Real Puerta de Hierro - Arriba Course

About the club

The historic Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro was founded in the early 1900s and has occupied the same hilly location just outside Madrid ever since. Many designers have had a hand in shaping the layout, from the initial design by Harry S. Colt to renovations by Kyle Phillips in 2000. Colt's vision remains in the less-is-more aesthetic, generous fairways, carefully positioned bunkers and well-defended greens. Lengthening has brought the course up to 6387 meters off the tips. The obstacles are out in the open, including numerous mature oaks and native brush, so accuracy is at a premium. The varied topography means that flat lies are rare, as is so often the case on classic courses. On the other hand, the quite large greens are typical of contemporary layouts, though they are perhaps necessary given how much traffic they receive. Unfortunately, the course has suffered from its proximity to the capital's major roadways.