El Chaparral Golf Club, Mijas – A Demanding Course That Goes Too Far

Gunnar Kobin
Jan 24
3 min read

Updated: Feb 7

El Chaparral Golf : When Challenging Becomes Unreasonable

El Chaparral Golf Club sits between Fuengirola and La Cala de Mijas, often described as a modern, strategic Costa del Sol layout. Designed by Pepe Gancedo, the course certainly demands accuracy. But in my view, it crosses the line from challenging into unreasonable territory. This is one of the few courses on the Costa del Sol I can confidently say I'll never play again.

It Starts Wrong From Hole One

From the very first tee, the design feels excessive. Opening hole plays uphill into an extremely narrow fairway, immediately setting a tone that never eases.

Fairways throughout are tight to the point of feeling artificial—like difficulty's been forced rather than earned. Even early on, you feel boxed in, restricted, constantly under threat regardless of how well you're striking the ball.

And then it gets worse.

Power Lines on a Par 3? Really? The 2nd hole, a par 3, is frankly bizarre. You're required to play your shot under power lines. Hit them and you must replay with a new ball—regardless of where the original ends up.

One of the strangest design choices I've encountered on a serious golf course.

The 3rd, a par 5, immediately forces you to cut the corner aggressively. Don't and reaching the green in three becomes virtually impossible. Strategic golf is one thing. Mandatory hero shots are another.

Then the Inconsistency Kicks In

On the 5th, a par 4, long hitters can drive right in front of the green.

The 6th, a par 5, is similarly reachable in two with a good tee shot.

These holes feel completely disconnected from the severity everywhere else. No consistency in philosophy or challenge level.

The 8th is a narrow downhill dogleg that at least introduces some genuine strategy—you must think your way down rather than just survive.

The 10th returns to punishment golf: long, very narrow par 3 played downhill from elevated tee, where anything slightly offline gets heavily penalized.

The 11th Hole Is Just Wrong

Then comes the 11th. This hole is, quite simply, ridiculous.

You play through what can only be described as a snake-like tunnel with high banks on both sides. No sense of freedom, no visual width, no margin for error. Even good shots feel claustrophobic.

It's not intimidating in a good way. It's uncomfortable and joyless.

After that ordeal, you're immediately faced with another brutally demanding par 4. To get anywhere near the green, you must cut the corner aggressively. Fail and you're left with a long, slightly uphill approach played over a ditch—another forced demand with little room for creativity.

The Finish Offers No Redemption

The 17th offers no relief. Once again, you must cut the corner to have any chance of reaching the green in three. The hole snakes forward and finishes in front of a granite wall that'll happily bounce a slightly long shot straight back into a bunker.

Feels contrived rather than clever.

The closing par 3 is no peach either—narrow, demanding, offering little sense of satisfying finish after an already exhausting round.

Don't Play This in the Rain

What makes matters worse is how the course plays wet. During rain, El Chaparral becomes extremely muddy and unpleasant.

Fairways cut up badly, footing becomes unreliable, any remaining enjoyment quickly disappears. This isn't a course that copes well with poor weather. When conditions deteriorate, the design flaws become even more apparent.

Why I Won't Go Back

El Chaparral demands precision—but demands too much, too often, without enough reward. Golf should challenge you, yes. But it should also offer rhythm, balance, moments of enjoyment. El Chaparral rarely does. Instead, it feels like a collection of forced shots, artificial constraints, and overly narrow corridors that drain the fun from the round.

There are many excellent courses on the Costa del Sol that challenge without suffocating. El Chaparral isn't one of them.

I gave it a fair shot. It didn't deliver. Life's too short and golf's too expensive to play courses that feel like punishment rather than sport.

Won't be going back.