Andalucía Costa del Sol Open Golf to welcome Europe's top 64 women players

LOS NARANJOS Golf Club is getting ready for the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open scheduled for November, with changes to the layout having been announced and fewer competitors.

This crucial date on the LPGA women's tour calendar will see the 64 top-ranked Ladies' European Tour golfers pit their skills against each other, and a further eight guest players, for a total prize pot of €600,000 – plus another quarter of a million split between those who make the podium in the final.

This time, and to ensure 'equality in conditions' in the competition, say the organisers, the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open will not count for points towards the Race to Costa del Sol, meaning it will not affect playing categories for the 2022 season.

According to chairman of the Costa del Sol tourism board, Francisco Salado, the province of Málaga has the greatest number of golf courses per square kilometre than anywhere else on the continent of Europe, with 74 courses on the coast alone – including the Marbella-based Los Naranjos – and more than 500 holes, 'all irrigated with recycled water'.

“The huge financial contribution to the province made by golfing visitors is undeniable,” Salado says, “as is their high level of loyalty to Costa del Sol courses.”

Holidaymakers who head to the Málaga province coast to play golf plough about €1.4 billion into the local economy and support over 17,700 jobs, reveals Salado.

In surveys and reviews, visiting players score Costa del Sol golf clubs an average of 9.24 out of 10, and 98.7% of tourists who play recommend the area as a golfing holiday destination, he recounts.

Safety, especially in times of pandemic, and 'friendly, helpful customer service' are key, along with 'excellent weather and so many hours per year of sunshine'.

Los Naranjos is only one of the province's golf clubs to have hosted the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open – since 2010, when Flamingos was chosen as the venue, it has taken place at La Quinta, Aloha Golf, and Guadalmina Royal.

This year's Open runs from November 25 to 28, forms part of the Solheim Cup 2023 schedule – the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup – and holds the official status of 'Event of Exceptional Public Interest' (AEIP).

The result of this prestigious tag is that companies which take part in it enjoy major tax breaks, explains regional tourism minister Juan Marín.