Real Club de Golf El Prat near Barcelona, Spain, has 45 holes designed by Greg Norman and has hosted the Spanish Open (Open de España) ten times, most recently in 2015. 

 

The property covers 550 acres and surrounded by 32,000 acres of national parkland. The 45 holes can be split up into five 9-hole courses, giving a combination of up to 9 different courses. Each tee box has seven different markers, ranging from black to pink, for all levels of play.

 

 

It also has a driving range with covered stations and huge, two story clubhouse with banquet rooms, corporate areas and lots of places to rest and relax.

 

The course is in great shape and tournament ready. The superintendent, Jose Gonzalez, was a gracious host during my visit. 

 

The greens are A4 bentgrass while the tees and fairways are Pennway (Seaside II + Penneagle + Penncross) bentgrass.  The Toro SitePro irrigation system utilizes recycled water with desalination and disinfection treatment.  Respect for the environment on all levels is one of the clubs key principles, resulting in compliance with ISO 14001 certification in recognition of its commitment to sustainability.

 

Jose is experimenting with developing a pure A4 turf in the courses nursery.  He has covered the area with plastic and then applied a layer of sand and then seed.  This is allowing him to keep all unwanted grass and weeds out of the growth area while growing healthy, beautiful turf.

 

Jose invited me to play the course after our tour. I played the Open option and it was a true pleasure to experience.