Course Info

Real Club Valderrama, Andalucía

This is the one they all want to win. The course that breaks hearts and makes legends, the course where every single hole is a signature in itself.

Valderrama is known as the ‘Augusta of Europe’ and if you’ve ever been lucky enough to stroll beneath its famous cork trees, you’ll know why. But even if you know this magnificent venue already, come take a tour with us… maybe you’ll learn something new along the way.

What happened before we got here?

Valderrama isn’t as old as you might think. In fact, it’s only just turned 50. But boy, has it packed a lot into its first half-century.

The course was built for championship golf, having been designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones (whose course in Virginia also features on this year’s LIV Golf schedule). Then, in 1984, it was taken over by Spanish magnate Jaime Ortiz-Patino, who called Jones back to southern Spain and asked him to make it even better.

The pro tournaments began to roll in the late 1980s, and then, in 1997, came lift-off: the Ryder Cup came to Andalucía and the world witnessed one of the greatest editions of all time. No one who witnessed that epic duel, either on the course or on TV, will forget the US charge on Sunday, with a young Phil Mickelson in the lineup.

The US couldn’t quite pull off the heist that day, but their heroic comeback set the tone for what was to follow. Valderrama became a place of miracles, a place that brought the best from the best: just ask Graeme McDowell, who produced an albatross here in 2007.

But no one, no one, has a stronger relationship with Valderrama than Sergio García. Our Fireballs GC captain has turned this corner of Andalucía into his own personal kingdom, having won a string of victories beneath the cork trees. And at LIV Golf Andalucía 2024, he produced his greatest feat yet.

In front of an electric home crowd waving red and yellow flags, García roared back on Sunday to pip Anirban Lahiri to the individual title in a play-off. And to top things off, his Fireballs claimed the team title, again in a play-off - the first and only time golf has witnessed two tie-breakers on the same day.

How will it play?

As Jon Rahm, who has suffered an agonising string of near-misses at Valderrama says, there’s no luck at Valderrama. This is a course with no gimme holes, and you have to really think your way around the course rather than just whacking the hell out of the ball.

Perhaps that’s why García, a player whose game is built on brains rather than brawn, has done so well here. Perhaps that’s why Lahiri, one of the smaller guys in LIV Golf, did so well in 2024.

Who will it favor?

Expect García and his Fireballs to feature strongly again, not least because they’ll have the home crowd behind them. But, when it comes to the other big-name Spaniard, fortunes are harder to predict.

Jon Rahm’s journey began at Valderrama (his family used to make an annual pilgrimage to Sotogrande) and he should have the perfect game for this place. The Basque Lion is LIV Golf’s Mr Consistent, the king of birdies and greens in regulation. Whatever the conditions, he finds a way… unless he’s playing Valderrama. Up to now, victory has eluded him here.

This year, however, he arrives as the LIV Golf champion, and he’ll be right in the groove after the three U.S. Majors. Could this be the year he finally beats the Valderrama voodoo?

What have they said about Valderrama?

“I just love the way the golf course plays. It’s not a long course, but it makes you think on every single tee shot, every single shot into the greens. It’s probably one of the few courses that probably makes you use every single club you have in the bag. We don’t get to see that that often in some of the newer designs. In my personal opinion, that’s what makes a great golf course,” Sergio García.

“One of the many exciting things about joining LIV was being able to play here. It is an iconic golf course that has a lot of history and it would be incredible to join the great list of Spanish champions that have been able to perform well here.” Jon Rahm.

How can I be there?

Whether you want an afternoon of tapas and sangria on Valderrama’s iconic 17th hole, an all-day lunch on the famous 18th or a grounds pass that lets you roam the course in the paths of the players, we’ve got you. Get your tickets here.