Chaparral Golf celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2026. In the hands of the Rubio family, this magnificent course, set in the Chaparral woodland, was reborn following the touches of its original designer, Pepe Gancedo. It took three years of intense work to restore a course that had not managed to overcome a deep crisis and that had closed its doors in 1991. The drive and work ethic of Antonio Rubio, together with his family and an excellent team of professionals, not only made this new stage possible, but has placed the course as a benchmark on the Costa del Sol and among the most notable nationally and internationally.
Passion, effort and learning define the story of Chaparral Golf. A tale with all the ingredients of a great story, in which Antonio Rubio emerges as the protagonist after finding, almost by chance, a project to which he would dedicate three years of work to bring it back to life.
Pepe Gancedo, passionate about golf and drawing —known as the ‘Picasso of Spanish golf’— had shown his talent as a designer on courses both nationally and internationally. However, Chaparral was his most special project. In this unique setting he was able to develop all his creativity, until the crisis of the 1990s cut its course short and left a pending debt.
When Antonio Rubio discovered the course, after acquiring the land with other plans, he decided that no one was better placed than Gancedo to restore it. For the designer, it was the opportunity to give life back to his ‘baby’.
The entrepreneur from Granada Antonio Rubio suddenly faced an unexpected challenge. After his venture into construction, the acquisition of these lands, located between the Calaburra lighthouse and Mijas, introduced him to the, until then unknown, world of golf: “There was only a cortijo-style clubhouse, almost in ruins. There were pines and woodland, but you couldn’t see any golf course. We had every possible problem —and a few more— to be able to build it. But thinking that we could make it happen was a huge stimulus”.
Gancedo soon set to work with a very clear idea of what the course should be. He formed his own team and, together with professionals such as greenkeeper Manolo Pantoja, managed to involve everyone in the project.
The result was a design true to his style: a strategic and balanced course, perfectly integrated into unique vegetation and accompanied by spectacular views where the woodland meets the Mediterranean. A demanding but fair layout, which preserves the essence that Gancedo himself highlighted when taking it on: “This is a fabulous golf course”.
On 28 February 2006 El Chaparral Golf was ready for its reopening. At that moment, it would be when Antonio Rubio and his family saw the final result for the first time. Their reaction reflected satisfaction with the work carried out and with facilities that exceeded any expectation. Thus began the challenge of its launch.
The human team was key in this new stage. For this reason, Rubio chose to surround himself with professionals experienced in the management of golf courses. Among them, Domingo Gavira, current managing director, who recalls his arrival: “The first time I came to Chaparral it was an overwhelming experience. I was impressed by the surroundings, the atmosphere and that pine landscape by the sea. I felt an immediate connection, as if it were my life’s project”.
Domingo and the Chaparral team have known how to maximise the course, placing it among the top 25 in España and consolidating its international projection. “We have consolidated a demanding yet accessible layout, capable of challenging the experienced player without sacrificing an experience fully enjoyable for any level. This balance, the result of a strategic vision sustained over time, has been key to positioning Chaparral Golf as a benchmark of quality and excellence”.
The commitment to innovation and development has also been key: with services such as clubmaker, fitting centre and advanced technology like Trackman or Toptracer, the club continues to grow without losing its essence. “We want to offer golf at all levels and to remain a meeting point”, emphasises Gavira.
Twenty years on, Antonio Rubio sums up the journey: “It is probably the most beautiful project of my life and the one I am most proud of, for having achieved it together with my family”.
Set in a privileged natural environment, Chaparral Golf is today much more than a course. Its landscape, climate and the calm that surrounds it turn the practice of golf into a unique experience. At its heart, a clubhouse that was once an abandoned cortijo and that today has been transformed into a meeting place for lovers of the sport.
Looking to the future, Chaparral Golf faces a stage marked by investment, sustainability and continuous improvement. The club is developing various projects aimed at further raising the standards of course quality and maintenance, as well as enriching the player experience. The modernisation of infrastructure, the optimisation of irrigation systems and energy efficiency, the expansion of practice areas and the incorporation of new technologies aimed at analysing and enjoying the game are part of a strategic plan that is already underway. As Domingo Gavira, the club’s general manager, explains: “We are driving improvements that will guarantee and allow the player to enjoy an even more carefully maintained, modern and excellence-oriented Chaparral“. With this vision, the club moves forward determined to consolidate itself as a reference for contemporary golf on the Costa del Sol
