The Golf Course
Uraburu Golf is a course where you can enjoy your favourite sport in a natural setting with spectacular views over the Nervión Valley and the Cantabrian Mountains.
An 18-hole golf course in an attractive setting just 20 minutes from Bilbao
The course is located in the Monte Ganguren hills in Galdakao, Bizkaia.
It was built by Cañellas European Golf. Engineering firm IDOM conducted the environmental impact study, acted as works manager and handled the access points and roadways. The Technical Director for the construction project was architect Raimundo Suárez Arauzo.
A course designed by renowned player Txema Olazabal
The course is designed by Txema Olazabal following the lie of the land, whichy means that each hole is different from the previous one. This means that players need to use all the clubs in their bag. On this par 71, 18-hole course, you need to be accurate from the tee and precise on the greens, which hold the ball well but provide a lot of movement.
It is a course where you need to be conservative and cautious, especially if you are playing it for the first time, and not try to hit too long. You need to accept the idea that you will need to take 3 strokes to reach the green on some par 4s.
Txema Olazabal
The 18 holes at Uraburu Golf, hole by hole
Un campo entretenido en el que cada recorrido exige una estrategia diferente
HOLE 1 | PAR 4
A short hole that curves to the left, challenging you to hit the green from the tee (from the white tee box it is actually impossible) with a short, tense first shot of around 140m with penalty areas on the left and right. The second shot is downhill to the large, narrow green defended by numerous obstacles. A hole that forces you to protect yourself from start to finish.
HOLE 2 | PAR 3
The unique feature of this hole is the water hazard that you must carry from the tee box to reach the elevation of the green, which stretches along the water like a balcony.
It is a par three whose shortness is made up for by the tough, accurate shot required to hold the ball on the apron of the green, given the many risks posed by the obstacles that surround it.
HOLE 3 | PAR 4
This hole starts particularly beautifully with a difficult shot to clear a reed bed 130 m from the yellow tee box. This takes you towards a bunker at the far end of the fairway. The drive trajectory is flanked by tall trees and you must miss an out-of-bounds area on the left that is out of sight from the tee box. With the approach shot danger looms from the same side and at the far end of the hole.
HOLE 4 | PAR 4
A magnificent hole with several hazards that condition players’ driving strategies. Two oak trees on the left side of the fairway and an oak grove on the right substantially narrow the playing corridor. With the green elevation being several metres higher, you must be particularly careful to choose the right club for your approach, because your target distance can change drastically depending on where the flag is positioned.
HOLE 5 | PAR 5
An extraordinarily beautiful par 5 hole that features three bunkers around where drives drop. To reach the green in two you must play to carry the first bunker on the left of the fairway. Shorter hitters can play for the centre to avoid all three. Approach shots must be played to the right to avoid the hazards on the left side. And don’t forget that there is an out-of-bounds area at the far end of the green.
HOLE 6 | PAR 3
This is the highest-handicap hole in the round. To play it, you need to avoid the two bunkers at the front of the green, but bear in mind the steep slope away along the right of the entire hole.
When selecting your club, take the green elevation into account.
HOLE 7 | PAR 4
A beautiful hole with a gradual uphill slope that runs away from right to left. You must play to miss the out-of-bounds area to the left of the fairway. With your approach shot you need to be particularly careful with the left side, while not forgetting about the other hazards.
HOLE 8 | PAR 4
A downhill hole that dog-legs to the left to reveal a large, sack-like bunker across the fairway. The green is not visible from the tee, so long-hitters should play to the left across the dog-leg. Your approach shot must miss two bunkers and a steep slope away to the right.
HOLE 9 | PAR 5
This extraordinary par 5 features a steep hillside to the left and a steep drop away on the right. With your tee shot you must decide whether to risk playing long or play safe by going short. You must weigh up the risk against the potential benefits, as the fairway narrows at a point where where there is a bunker on the left and a steep slope away on the other side. Between these two hazards there is a narrow corridor that you must carry with your drive if you want to reach the green with your second shot. The riskiest area for your approach shot is to the right, as that is where all the hazards lie.
HOLE 10 | PAR 3
This is a great hole that stretches along a narrow hillside. The fairway gradually broadens as it approaches the green.
You need to play it along the left, as straying to the right takes you to four bunkers by the green and a steep drop marked with red poles, turning it into a lateral water hazard.
The length of this hole and the player’s mindset in tackling the first hole on the homeward leg make this excellent hole even tougher.
HOLE 11 | PAR 5
Your tee shot is flanked by hillsides that guide the ball towards the centre of a gently downward-sloping fairway. Long-hitters should keep left to cut across the dog-leg and avoid the bunker on the right. Your second shot can be played short on the narrow part of the fairway, or you can take the risk of playing for the green, but you must miss the steep slope away if you want to avoid the ten bunkers on the left.
When you attack the green, beware of the out-of-bounds area on the left and the drop away on the right.
HOLE 12 | PAR 3
A magnificent par 3 featuring a beautiful sheltered setting. There are three options in playing for the green, with the right-hand side being the most hazardous. On that side, you must aim for a 4-metre radius circle surrounded by hazards. The middle path is the friendliest in terms of ground to aim for, though you must carry the bunker at the front of the green. The left-hand side is the least risky option, as there is room for the ball to bounce before the green and you can avoid the threat of the bunker.
HOLE 13 | PAR 4
This is a blind hole, with neither the drop nor the green visible from the tee. You need to keep left to stay away from the out-of-bounds.
Be very careful as you attack the green, because the hazards in front of it and the position of the flag mean that you will need to pick just the right club: there is very little margin for error in the shot required.
HOLE 14 | PAR 4
This may be the shortest par 4 on the course but its is still an interesting hole: the green is at a higher elevation than the fairway, and is reachable from the tee for accurate long-hitters. The raised green is surrounded by steep drops, and you need to hold back the ball to avoid them. There are four bunkers taking up the whole of the fairway at the front of the green. One of them is so large that it has an island in its centre. Even if your tee shot is short, the same risks exist on playing for the green.
HOLE 15 | PAR 3
This is a medium-length par 3 with the green elevation well above the tees. You therefore need a higher-number club than the distance would suggest. All along the left-hand side of the hole there is a highly dangerous out-of-bounds. There are also two bunkers, one on the left and the other at the front of the green, which complicate things still further.
HOLE 16 | PAR 4
This beautiful hole features a lake within range of the tee shot. You must play your tee shots carefully and gauge the distance so as not to drop into the water or in the out-of-bounds area on the left. There are two ways to approach the green: You can play short to avoid the hazards or play long and take the risk.
HOLE 17 | PAR 4
If you adjust the range of your tee shot you can play across the dog-leg on this hole. You need to gauge the distances correctly n your tee shot, as the ball carry can vary depending on your chosen target point along the dog leg. The longer you aim, the greater the risk for the potential benefits.
The approach shot is made more hazardous by a steep slope away and a number of bunkers on the right.
HOLE 18 | PAR 5
This hole features a particularly beautiful finishing point. You need to play your tee shot across the dog-leg to the right.
If you hit long enough you could sink the ball in two. This is a highly risky strategy, however, as straying to the left will take you out of bounds on that side. The other option is to play your second shot taking the path across the fairway as a reference point. Your approach shot needs to avoid the hazards to the left of the green.
Learn more about our services and fees
At Uraburu Golf we provide you with all the services you need to enjoy your golf. We also offer you the chance to train on our practice range, where you can hire any equipment that you may need.
Do you want to learn to play golf like a real pro?
You can learn more about and begin to play this marvellous sport quickly and easily by contacting our academy. Various options are available to suit each individual: The academy is headed by Eriz Rahm, who will be delighted to help you on your round.
