Arabella Golf Mallorca (Son Muntaner) – Review and Rating

Sun Muntaner was the second course built on the property, designed by the German golf architech Kurt Rossknecht and finished in 2001.

Sun Muntaner is by far the best and also the most challenging of the three courses, coming in at just over 6300 meters from the back tees. The course is quite undulated, but no so much that it cannot be walked. An electric trolley is a nice compromise, giving you the best of both worlds, especially after a winter rain when buggies sometimes are restricted to cart paths only.

In 2015 the course started an extensive renovation, including the re-routing of holes five and six. The fairway grass was also changed to Bermuda Celebration, a first in Europe.

The clubhouse is located at the highest point of the course, and the first hole is a nice, downhill, dogleg right. Not a difficult tee shot except for the severe slicer, but the following approach shot  to a well protected green reminds you right from the get-go that this is a demanding course.

The following two holes run on either side of an artificial stream that expands into a pond near the green on hole two. Two rather straightforward but nice holes.

Number four is maybe the nicest of the early holes. A straight par four with lots of room for your tee shot, the approach is complicated by a “barranca” (a deep gully with steep sides) running across the fairway near the green, calling for some careful planning before you just shoot for the green.

Holes five and six are the re-routed ones. Hole five runs almost perpendicular to the old layout, and is now a very demanding par 3, uphill, almost 200 m, and guarded by a deep forest on the right. Of the first five holes, four have been very challenging for the slicer.

Hole six is the other new hole, a downhill dogleg right around a new lake. Much more difficult than the old one.

Hole seven is a short par three from up high to a green below. Beautiful target shooting, and one of the nicer holes on the course, together with the difficult, uphill par five hole eight. Long, and with a very well protected green it is tough to reach in regulation, well reflected in it’s index: 1. Number nine takes you back to the clubhouse.

The back nine is more difficult than the front. Hole 10 looks straightforware, but theres a drop-off wall in the middle of the landing area for long hitters. A very nice touch.

Eleven is another unneccesarily long par 3, although this time there are some reasonable landing areas on the right side if you cannot drive the ball 200 meters with par-3-accuracy.

The next notable hole is the par four 14th, with the green well guarded by a pond in front and a stream/waterfall in the back. You need the utmost accuracy on your approach if the flag is tucked away to the left.

Fifteen may be the most difficult hole on the course.  A semi-blind tee shot to a narrow landing area, with a semi-blind second, followed by a looong approach shot to a small, well guarded green. Almost too difficult.

Hole 16 is homeward bound, and the last two holes are not difficult, again if you are reasonably long and straight. Slicers beware.

All in all you feel like you have really accomplished something if you return to the clubhouse with the same ball that you started with. This is a difficult course, but with good course management anyone should be able to play it. Just don’t expect to score well the first few times.