Real Club de Golf Las Brisas: the course and homes for sale nearby

Las Brisas fills a valley in the heart of Nueva Andalucía. The official scorecard gives par 72 and 4,846 to 6,464 metres depending on the tees. Ten artificial lakes, fed by two streams, shape the round, and most greens are raised and closely guarded by bunkers.

Kyle Phillips's rebuild reworked tees, bunkers and greens and changed the routing of several back-nine holes, while most of the mature trees were kept. The trees are the other half of the story: the English landscaper Gerald Huggan planted the course almost as an arboretum, with species from every continent growing among palms and Mediterranean trees.

Las Brisas is a private members' club. The club states that non-members may play only in the company of a member, a limited number of times a year and with a valid handicap certificate; guests may use the practice ground in the hour before they tee off.

Trent Jones meant the course to be difficult but fair, with subtle doglegs that reward a plan from the tee. Reviewers consistently describe the raised greens as firm and fast and mention the rough and the water, so it suits low and mid handicappers best, though higher handicappers can still enjoy it. Players often praise the condition of the course since the rebuild; the most common frustration is how hard it is to get a tee time.

There is a practice ground, a golf academy and a restaurant serving from breakfast onwards, with a chiringuito on the course. Buggies and trolleys are available, at most two buggies per group. Spring and autumn are the main seasons; in summer an early start is sensible.

Las Brisas shares the Golf Valley with Los Naranjos and Aloha, inland from Puerto Banús. The course took the best part of the valley and the land around it was built on, so Las Brisas is now a residential district in its own right, with Marbella's centre to the east and San Pedro de Alcántara to the west.

Homes for sale across Nueva Andalucía are mostly apartments, with a good share of detached villas and fewer townhouses. A home near the course does not bring the right to play it: membership needs a share in the club and the board's approval. We work only for buyers, and before a viewing we check how far a home really is from the course and what it looks out on.