36	72

HOLE 1 PAR 4 - HCP 12 The opening drive here should reach the concave landing area in order to set up the second shot to the green. A bunker left and OB to the right are factors but the area between is fairly wide. The short iron second shot must carry the valley to reach a green well bunkered on the left. Both the front and back left pin positions are difficult.		319
		286
		247
		233

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HOLE 2 PAR 4 - HCP 16 The fairway on this short part 4 cants sharply to the left so the best drive will be beyond this slope and into the hillside leading up to the green. Short of driving the green itself, all approaches will be uphill to a small terraced putting surface protected in front by grassy hollows.		267
		252
		220
		217

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HOLE 3 PAR 3 - HCP 18 With a severe drop down to the pear-shaped green, distance judgment will be a critical factor. A large horseshoe bunker surrounds the narrow back pin position and a soft swale through the middle of the green can often lead to more than two putts.		145
		119
		103
		100

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HOLE 4 PAR 4 - HCP 4 The 4 handicap rating on this short hole is well deserved. From the back tees the drive must carry some grunkle to a slightly elevated, U-shaped landing area bunkered on the right. Better players can cut the corner on the left but the awkward lies which may result make this option questionable. The left-hand pin positions above the bunker on this small green are the most challenging, but there is much more room off to the right.		336
		290
		262
		256

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HOLE 5 PAR 5 - HCP 10 Dramatic tee shot on this reachable par 5 with Mijas pueblo in the distance. Playing over the nest of five bunkers can increase the length of the drive, setting up a shorter second shot approach to the green. A safer line is over the farthest right of these bunkers, from there the fairway tumbles down through swales and hollows to a green set on the bias with water all along the left rear. The best lay-up area is between the last two fairway bunkers as this area will afford a better lie.		489
		461
		407
		375

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HOLE 6 PAR 4 - HCP 6 Drives from the back tees must carry part of the green side lake on Nº 5, but regardless of which tee is used a long drive is required on this hole to get beyond the nest of six bunkers defending the dogleg on the left. Short of this area results in a blind shot over the hillside to the green. OB is a threat all along the right side. As with many of La Cala’s greens, this one is without bunkers but its perched location and small size demand an accurate second shot.		349
		325
		281
		270

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HOLE 7 PAR 3 - HCP 14 An uphill par 3 with OB along the right and dense grunkle to the left. A large cork oak guards the left front of the green. Be sure to take enough club as in spite of the bunkers behind the green, long and/or slightly right will afford a better chance at par than being short		168
		125
		101
		84

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HOLE 8 PAR 4 - HCP 8 This is a nice driving hole with the best line over the carry bunker as there is considerable room out to the right. Avoid the left-hand bunkers. The fairway drops sharply down and then up to a slightly elevated green. Long drives can take advantage of this downhill slope, but keeping the drive up in the landing area will provide a better stance for the second shot. The green is wide but not very deep and the difficult left-hand pin position is protected by the swale bisecting the putting surface.		407
		338
		311
		272

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HOLE 9 PAR 5 - HCP 2 The drive here should be directed to the 4 pines up on the hillside on the left in order to avoid the semi-blind protective bunkers on the right. The second shot plays strongly downhill across a band of grunkle to a hummocky fairway rising steadily up to the green. The nest of bunkers on the left should only cause trouble for severely-pulled shots. The elevated green is well bunkered to the right and the rear.		449
		424
		384
		357

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HOLE 10 PAR 5 - HCP 3 The drive from the elevated tees should favour the right side to allow the ball to kick down into the centre of the landing area. The second shot must carry the intervening valley to a tiered landing area hemmed in by houses left and grunkle to the right. The elevated green is bunkered left, and right rear. The diagonal terrace across the green sets up some interesting pin positions.		482
		460
		413
		413

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HOLE 11 PAR3 - HCP 13 Spectacular drive from the elevated tees down to an L-shaped green. The entry is defended by the upward sloping fairway, and the narrower rear part of the green by a horseshoe of bunkers. A transverse swale separating the front and rear platforms renders the choice of club critical.		170
		164
		116
		114

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HOLE 12 PAR 3 - HCP 5 The drive on this tricky par 4 should be aimed to the right to allow the hillside to work the ball down to the centre of this valley-like fairway and away from the bunkers of the left. The approach is slightly downhill and across a small pond to a wide but shallow green. An alternate approach is available to the left of the lake but this brings the left-hand green bunker into play. Despite its length, par here is a good score.		359
		314
		292
		217

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HOLE 13 PAR 4 - HCP 7 A forced carry from the back tees to a reasonably wide fairway. Bunkers and OB lurk to the right, and pulled drives will result in a blind approach over trees and bunkers. The slightly downhill approach shot to a well-bunkered green on the bias is one of the more attractive shots on the course.		377
		368
		339
		333

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HOLE 14 PAR 4- HCP 17 An inviting elevated tee shot down to a wide concave fairway shared on the left with Nº 13. Length, though not critical, is advantageous for a slightly better view to the elevated putting surface. The flattish putting surface can produce birdies, but the small green size combined with the defending slopes and bunkers demand a precise approach.		292
		281
		214
		205

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HOLE 15 PAR 4 - HCP 11 The elevated tees will tempt most players to over-hit their drive. Many balls are to be found in the impenetrable grunkle both left and right. Two cork oaks can cause problems even for good drives down the left side. The short approach shot to the elevated green should keep the ball below the pin as there is a considerable back-to-front slope on the putting surface.		360
		333
		316
		311

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HOLE 16 PAR 5 - HCP 1 The smart choice of club on this short dog-leg left par 5 is a fairway metal/long iron toward the right side of the fairway bunker. Trying to cut the corner with a longer drive will see most shots run through the fairway into oblivion. The green is definitely reachable in two with even a moderate drive and there is more fairway out on the left than would appear. Mounds and a deep hollow guard the entry to this relatively flat green. As with many other greens at La Cala, the front pin position is the most difficult.		435
		435
		375
		370

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HOLE 17 PAR 3 - HCP 15 The spectacularly elevated back tee requires nearly a full carry to a small green nestled in a valley surrounded by lush vegetation and well-defended by bunkers and grassy hollows. The more forward tees require a smaller carry, but the small triangular-shaped green is equally well-defended from this line of play as well.		166
		101
		91
		74

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HOLE 18 PAR 4 - HCP 9 A challenging uphill dogleg right finishing hole. Better players can cut the corner, risking both grunkle and OB if they get too greedy. A safer line is toward the second fairway bunker on the left. Be sure to allow enough club for the uphill approach shot to this small, blind and softly terraced green.		355
		336
		313
		266

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