Pamplona, located in the north east corner of Spain, near the French border, is famous throughout the world for its “running of the bulls” during the annual San Fermin festival. Not so widely known (except to the more discerning Spanish golfer, of course) is the fact that two very good golf courses – Castillo de Gorraiz and Ulzama – are situated just to the north of the city.
With an inaugural nine holes laid out by Javier Arana in 1966 and a further nine holes added by Fransisco Lόpez-Segalés twenty-three years later, Ulzama lies in the Navarrese valley of the same name, within an old oak forest. The hilly terrain here is such that blind shots are an inevitable feature on the course, with trees framing every single hole on the card.
A Signature hole at golf Ulzama ?
One of the more memorable holes on the front nine is the 330-yard, short par four, 4th where water protects the front right of the green. Arana’s back nine is considered to be tougher than the outward half, and it features a couple of testing par threes at the 210-metre 12th and 185-metre 15th. The putting surface of the latter, in particular, is cunningly protected by three bunkers, all of them positioned to give the illusion that the green is smaller and closer than it really is.
One of the more memorable holes on the front nine is the 330-yard, short par four, 4th where water protects the front right of the green. Arana’s back nine is considered to be tougher than the outward half, and it features a couple of testing par threes at the 210-metre 12th and 185-metre 15th. The putting surface of the latter, in particular, is cunningly protected by three bunkers, all of them positioned to give the illusion that the green is smaller and closer than it really is.
One of the more memorable holes on the front nine is the 330-yard, short par four, 4th where water protects the front right of the green. Arana’s back nine is considered to be tougher than the outward half, and it features a couple of testing par threes at the 210-metre 12th and 185-metre 15th. The putting surface of the latter, in particular, is cunningly protected by three bunkers, all of them positioned to give the illusion that the green is smaller and closer than it really is.
The Ulzama course is perched on a hill dominated by the clubhouse, from which you can see a majestic oak forest flanking the fairways – and demanding high accuracy off the tee. The layout bears all the usual signatures of an Arana design. Wide fairways orientated at an angle to the tee and plenty of doglegs, forcing the player to fade (10th, 13th) or draw (12th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th) the ball to achieve the best line for the second shot.
