Real Puerta de Hierro - Abajo Course

About the club

Robert Trent Jones II designed the Abajo, which is the second course at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro, a members-only establishment northwest of Madrid. The first course here was laid out in the early 1900s—and was worked on by such luminaries as Harry S. Colt and Tom Simpson—and the historic club is in many respects the Spanish capital's equivalent to London's Sunningdale. Jones's course actually replaces an earlier, second eighteen that had to be moved in order to make way for roadways. Measuring over 6500 meters, his design is well up to tournament standards. The stately oaks help the unabashedly American-style parkland layout blend into the surroundings. The club counts among its members the elite of Madrid and a number of the best Spanish golfers, such as Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. The club takes its name, which means "Gate of Iron," from a famous old monument nearby.