Roda Golf and Beach Resort Information

admin July 10th, 2008

Welcome to our latest feature, a restaurant guide of all our favourite restaurants in Los Alcazares, near to Roda Golf and Beach Resort. You may have a few of your own not mentioned here, if you would like us to add any, please just let us know. We’d like to stress that we are not affiliated with any of these restaurants! We just like to eat in them :)

We are going to start off with the Wok Buffet, which is just outside Roda Golf, opposite the tourist information centre on the main road in to Roda Golf. The Wok Buffet is a great “value for money” restaurant and is ideal for large families, at just 8.95 euros to eat all you like, it is quite a reasonably priced night out - please remember drinks cost extra.

The restaurant is very clean and spacious and the food is superb, with a huge choice of starters and then 9 different flavours of sauce for your main course, which they cook in front of you. There really is something here for everybody, with meat, fish, seafood, salads and a wide choice of fruit and vegetables, also a great selection of desserts, you will not be disappointed.

La Diva in the 525 hotel plaza, (525 hotel) near to Los Alcazares is a great restaurant with a comprehensive menu and a fantastic selection of fine wines. The food here is superb and there is a great atmosphere, ideal for romantic nights for the couples, and perfect for those special celebrations Full a-la-carte menu available.

For a traditional Spanish evening, and great steaks and meat options, El Patio 2 is the place to be. It’s opposite the Mercadona near the 525 hotel plaza, just about a 20 minute walk from Roda Golf. This wonderful restaurant has about the biggest in-door barbecue we have ever seen! The service is great and the food, whilst very simple, is of a very high standard and great quality. You must try the ox steak cooked on a hot stone at your table!

Roblemar (link) is a great fish and seafood restaurant located near “the arches” close to the motorway junction. You can select your fresh fish from a huge selection on the display table, and the tapas here are superb. Roblemar is very popular with the local Spanish people because the food is so good, particularly the seafood. The restaurant can get very busy, particularly in summer, it is advisable to book in advance, very little English is spoken here, so get practising your Spanish folks!

For the good old traditional English breakfast, we are happy recommend 3 restaurants in the 525 hotel plaza, “Henry’s bar” has just started cooking in the mornings and the breakfast and snacks are great. “Penny Farthing” has a great menu for breakfast and lunch, and the food is of a very high quality. Finally “The Pastie Shack” provides great food and good service, great “take out” food from the Pastie Shack, the pasties, pies and sausage rolls are lovely, with some great traditional fillings.

There is a new restaurant, located near the Penny Farthing, and is owned by the same people who own Penny Farthing. Rosalinds is a very nice restaurant with a great menu, the food is very good, if a little elaborate. This restaurant is a little expensive but is in a stunning location, particularly if you can get a table on the terrace over looking the plaza. Great service with very friendly staff, definitely worth a visit.

Of course we must not forget the new Clubhouse at Roda Golf. This really is a fantastic place to eat, there is a very comprehensive menu. The service, for the most part, is very good and the location on the terrace with views over the golf course and the floodlit driving range is superb. Great food, very friendly staff, and great location, what more could you ask for?

If you are spending the day at the beach, there are a number of small bars and restaurants located right on the beach which offer excellent lunch time menus and snacks including great selections of tapas. The food and the drinks are very cheap at these places, but the quality of the food is generally very good.

Opposite the Roblemar restaurant, there is a fantastic pizza restaurant, La Sombra (the shade) this place has an enormous selection of pizza’s and one of our particular favourites is the kebab pizza, sounds awful I know, but it really is an awesome pizza. There are about 25 different choices of pizza all freshly cooked and it makes this place well worth a visit. It is also very reasonably priced.

There are lots of other great eating establishments in the area, too many to mention, but we hope you enjoy trying out the ones listed here, please remember a 10% minimum gratuity will be expected, 15% if the service was very good.

Have a great holiday at the Roda Golf and Beach Resort in Murcia on the Costa Calida.

• Amenities , food and drink
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admin June 11th, 2008

Roda Golf has staged it’s very own Ryder cup over the weekend of June 7th and 8th!

Don’t get carried away… whilst it was a European team vs a British team, we did not see Severiano Ballesteros or Jose Maria Olazabal out there! There was however some fantastic golf played and even though the weather wasn’t the best, it was a tremendous spectacle for all who turned out to enjoy the event.

The Roda Golf course came in for yet more plaudits with everybody loving the golf course and the facilities. One of the golf professionals from a nearby course commented that whilst Roda is not the most difficult course in the region (it was never meant to be) it was certainly the nicest looking and the best kept, wow! praise indeed for a golf course less than two years old!

You can view the brand new 360 degree virtual feature at www.rodagolf.com and click on the golf course, English is available at this site, just click on the flag. This is a fantastic feature and well done to Calidona for providing it, if you have not visited the site and seen this feature, you in for a treat.

The clubhouse at Roda Golf and the restaurant was the real winner. The food was fantastic, and even the service was “spot on”. There has been some small level of criticism levelled at the staff concerning the service, however some new, and might I say excellent, staff have now joined the team and everything at Roda is now as you would expect from a 5 star resort.

Roda Golf are now offering night time practice facilities with the driving range now being floodlit, the range is open until 11.00pm. I bet the wives (or golfing widows) will be delighted to hear of this!

The mood and general atmosphere over the weekend at Roda Golf was awesome, residents and visitors alike all mingled together with the golfers and everybody had a great time.
With plenty more facilities still to come and lots more competitions due this year, the future promises to be very exciting at Roda Golf and Beach Resort.

Tags: ryder cup

• Amenities , Sports , The Course
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admin June 10th, 2008

We’re gearing up ready for our June visit to Roda Golf and Beach Resort, but in the mean time here’s a small gallery of pictures showing the great Roda Golf Pro-Shop. You will find the pro-shop on the ground floor of the Roda Clubhouse. It really is a fully stocked shop. Why not consider travelling light to Spain for your next game and buying your gear here! :) Thanks to the staff in the shop who let our photographer take these pictures.

Tags: pro shop

• Amenities , Clubhouse
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admin May 24th, 2008

Venturing where others fear to tread, and in the spirit of our attempt to leave no stone unturned, we are proud to present a little gallery of photos from inside the brand new, and totally pristine changing rooms in the Roda Golf and Beach Resort Clubhouse. Like all the facilities at Roda Golf, the changing rooms are finished to a simply superb standard. Luckily they were empty when we visited yesterday, so we could take some photos for you.

The sauna was hot and ready, the individual showers looked very comfortable, there’s even a big LCD television in there! Just the thing for beginning and ending a perfect day of golf….well and a few beers in the upstairs in the bar ;)

Tags: changing rooms, Clubhouse

• Amenities , Clubhouse
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admin May 1st, 2008

Click the image above, or here ,to download the massive format (3000 pixels wide! - just 494k)

Barry Geoghegan recently asked “When will construction begin on Hotel and why has it been delayed. Has it been decided to cancel plans for the hotel?” We passed that comment on to Stuart at Calida International Properties who had this to say:

“The plan for the De Vere 5 star hotel at Roda Golf and Beach Resort has certainly not been cancelled! De Vere are very much committed to this, their very first project outside of the UK.

There has been much talk and speculation about the local politics, and the town hall officials, and it is true that there has been lots of upheaval in the San Javier and Los Alcazares town councils.

The reason for the delays are, as usual, the building licenses. It really is a “chore” trying to get the building licenses and permissions for the various projects within the Roda Golf and Beach Resort. This is the only reason for the delays.

Work will be commencing on the De Vere hotel and the commercial centre very soon, we do not have an exact date, however watch this space, once work has been commenced, the building really does proceed at a considerable pace.

Stick with it Barry, it will happen.”

Tags: De Vere, hotel

• Amenities , De Vere , construction
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admin April 29th, 2008

Work going on! A lot of it! - Click to enlarge

Photo gallery is below this report! Hover over it for controls, click it for descriptions. Or go straight to the Flickr set for high resolution views!

We have had a large number of requests for this report, with updated pictures from our regular visitors, who are growing increasingly fed up with the negative posts on a few “independent” forums out there about the beach club at Roda Golf.

We visited the Roda Golf beach club on Friday 25th April and were very pleasantly surprised at the amount of work that has currently been completed, also the amount of work under construction, there were about 25 men working. Only a couple had decided it was too hot and were enjoying what looked like a well earned “siesta” under one of the beautiful palm trees!

The Roda Golf and Beach Resort beach club is progressing nicely, the location is fantastic, for those of you who have not been lucky enough to visit the area, you are in for a very pleasant surprise.

There was a massive amount of work to be done but due to owner pressure, the beach club was opened last year with a very limited service, it looked nice and was a pleasant alternative to the local beaches in Los Alcazares. However, for it to be considered a 5 star beach club, which is what you all want, the building needed to be taken back to the bare structure, well that has happened in the closed season.

You must also remember that now that the new clubhouse has been completed and opened, with huge success I might add, (see our roda golf clubhouse post here) there are more men available for work on the beach club.

There has been lots of new steel added, as well as a new floor for the upstairs. A number of internal walls have been removed, and all the area outside has been cleared. There are lots of building materials laying around, however they will all be used in due course.

The beaches have been swept and all the beach debris has been removed, we actually watched a couple of trucks taking it away whilst we were there.

The Beach Club pool - Neglected...for now! - Click to enlarge

The swimming pool has clearly been neglected, obviously as nobody has been using it for about 10 months, it looks like nobody has cleaned it in that time either, this pool will take just a week or 2 at most to be restored to it’s former glory, but it has the potential to be spectacular, what with it being only 40 paces to the Mediterranean sea from the pool!

The gardens again have the potential to be superb, it is a massive area with loads of room to simply lounge around and relax whilst you decide, “is it the pool or the sea”? Not a bad choice, we call that a “win win” situation! :)

We were lucky enough to meet some new owners who had just purchased this week, they were checking out the location and the planned facilities for the first time, Matt and Rachel and their 14 week old daughter Macy from Porthcawl, South Wales. They absolutely loved the place! Matt, who own his own magazine, “Seaside News“, commented that even though the place was a mess, he could see the potential for one of the nicest facilities he has ever seen.

Matt who loves to surf, and has travelled the world in pursuit of that elusive monster wave said, “the peace and quiet here, and the natural beauty of this area is just fantastic and we can’t wait to use the beach club”.

Nice one Matt, thanks for your time. We hope you and the family had a safe trip home.

In our opinion, this beach club is going to be awesome. We have always felt that, and if the new Roda Golf clubhouse is anything to go by, I think we will be right. The planned opening is the last week of June, which is when all the water parks in the area open, so nothing strange there. Be patient and get ready to be wowed, because even though there have been considerable delays, Calidona so far are exceeding everybody’s expectations with the finished product.

We hope you enjoy these most up to date photos of the beach club, please feel free to leave a comment or request any further information.

Look out for our next news item coming soon, and remember, you can click the gallery for descriptions of each photo!

Tags: Beach Club

• Amenities , Beach Club , FULL REPORTS , construction , inspection visits
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admin April 23rd, 2008

Only Roda Golf Info could bring you a complete gallery of pictures from the Roda Golf Clubhouse on the very day that it opened! We present a gallery of 35 pictures below showing the new clubhouse in all it’s glory! To tell the truth we were surprised just how great it has turned out! After the two month delay since the “official” opening party, we were starting to worry, but those worries were ill-founded. The clubhouse is simply superb.

We show below, images from the outside of the clubhouse, including the great site of people relaxing on the terrace enjoying drinks (on this balmy April afternoon :) and we also ventured inside to see the smart tables of the “La Higuera” restaurant bar and terrace. The restaurant really looks stunning in it’s earth tones palette. Cool for the summer, and cosy for the winter months. We couldn’t help but notice the golf playing on one of the TV monitors in the bar :) The arm chairs and settees look very comfortable. Whilst outside in the sun, drinks can be taken whilst watching golfers practise on the driving range. We tested the beer for you (I know we do too much!) and that is great too :)

Soon we will try to secure some photos from the shops and offices downstairs, but in the mean time we hope you can make it to the superb Roda Golf Clubhouse very soon for a beer! We’ll see you there!

Remember all these pictures are available, as always, at our Flickr page…in FULL size! To use the gallery below, simply hover over it to reveal the controls at the top and the bottom of the viewing area :)

Finally, I know you’ll forgive us for mentioning our kind sponsors Calida International Properties. It’s because of their support that we can bring you these great images showing developments at Roda the very day they happen! Help us to keep you informed… talk to Calida International and find out how they can help you with your professional property management and sales requirements here at beautiful Roda Golf! Thanks.

Tags: bars, Clubhouse, la higuera, restaurants

• Amenities , Clubhouse , photo shoots
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admin April 8th, 2008

A reader recently asked us : “How much are the pools and hot tubs for the Birdie Villa’s? And can I see some photos please?”

Our sponsors over at Calida International Properties had the following to say:

“The cost of the swimming pools are about 20,000 euros if you purchase from Roda, possibly less from another supplier, however you need to get permission from Roda Golf to use another supplier, and this may not be possible. The hot tubs vary in price, depending on size and quality, but start from about 6,000 euros up to 12,000, please remember, the quality varies quite considerably, should you require help with this, please just ask us.”

We include a couple of pictures below of two pools we found installed outside villas, they look very comfy! Happy to oblige our readers. By the way, these pictures were taken during our FULL April report visit, so we have loads more pictures coming very soon, especially of the Phase 4 progress.

Tags: birdie villas, pools, villa

• Amenities
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admin March 21st, 2008

In this article we take an in-depth look at the incredible technology available right now in the PGA Academy at Roda Golf and Beach Resort. It’s amazing to think that you can take advantage of this state-of-the-art technology literally “right on your doorstep”! The computer training system centres around the “GASP” lab system of video analysis, which also incorporates the “K-Vest” biofeedback system, the “Force Plate” system for analysing player balance, the “Launch manager”. It also integrates with the incredible “Trackman” 3D measurement software. The academy also has the incredible “SAM Putt Lab” system. We’ll look at each of these systems in turn:

The GASP system

The incredible GASP software

The GASP system is the hub of the suite of analysis programs available at the Roda PGA Academy. Regular viewers of Golf Night on Sky Sports will have seen Golf Coaches such as Denis Pugh put many of the best players under scrutiny using the GASP system!

GASP is arguably the best video analysis software package on the market and for many it is the benchmark for advanced video analysis. At the new Roda Golf PGA Academy, it can also be integrated with the Force Plate, the K-Vest and TrackMan to give players and the PGA Professionals a complete “teaching system”.

The GASP Golf Swing Analysis Software provides all the features you would expect to find in a Swing Analysis product. The installed system at Roda Golf PGA Academy uses three cameras simultaneously, to capture the data needed to fully analyse your swing!

Golf lessons are captured, replayed and examined. A copy of the analysis can also be made on a CD which will enable the player to recall the key points made during their session. The software can even compare your technique leading Tour Professionals!

The K-Vest system

The K-Vest in action

The state-of-the-art K-Vest, available right now in the Roda PGA academy, is a 3D wireless biofeedback system. It is a completely mobile, easy to use, interactive system that combines video analysis, 3D analysis, and real-time feedback to make communication easier between instructor and student. The K-Vest allows the user to view video, 3D animation, and key swing data.

This interactive approach to golf instruction makes understanding the swing as easy as obeying traffic lights! The K-Vest plays a soft piece of music when you are in the correct position and stops if you stray too far. The video display also shows “Green” when you are correct and “Red” when your not .. a very easy and simple way to learn! The following data can be collected at any position of the golf swing:

• Alignment - by measuring and displaying static and dynamic alignments (number of degrees open/closed) of the hips, shoulders, and arms in relation to a virtual target line set by your instructor.
• Posture - Measures and displays static and dynamic postural alignments, including flexion/extension of the hips and right and left lateral bending of the spine.
• Hip Rotation - Measures and displays hip rotation in the backswing/downswing.
• Shoulder Rotation - Measures and displays shoulder rotation in the backswing/downswing.
• Arm Rotation - Measures and displays the amount of arm rotation in the backswing/downswing.
• Kinetic Link - Measures and displays velocities of the hips, shoulders, and arms during the backswing/downswing.
• Timing - Measures and displays timing and sequence relation of the hips, shoulders, and arms during the backswing and downswing.

The Force-Plate system

The Force Plate system hardware

This is an incredibly simple yet effective way of analysing how well a player can shift their weight and maintain the correct balance throughout their swing.

Players may have benefited from seeing themselves on video, but very few golfers will have graphically seen the effects of the “Centre of Gravity” on their own golf swing. Now they can with the Stance Analysis Force Plate - SAM Balance Lab at the Roda PGA Golf Academy.

The Force Plate is an electro-mechanical data acquisition system located under the practice mat. The force plate connects to the academy’s large LCD screen and a computer constantly monitors the weight in all 4 quadrants. These quadrants are the Heel and Toe of each foot. The plate has 2500 sensors which can analyse the weight distribution and display the results graphically in real time as the player moves. Data is displayed as an animated graphic, with individual data points indicating, Position and Acceleration throughout the swing. This animation is instantly recorded and can be replayed several times over.

By watching the large screen, players will instantly visualise where their weight should be centred at address and will immediately start to feel what should be the correct weight shift and balance throughout the swing.

The Force Plate is one of the best training devices available to the Roda PGA Academy staff as it compliments and reinforces some of the areas identified for improvement by your PGA Professional. The system has taken bio-mechanical weight transfer analysis to the next level by giving the golf instructor and player the ability to:

• See precise weight distribution for right and left foot.
• See precise weight distribution for heel and toe.
• See instant feedback in a simple and informative way.
• Watch live data in both 3 Dimensional and 2 Dimensional views.
• It calculates the Center-of-Gravity and shows data in real time.
• Players can see and review a video recording of the swing displayed simultaneously along side the weight transfer data.
• Replay mode gives players and instructors the ability to view data in slow motion or in single step mode.

The Roda PGA Professionals can also use audio and visual feedback to explain complex movements to their players with ease. It provides simple visual feedback so that weight distribution can be presented graphically in real time as you complete the swing. Imagine fixing that reverse pivot by simply improving your balance and weight transfer.

Each analysis can be related to a fade, straight, or draw. This tool allows players to practice a movement through visual or auditory feedback, making it an invaluable training device.

The Trackman System

The Trackman system in action!

TrackMan has set a new standard for golf ball and golf club measurement. Based on Doppler radar technology, it measures the exact 3-dimensional club movement and ball flight, and provides precise data on the ball launch, ball flight and ball landing. It also measures the full trajectory of any shot, ranging from short pitches to 400-yard drives and measures the landing position with an accuracy of 1 foot at 100 yards!

In addition, TrackMan measures actual spin rate of the ball without marking it - with state-of-the-art accuracy. After analysis the system displays the actual 3D trajectory in real time!

TrackMan is used for R&D and testing by all major golf equipment manufacturers in the US and in Japan, who also use the system for clubfitting their staff players.
Ita islso used by the USGA and the R&A for golf equipment evaluation and testing!

Many of the world’s top tour professionals use TrackMan for practising and optimizing their equipment. Further, it is used to measure tee shots from participants during the world’s greatest professional tournaments, including PGA TOUR events. Now you can use it! Right here at Roda Golf PGA Academy”

The Launch Monitor System

The Launch Manager

This system is capable of measuring your swing and has the following capabilities:

• Compare equipment performance with actual ball performance data
• Compare swing, grip and stance changes with actual ball performance data
• Annotate on-screen
• Score progress with the Vector Pro Skills Scoring
• Display performance trends
• Issue lesson and equipment reports
• Practice with the Vector Pro Practice Range
• Review swing mechanics
• Store and compare actual ball performance data with selected swings and equipment

The Sam Puttlab

The Launch Manager

Download the very interesting brochure for this product here!

This truly is an incredible system. A Revolution in the Analysis of the Short Game Motion. Researchers and Golf Professionals joined forces to develop the first computer aided analysis of the short game. SAM PuttLab is a unique high-tech system that measures and analyses all movement details of putting and chipping. In practice mode, the short game can be improved to spectacular levels. Whether you’re trying to lower your score or get ready for the course, SAM PuttLab will improve your play significantly! There are three product editions available for the SAM PuttLab. SAM is out on its own in terms of analysis. Why? It’s quite simple. It’s all to do with frames per second. SAM uses 150 frames per second and nothing comes close. Its nearest competitor uses only 30 frames per second. What does that mean? It means that impact can vary if you are not using 150 frames per second & therefore is very inaccurate.

Tags: force-plate, gasp, k-vest, PGA, PGA Academy, trackman

• Amenities , PGA Academy , Training
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admin February 11th, 2008

Luxury spa at De Vere - Click to enlarge

The new five-star hotel will have a stunning and beautifully modern spa!

In just a few months, Roda Golf & Beach Resort will have its own five-star hotel, managed by the prestigious De Vere Hotels & Resorts chain. The hotel, which is integrated between the golf course and the resort itself, will have all the services that discerning guests expect of a luxury hotel, including a spa, restaurants, conference area, gym and 150 beautifully appointed rooms.

The spa will boast its own gym for aerobic sports and weights, as well as different heated indoor pool-massage areas, balneotherapy, thermal contrast, treatment showers, changing rooms and relaxation rooms as well as a beauty treatment area.

The spa will also have no less than three outdoor pools looking onto the golf course, facing the impressive 3-par 7th hole with its lake and island green. One pool will be for children, another is for games and sport activities and there is a third larger one for general relaxation, which will also have two cafeterias.

These facilities will be for the use of all the hotel guests, as well as for Roda Golf & Beach Resort residents, who will be able to enjoy the complex using seasonal passes. You will also be able to join the spa as a member.

Tags: De Vere, luxury, spa

• Amenities , De Vere
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