Gonzalo and Antonio Lavín focus on reducing water consumption on Seve Ballesteros design
By Richard Humphreys |
Club de Golf La Peraleja in Murcia, Spain, will reopen nine holes of its 18-hole course in late-September 2026 following a redesign by Magnolia Golf Design.
Magnolia’s Gonzalo and Antonio Lavín both worked with Seve Ballesteros to create the course in 2007. La Peraleja closed in 2017 and, following a change in the club’s ownership, Magnolia was appointed in February 2025 to develop a course redesign plan.
“The goal was to preserve the original course philosophy and strategic layout, while introducing a new design style,” said Gonzalo Lavín. “We have also transformed La Peraleja into a ‘desert style’ layout to reduce water consumption, as it was previously irrigated ‘wall-to-wall’.”
Earthworks began in April 2025 with construction work carried out by the same contractor that built the original course in 2007. Head greenkeeper Antonio González Aragón and contractor CESPIAsport have been involved in renovation work too.
“The first task was to clear the golf course, which was overgrown with brush and vegetation,” said Lavín. “To respect Seve’s design philosophy, which was based on naturalness, variety and the adaptability of the course to the terrain’s geomorphology, we had to adapt the design to suit the current conditions, which is why it was essential to implement an irrigation system aligned with current water availability. After shaping playing surfaces, we reviewed them to ensure that the original design is preserved, especially on the greens, where slopes and contours must be measured down to the centimetre. The goal is to maintain the integrity of the original design.”
Magnolia also completed inspections of all playing surface infrastructure, including drainage systems on greens, bunkers and fairways, the liners for lakes and all the irrigation equipment.
Magnolia Golf Design has overseen the redesign of Club de Golf La Peraleja, and has completed inspections of infrastructure, drainage and irrigation (Photo: Magnolia Golf Design)
The next step was to add a 10-centimetre sandcap across the site. “To create an optimal topsoil, this layer should be combined with hydro-absorbent polymers and the corresponding peat to form the ideal substrate for seeding each part of the course,” said Lavín. “On the greens, the new sand layer was placed on top of sand from the original construction, restoring the original 30cm depth. On newly designed tees, 15cm was added, while on existing tees 10cm sufficed, as there was already original sand.”
For the course’s desert areas, Magnolia spread a layer of albero sand, supplied by Cimasa, to give the terrain a distinctive colour and for easier maintenance. “Albero sand is a widely used and recommended mixture for non-irrigated zones in golf courses and other Mediterranean landscape environments due to its specific characteristics: durability, low water retention and aesthetic appeal,” said Lavín. “It has a light yellow or beige colour and a sandy-limestone texture, making it well-suited for these dry zones.”
Out of play and along the course’s perimeter, these zones will include new semi-desert plants and trees. “Unlike bunkers, these waste areas do not require the same level of preparation or intensive maintenance,” said Lavín. “These zones, still, must be carefully designed to integrate aesthetically and functionally with the rest of the course.
“The waste areas act as a buffer between the grassed playing surfaces and the out-of-bounds limits of the golf course. In many sections beyond the out-of-bounds line lie villas, apartments or other types of buildings. For this reason, it is important to give these areas landscape value, as they function like gardens for the adjacent homes.”
A drought-resistant turfgrass species have been selected for playing surfaces, supplied by Semillas Dalmau. “For greens we have selected to use 777 creeping bentgrass, while on tees, fairways, approaches and semi-rough we will use bermuda,” said Lavín. “These species have a resilience to heavy foot and cart traffic, and are adaptable to the various areas of the course.”
The renovated front nine is growing in ahead of reopening in September 2026 (Photo: Magnolia Golf Design)
Magnolia’s new design aims to reduce water consumption further by optimising irrigation. “The most significant savings in irrigating surfaces will be between tees and the start of fairways, as well as the outer lateral edges adjacent to the course boundaries,” said Lavín. “It is hoped we can reduce water consumption from 256,000 cubic metres per year to 192,000.”
The second nine will reopen in September 2027. Until then, the nine-hole green fee will allow players to play the course twice, at no additional cost, to complete 18 holes.