The perfect holiday home location for a gaggle of golfers

If you’re a family of golf fanatics there are several options for the holiday home location – South Africa’s Garden Route. Portugal’s Algarve. Florida’s fairways. All should make the shortlist. But what if two of the budding golfers are young lads both under the age of ten? A fine selection of golf holes will only win half the battle, there needs to be sunshine, swimming pools and plenty of sandcastle opportunities to boot - the coast with the most is the Costa del Sol.

Victoria Harrocks, age 35, and her husband James from Formby in the north west of England, have just secured a three bedroom penthouse apartment at Los Cortijos in Mijas and as Victoria explains, the decision was almost made for them. “My husband has been a member of the local golf club since the tender age of ten and regularly puts in an appearance to work on his handicap and one by one we’ve all mirrored his interest. I take lessons when I get the chance, although I’m not going to divulge my pitiful handicap, and our boys age nine and five are also very handy with a golf club. We really have a couple of budding Tiger Woods on our hands. Initially we thought about buying a ski chalet for a second home as we are also fond of skiing but we soon realized that year-round sunshine topped our wish list and of course that meant year-round golf.”

Los Cortijos, a residential development of one, two and three bedroom apartments in Mijas, quickly emerged as a frontrunner for several reasons. Firstly, accessibility. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is on the Harrocks’ doorstep and for an affordable weekend break both EasyJet and RyanAir can do the trip in just two and a half hours. Next, sunshine. The Costa del Sol is world-renowned for having the best climate in Europe bar none and shirt sleeves are the order of the day in December whilst northern Europeans are cloaked head-to-toe in thermal woollies. And then there’s golf. The Costa del Sol has the highest concentration of golf courses in Europe, more than 50 at last count of which 12 are within literally minutes of Los Cortijos. Mijas is the Costa’s true Golf Valley.

Victoria continues, “Of course our life does not revolve around golf so we need plenty of extra-curricular activities to keep ourselves and the boys interested. Mijas is ideally located for sandy beaches, bars, restaurants and the town even boasts its own Aquapark, Racecourse and modern shopping centre. Puerto Banús with its swanky yachts and designer boutiques is fifteen minutes’ drive to the west and if we don’t fancy leaving the resort we’ve got heated swimming pools, a gymnasium and Spa on the doorstep. I have family in Madrid so the launch of the high-speed AVE train in December 2007 direct from Málaga to Madrid in two and half hours is enormously appealing as is the news that a futuristic 1,000-berth marina is a definite addition to the Mijas coastline in coming years. This investment is not just for today, but for the future, and I am sure we’ve chosen well.”

The Harrocks hope to use their new home, scheduled to complete mid-2008, as often as school timetables permit and who knows, with all that golf practice in the sun, Tiger could have some competition on his hands.

The Resort - The properties at Los Cortijos all boast golf, sea and mountain views with no sub-standard views on offer and are superbly equipped with first class laminate wooden flooring in living rooms and bedrooms, heating and comfort cooling, fully fitted kitchens, disabled-adapted lift access to just two apartments per floor, allocated parking and storage. On-site facilities include a gymnasium, Spa, sauna, three swimming pools and manicured gardens whilst the Calanova Golf Clubhouse is within comfortable walking distance.

Prices start from just 195,000 euros for a one bedroom apartment with 25m² of terracing rising to 440,000 euros for a three bedroom three bathroom duplex penthouse with a mammoth 40m² of terracing.

Payment terms are reservation plus 20% at contract and 80% at completion scheduled for mid-2008. All stage payments are bank guaranteed and an 80% LTV mortgage with ten years interest only is already in place subject to status and requirements.

For further information, visit lautier.com.