La Cala Resort
Encyclopedia
La Cala Resort in Mijas
, Andalucía, southern Spain
is a residential and recreational estate located between Marbella
and Fuengirola
. With 60 holes of golf, La Cala is officially recognised by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation as the largest golf complex in the country .
The principal facilities include a luxury hotel, separate clubhouse and three 18-hole golf courses. It is also the location of the only David Leadbetter
Golf Academy in the country and has Europe’s only high-tech TaylorMade Performance Lab as well as a testing par-3 layout. The complex has staged numerous important competitions such as the Ladies European Tour
qualifying school
and the Spanish Pairs final, won by Miguel Ángel Jiménez
and Andrés Jiménez.
In July 2007 La Cala set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of golfers to compete in a one-day event in a resort, when 614 people played in a competition held to raise funds for UNICEF.
The football facilities at La Cala Resort are popular with a number of top professional club sides. During the 2008–09 season the resort was used as a training base by top clubs from eight countries, including: Sunderland AFC, Reading FC and Peterborough United (England
), Sevilla Atlético
(Spain
), FC Dynamo Moscow
(Russia
), Borussia Mönchengladbach
(Germany
), BSC Young Boys
(Switzerland
), Heracles Almelo
(Holland), Bohemian
(Ireland
) and FC Fyn Odense (Denmark
). The resort also welcomed the England U-21 squad ahead of the 2009 European Championships and Porto FC (Portugal
) and Atlante FC (Mexico
), who played in the 2009 Peace Cup.
In September 2008 the resort hosted the Ladbrokescasino.com Masters, one of the biggest events in the Ivobank EuroPro Tour. It was won by John Parry (Harrowgate GC, England), Matthew Ford (Marriott Tudor Park, England) was second and Colin Roope (England), third.
The main shareholder in the resort is the Irish insurance company, FBD Holdings plc.
Mijas
Mijas is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia, southern Spain. It is a typically Andalusian white-washed village located at a mountain side about 450 m above mean sea level, in the heart of the Costa del Sol region...
, Andalucía, southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
is a residential and recreational estate located between Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
and Fuengirola
Fuengirola
Fuengirola, in ancient times known as Suel and then Suhayl, is a large town and municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga, autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is a major tourist resort, with more than 8 km of beaches, and home to a mediæval Moorish fortress...
. With 60 holes of golf, La Cala is officially recognised by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation as the largest golf complex in the country .
The principal facilities include a luxury hotel, separate clubhouse and three 18-hole golf courses. It is also the location of the only David Leadbetter
David Leadbetter (golf instructor)
David Leadbetter is a leading golf instructor, originally from Worthing in England. He began his career on the European and Southern African tours, but had little success as a player...
Golf Academy in the country and has Europe’s only high-tech TaylorMade Performance Lab as well as a testing par-3 layout. The complex has staged numerous important competitions such as the Ladies European Tour
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
and the Spanish Pairs final, won by Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Miguel Angel Jiménez
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 18 times on the European Tour.-Early years:...
and Andrés Jiménez.
In July 2007 La Cala set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of golfers to compete in a one-day event in a resort, when 614 people played in a competition held to raise funds for UNICEF.
The football facilities at La Cala Resort are popular with a number of top professional club sides. During the 2008–09 season the resort was used as a training base by top clubs from eight countries, including: Sunderland AFC, Reading FC and Peterborough United (England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), Sevilla Atlético
Sevilla Atlético
Sevilla Atlético Club is a Spanish football team based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1958, it plays in Segunda División B, and is the reserve team of Sevilla FC, holding home games at Ciudad Deportiva José Ramón Cisneros Palacios, with a 7,000-seat capacity.Unlike...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), FC Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
(Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
), Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), BSC Young Boys
BSC Young Boys
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....
(Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
), Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title...
(Holland), Bohemian
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
(Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) and FC Fyn Odense (Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
). The resort also welcomed the England U-21 squad ahead of the 2009 European Championships and Porto FC (Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) and Atlante FC (Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), who played in the 2009 Peace Cup.
In September 2008 the resort hosted the Ladbrokescasino.com Masters, one of the biggest events in the Ivobank EuroPro Tour. It was won by John Parry (Harrowgate GC, England), Matthew Ford (Marriott Tudor Park, England) was second and Colin Roope (England), third.
The main shareholder in the resort is the Irish insurance company, FBD Holdings plc.