Solheim Cup 2023 venue Finca Cortesin a stunning course in a luxurious setting

My head naturally adopted a similar sinking feeling but only for a moment, for I was determined to make the most of a rare opportunity to play a challenging course in a splendid setting, even if I was still in need of a pick-me-up.

Almost as if employing a sixth sense, a member of the caddie staff, who bent over backwards in anticipating my every need during a whistle-stop tour to this pitch-perfect stretch of golfing real estate, sped around the corner on his buggy and parked up behind me.

“Chicken soup?” he enquired, motioning me to box on his buggy and a sleeve of plastic cups. It wasn’t what I was expecting to hear, but when golfing in Andalusia...

I took a slurp of the soup – a regional favourite I was informed – as the caddie enthusiastically told me Padraig Harrington, the former Open champion, once hit four balls to within a 10-metre radius during a practice round on this hole, nodding to a gully just shy of the green, and of course, beyond the water which cut across the hole where my two balls were now lost.

Truth is Finca Cortesin is a course designed for the very best golfers, the Harringtons of this world, so it was always going to be a challenge for a club hacker from South Yorkshire.

But what a challenge, and what a setting. Even in the persistent rain that fell for much of my two-day stay – “good for the health of the course”, many a caddie told me – Finca Cortesin is a stunning place to play golf.

From the moody mountain shrouded in mist that peers across the 18 holes, to the Mediterranean Sea a few kilometres away, barely visible through the fine early spring fret but an inviting vista nonetheless, this gem on the Costa del Sol is an exclusive delight.

Yet if this exotic hideaway reachable in three hours from the UK is a bit of an unknown now, it is on the verge of exploding with popularity. For later this year, Finca Cortesin Golf and Spa in the small town of Casares, sandwiched between popular destinations Marbella and Sotogrande, hosts one of golf’s biggest tournaments, the Solheim Cup.

The women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup is contested by 12-strong teams representing Europe and the United States. Huge entourages from both teams will descend on this picture-perfect corner of the Costa del Sol from September 18 to 24, along with the world’s media and in excess of 10,000 fans a day.

What they will find in every corner of this hillside property is opulence. Whether that be the state of the golf course – in impeccable condition even accounting for the divots I left in the fairways – the luxury spa with heated indoor pool, or the marble touches in the reception areas that scream character, this is a sumptuous getaway.

The 18-hole championship golf course that will play host to some of the best golfers in the world in September was the reason for my visit. Built around a 67-room hotel amid an estate of white Spanish villas and apartments, the course is spread over a huge area and offers breathtaking scenery on every hole.

The man-made water hazards are plentiful, ensuring decisions await on the tee boxes for everyone from amateur visitors to the best female golfers in the world. The fourth for now, which will become the opening hole for the Solheim Cup, is the classic matchplay risk-reward hole, a driveable par-four with water all the way down the left. I found the green on day one, the water on day two (twice).

There are numerous holes that play to the backdrop of villas but the best hole is the 10th, a downhill par three. “People either love that hole or they hate it,” one caddie tells me when he asks which my favourite was.

The greens are Bermuda grass, which to a weekend golfer like me roll so true and so fast that it’s like trying to stop your ball on a conservatory roof. Even with the heavy showers of March, the course holds up magnificently.

The course will close for a few weeks in June and then for a fortnight before the Solheim Cup, “to allow us to make final preparations and presentations,” explains general manager Francisco de Lancastre.

“Staging the Solheim Cup is perfect for us,” he continues. “We’re not a huge site that can accommodate 156 players in a tournament, but with 24 players and all that comes with it, we have enough rooms in the hotel and in the villas to have everyone on site. We’re all very excited.”

Finca Cortesin is not just for the golfer, either. It is a luxury retreat with a magnificent spa area, indoor pool, an outdoor pool and those magnificent views of the Mediterranean from the terrace.

The dining is exquisite. In England, upon finishing a round of golf, the customary meal is soup and a sandwich.

At Finca Cortesin, it’s a starter of lobster in the El Jardin de Lutz restaurant in the hotel, followed by a main course of a rack of succulent lamb.

The golfers belt of the south of Spain and Portugal is easily accessible for British visitors. My visit began with an early-morning flight from Birmingham, a 50-minute journey from Malaga Airport, a round in the afternoon, one night’s stay, a round in the morning, lunch in the clubhouse overlooking the sloping driving range as the sun finally came out, and then back to the airport to fly home.

For golf with a touch of class and where the best players walk, look no further than Finca Cortesin.