Europe’s top women golfers will be competing for record prize-money in Spain when they tee up at the La Sella course on the Costa Blanca this week. Running from 20 to 23 July, the La Sella Open is a new tournament on the Ladies European Tour schedule but, with a total prize-money pool of one million euros – the highest on offer in the history of women’s golf in Spain – it has understandably attracted an impressive field of both Spanish and international players.
According to LET director Joao Paulo Pinto, the Tour was keen to select the right course for such an important event. “La Sella Golf will be an exceptional setting for an event of such high calibre… given the superior technical quality of the course, its beautiful landscape and its excellent track-record in hosting international golf tournaments.”
These include the Women’s European Nations Cup, the LET Rookie Orientation Week, the Peugeot Tour, the national finals of Lacoste Promesas and the Faldo series, as well as various Spanish championships.
Designed by José María Olazábal, at 27 holes La Sella is the largest golf course on the Costa Blanca. It comprises three nine-hole layouts meandering around pines, flat land with water hazards and demanding finishing holes, as well as hilly areas with stunning views over the sea, the Segaria mountains and Montgó National Park.
Noting that every last detail of the course has been considered for hosting this high-level professional tournament, La Sella Golf head greenkeeper Jimena Blanco explains, “The most important thing is a clear course with fast and playable greens. My greatest concern for the summer dates when the tournament is on is getting a dense and healthy green carpet, which is vital for the game.”
La Sella Golf has completely overhauled the course, providing it with more technological, sustainable and competitive facilities. “We strive on a daily basis to manage and improve the environmental features that we can,” says Blanco. “It is the future of golf and any business in the 21st century.”
To that end, she adds, “At La Sella we have over 2,000 species and varieties of native trees that capture CO₂ and return O₂ to the atmosphere. We have planted sustainable species of grass that need very little water and hardly any fertilisers or phytosanitary products. We also irrigate it with water from Dénia’s wastewater treatment plant, which, were it not used by us first and filtered through the root system of our lawn, is water that would go straight into the sea.”
All of these efforts are directed towards maintaining and respecting La Sella’s surroundings, in a privileged position nestled within the Montgó National Park by the coastal town of Dénia in Alicante province. As Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, says, “It is one of the most prestigious courses on the Mediterranean, in Montgó National Park, a spectacular natural setting.”
“A Tournament for the Ladies”
The ethos of La Sella Open is “to provide female golf players with a major tournament and significant prizes to allow them to compete and help to bridge the divide between the social and financial recognition they receive compared to their male counterparts.
“Financial constraints and difficulties in combining sporting practice with family and social roles are the most oft-cited reasons that can prevent women from competing. La Sella Open wants to reward the efforts of professional golfers and make this their tournament.”
The one million euro prize fund is a strong show of commitment by La Sella Golf, the Spanish Golf Federation and the Valencian Golf Federation to promote women’s golf and opportunities for golfers in an event described as a “tournament that has been made by and for the ladies”. As Armas points out, “With one million euros in prize money, La Sella Open will be the women’s golf tournament awarding the highest prize money in Spain and one of the biggest on the LET, outside of the majors.”
Furthermore, La Sella is one of the few courses with a female greenkeeper. “The world of sports turf maintenance is largely dominated by men,” says Blanco. “There are very few of us women in the field although, luckily, this is changing and more and more women are deciding to dedicate themselves to this profession and more and more men are giving us the first opportunities.”
The golf course at La Sella is complemented by an expansive driving range, two greens for approach golf drills, two putting greens, “the most advanced learner’s centre on the Costa Blanca” and a golf academy, as well as the Hoyo 19 (19th Hole) restaurant.
The golf amenities are part of the Hotel Denia Marriott La Sella Golf Resort & Spa complex, which also includes a five-star hotel, spa and gym facilities, various restaurants and more than 1,500 square metres of venue space, as well as a residential complex.
Top International Field
A total of 126 players will be teeing up in the four-day event. The 15 Spanish players include recent winner Carmen Alonso (Ladies Open by Pickala Rock Resort) and current Race to Costa del Sol (order of merit) number one Ana Pelaez Trivino.
The international stars are led by India’s Diksha Dagar, Lisa Pettersson of Sweden, German Patricia Isabel Schmidt and Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova. Seven of the top 10 players in the season-long race will be competing at La Sella, with Klara Davidson Spilkova (Czechia), Johanna Gustvasson (Sweden), Lily May Humphreys (England) and Celine Herbin (France) joining Pelaez, Alonso and Dagar. Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab will also be looking to extend her lead in the Rookie of the Year race.
(Olazábal and course photos supplied by La Sella Golf)
