Large scale renovation of holes 3 & 4 at Noord Nederlandse G&CC

Located in the Bay of Cádiz, Vista Hermosa is a thriving social club with over 8,000 members. In addition to golf, it provides its members with tennis, paddle tennis, horse riding, croquet and beach club facilities.

Opened in 1975, Vista Hermosa’s 9-hole course was designed by Gonzalo Lavin Sr., who worked with renowned architect Javier Arana in the 1950s and 1960s during the construction of such famous courses such as Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and El Saler in Valencia. Subsequently, in 1982, Lavin partnered with Severiano Ballesteros. Lavin’s original design at Vista Hermosa was well thought out, especially given the small footprint of land on which it is located. At first glance, the course appears rather easy, but its architecture offers a stout defence without the serious influence of water or highly contoured greens and is often buffeted by the easterly Levante wind.

The course has been modified several times. Most changes have been undertaken by the Club without input from an architect, resulting in a course that has altered quite significantly from its original design. Over the years, new homes have been developed on lots adjacent to the course, meaning that properties are now much closer to the course’s boundary; additionally, trees adjacent to the playing corridors have increased threefold in mass. Their growth has affected the strategic intent of several holes, leading to a marked change from Lavin’s original design.

Vista Hermosa’s board felt that it was time to update the course with input from an expert architect, and has therefore asked us to write a long term course plan. IVGD is working as part of Clayton, DeVries & Pont on this project.

“The work we have done at Noord Nederlandse this winter is very exciting, because it has introduced new elements to the golf course. The new deeper bunkers, wider fairways and massively expanded short grass areas will make the game more fun for the average players whilst making the holes a stiffer test for the better players.”