Staff WriterThe La Sella Open returns to the Ladies European Tour this September with the kind of gravitas that only a course designed by José María Olazábal could command.
Set against the craggy backdrop of Montgó Natural Park in Dénia, Alicante, the 27-hole layout isn’t just the largest course on the Costa Blanca—it’s a living, breathing tribute to the two-time Masters champion’s vision of golf as art, precision, and enduring purpose.
And if you ask Olazábal what he’s most proud of? It’s not the green jackets. It’s this.
“30 years later, seeing that it hosts a well-established women’s tournament and that the players are genuinely happy to play a course like this, well, that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said.
The La Sella Open will tee off from 18–21 September for its third successive edition, now a mainstay on the LET calendar. But the story of this course goes back to 1992, when a younger Olazábal walked the raw landscape and began sketching out something more than fairways and greens.
It was his first stab at course design—an ambitious attempt to shape a layout that would test both distance and finesse, with particular cruelty saved for those foolish enough to ignore the subtleties of its undulating greens.
“Whenever I walk a course I’ve designed, my mind goes back and I remember the origins, the goals we had,” he reflected. “And as the years go by, seeing how a course matures, improves, develops and becomes more refined, all those memories and emotions come back, and they make you feel proud of the work done.”
That pride is well-placed. After undergoing a full redesign in 2021 under Olazábal’s watchful eye, La Sella now boasts a refined, sustainable layout that still punishes sloppy shotmaking.
Bermuda grass now blankets the course, chosen not for vanity but for resilience—less water, less maintenance, and fewer chemicals. It’s golf built to last, in more ways than one.
“You must be as non-intrusive as possible with the surroundings and prepare the course in a way that ensures long-term sustainability – from the materials you use to design the course, to optimising water usage,” he said.
This is not a vanity project; it’s a proving ground for elite women’s golf—and Olazábal is refreshingly blunt about the need for more of them.
“I believe women’s golf is at an incredibly high level globally and I don’t think it always gets the recognition it deserves – especially here in Spain, we have great female players who need opportunities to prove their talent and capabilities.”
He’s not wrong. The past two editions have delivered exactly the kind of drama you’d expect on a proper golf course. In 2023, Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz came from four shots back to edge Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck in a playoff.
The 2024 tournament saw teenage phenom Helen Briem snatch her maiden LET title with a clinical, bogey-free 66. If La Sella had a mouth, it would’ve smiled.
“It’s essential that they have tournaments of this calibre, and that they’re played on courses in excellent condition,” said Olazábal. “When I hear feedback from the players, they love it – they enjoy it, and they feel it’s worth playing a course of this quality and in these conditions.”
So, what kind of player does La Sella favour? “As with everything in this sport,” he said, “someone who hits it long and has a good short game – that’s the player who will be best suited to this design.”
And then there’s the setting. Oh, the setting. Montgó mountain looms close enough to shadow the greens. The terrain is rugged, unapologetic, and staggeringly beautiful. That, too, was part of the plan.
“What makes it special is the setting. We have the Montgó mountain nearby, and then the natural topography of the land.”
But Olazábal’s attachment to La Sella goes beyond elevation changes and grain direction.
“The people make you feel like you’re among family, and that is also an important factor when evaluating a golf course. In that sense, La Sella Open is truly special.”
Players seem to agree. In 2023, the La Sella Open was voted ‘Tournament of the Year’ by the LET pros. This year, it was honoured with the ‘Best Player Services’ award—proof that it’s not just about the course, but the care behind the curtain.
More than just another stop on the tour, La Sella has become a benchmark for how women’s golf should be staged: with respect, with resources, and on a stage worthy of the athletes who play it.
As the countdown to tee-off begins, there’s little doubt the La Sella Open will again deliver the kind of stories that stay with us. Not just for the shots or the scores—but because it’s played on a course built by a man who understands what truly matters.
For more information on the La Sella Open, click here.
