Real Golf Club de San Sebastián

Parcours vallonné et très bien entretenu aussi bien le fairways, que les greens. Un parcours fort agréable à jouer et à découvrir dans le pays basque espagnol. Les greens sont de très bonnes qualités même si la roule n'est pas identique sur tous les greens 😉 Trouver le practice n'est pas peut simple peu d'informations et instructions.

Real GC San Sebastián is just a few kilometres from the French border. Like other Basque courses, it is undulating. The opening hole is played downhill. A surprise awaits on the 8th hole, where you play deep into the valley across a little-used road. There is a water hazard in front of the 15th green. The only two flat holes are the 16th and 17th. The final hole is the essence of the whole course: a par 3 played uphill, measuring 162 metres.

This is the club where José María Olazábal was born and raised, so it has a special place in my heart. The first impression is very positive, warm welcome, beautiful clubhouse, correct greenfee (especially compared to Neguri). Unfortunately, the course itself is of uneven quality. Hole 1 is short par 4 with a deep dive down. I played a mid iron and almost hit it into the penalty area. Then follows a series of wonderful and relatively flat holes, at the foot of the Jaizkibel. The par 3 8th hole is a deep dive down again. Take one or two clubs less. Hole 9 is a short par 5 (really a par 4) up towards to the caddyhouse. The back nine starts off well, with an exciting, well bunkered short par 4 (go for the green of lay up?). Hole 11, 13 and 14 are great par 4s. But then.... come holes 15 ( a stupid par 4 with an out of place semi-island green), holes 16 and 17, flat as a pancake and lots of noise of the neighboring road and the stupid 18th hole, a short uphill par 3, unworthy to be the closing hole. Why not play 15-18 as holes 10-14 and 15 as the closing hole? Greenkeeping was.... hmm... surprising. First of all, the course is over watered with the muggy conditions on some holes. Greens were fast, true and relatively flat. But ... on the first 7 holes the greenkeepers were in full swing. Even though we teed of at 12 noon, they were cutting the tee of hole 1, only stopping the moment we actually hit our ball. On holes 2 a mower was cutting the fairway (try making a solid swing with a machine in the landing area). On hole 4 they were cutting the banks for a green side bunker, merely looking up when my ball hit the green. And then... only holes 5 and 6 the staff was spraying the fairway with chemicals. Apart from being disturbing to see machines in the middle of the fairways, it was simply unhealthy; The staff were wearing PPF face masks and hazmat overalls, but we simply had the breath the chemicals. Who on earth decides to do this in high season at 1pm?? Overall, Real Club the San Sebastián is worth a stop if you're in the area, but do not plan your trip around. There a far better courses in the French and Spanish Basque Country.

The front 9 bunkers were being repaired which meant the were filled with cement. One hole had a replacement green that was 10 feet round in the middle of the fairway and they charged me 50 euros for the cart. The course views were beautiful. The clubhouse was nice and the staff was great. But the quality of golf was not great.

Campo de golf muy recomendable cerca de San Sebastián. El recorrido es precioso y las calles están llenas de cuestas y desniveles, es un verdadero reto para cualquier golfista. Muy bien cuidado y muy divertido. Recomendable 100%.