Breaking news! Shopping centre & Sports facilities

And the good news keeps on coming! We received this direct from Roda Golf. What great news this is! Finally positive news about not only the sporting facilities, but also the Roda shopping centre! Well, we'll leave it for them to explain. The official communication follows:

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Dear all,

It is with great pleasure that we would like to inform you of some exciting new developments that will be unfolding at Roda Golf & Beach Resort in the near future. Firstly, we are improving access to the golf course, shop and restaurant, by commencing work on a brand new easy-access parking area conveniently situated next to the putting green and hole 9.

Alongside the new parking area, work is about to get underway on the construction of our new sporting facilities, which on completion will enable you to enjoy tennis and paddle tennis on dedicated courts, as well as a range of sports including basketball and five-a-side football on the new multi-sports court. Located opposite the hole 7 lake in a private lot within the complex, these new facilities are expected to be completed by this summer.

In addition, we are currently in the final stages of negotiation with a number of partners with regard to construction of the new shopping centre and work is expected to begin shortly.

For more information about any of the projects listed above, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Services team.

Best wishes,

RODA GOLF & BEACH RESORT

Great news from Roda Golf - Especially for Phase 4 owners!

Hello everybody, I know it is a little late seeing as January is pretty much gone but, Happy New Year and let's all hope for a healthy and prosperous 2009, even though the press are doing their very best to dampen everybody's spirits, we have some excellent news for all you Roda Golf owners out there.

Firstly we are delighted to report that the Christmas and New Year celebrations at the Roda Golf clubhouse were a huge success, particularly the New Year party. The staff as always were superb, the food and drinks were very good, the disco and all the dancing was very entertaining, and we can report a number of headaches on New Years day.

The Roda Golf course has been very busy over the whole holiday period with tourists and local golfers enjoying the superb golf course and facilities that Roda Golf has to offer. So many people were commenting on the fact that this is the best golf course in the area - we should all be pretty excited about that! Roda Golf is well and truly "on the map". Roda Golf is the best resort in the Murcia region and it is responsible for attracting people to the stunning Costa Calida.

As a result of all the visitors to the resort, property enquiries in the sales office and through our main sponsor Calida International Properties have been very good, surprisingly so which is another very encouraging sign despite these bleak economic times, we always say, "the cream will always float to the top" and Roda Golf is the best around.

Now we hear you saying, "what about the commercial centre? what about phase 4? what about the hotel?" OK, calm down, now for the real good news:

Work on the commercial centre will begin very soon, February looks like the month when it will all begin, a number of businesses are already contracted to run bars, restaurants and other businesses and the real good news is that there will be a mini supermarket located next to the sales office in the old temporary clubhouse, that is being renovated right now and hopefully it will be available very soon.

The car park is being extended. There are a few tractors and lorries working at present, this is as a result of feedback from owners and visitors to Roda Golf about the walk from the car park to the clubhouse, that will be much shorter very soon, and it will tidy up a large part of the"unfinished area that is fenced off and this will "tie in" nicely with the work about to commence on the commercial area and sports facilities.

Phase 4 at Roda has been quite an emotive subject, well even more good news is that work is about to commence as early as next week, the construction company is moving on site to commence work on phase 4 A right now, the apartments will join up with phase 3 all the way down to the 2nd entrance, these apartments are scheduled for completion in the first part of 2010, we recognise that this is later than initially estimated but these things happen, no point looking back, phase 4 is well and truly on the way.

Of the phase 4 front line golf villa's, they are all but completed and they look wonderful, great views and with the additional benefit of having solar panels for the water, so great for keeping costs down and excellent for the environment. We made the villas the subject of this months full gallery! Our photographer took pictures right the way along the front and then back along the rear of the properties, which were absolutely beautiful, especially the ones with gardens already bedding in. You can see all this in the pictures below and on Flickr. You can see over the road where construction on the apartments is about to start. We are going back with our photographer very shortly to take pictures of the apartment construction, and we will be following this, on your behalf, very closely.

Phase 4, with the new style of apartments (the "Brisa" and "Cantil") looks like being very exclusive, the lowest density of properties on the Roda Golf resort and with the duplex "Brisa Style" apartments we feel there is going to be a high demand for properties in this area.

Roda Golf still have some beautiful properties available on phase 4 (not too many) and our sponsors Calida International Properties will be very happy to help anybody wishing to enquire about purchasing property on phase 4, they have also asked us to mention that they have some of the best resale properties currently available on the Roda Golf resort with some amazing offers. It's thanks to their generosity that we can follow developments for you so closely, we encourage our readers to check their Roda resales with this link: Roda Golf resale properties.

Finally the hotel - this has been reported by Calidona that the hotel will not be started until the end of 2009 at the earliest. Let's be realistic, this is not the time to spend millions of euros on a project this size when the world economies are in such a turmoil. The exchange rate is terrible which will inevitably affect tourism, so we agree it is the right decision to hold off for the time being, at least until the global financial situation improves, as soon as we hear any different we will report as always, please remember a very wise person once said "this too shall pass" things will get better!

Well we hope you like these latest photos and this first update of 2009, once again we would like to wish everybody a very happy New Year and a very, very healthy, wealthy and prosperous 2009, please feel free to leave your comments on this or any other article on this web site, only positive comments please, go to everybody's favourite "moan" site to leave the negative stuff, please remember we are here to help you and provide as much information as possible.

Please also see the information web site on Corvera Golf and Country Club, the sister resort for Roda Golf, go to www.corveragolfinfo.com for all the latest news!

New Golf shop in Los Alcazares!

We are happy to announce the arrival of a lovely new golf shop next to the Wok Buffet in Los Alcazares. LA Golf is being jointly run by Chris and Jenny Ahern with Pam and Dave Bennett.

Chris Ahern is currently the golf professional at La Serena Golf and can be seen regularly on the Roda Golf course.

LA Golf opened their doors for business 10th December and they are already experiencing regular repeat clients as a result of the friendly and professional staff.

You are assured a very friendly atmosphere, as well as a well stocked shop, practice putting green and golf simulator at the rear of the premises.

They are in the process of setting up a local golf society with the first organised event taking place on La Serena this Sunday 21st December with everybody welcome, there are plans for the next event to take place at Roda Golf in January.

We would like to wish the whole team at LA Golf every success with their new business and also to wish them a very happy Christmas and prosperous 2009 from the Roda Golf Info team.

For further information on LA Golf in Los Alcazares, please contact Chris or Jenny on 0034 616 863982 or call Pam or Dave on 0034 619 096379.

Xmas and New Year menus and entertainment!

Hi everyone. We had a busy week in Roda golf and Beach Resort. Our photographer came over and did an in-depth shoot over at phase three which will be with you very shortly, as soon as we finish writing the accompanying article, but we wanted to get these menus to you all as soon as possible! We know a lot of people are interested to hear what is planned at the Clubhouse for the festive season, so here you are!

Please click on each menu to see a "full size" version. Or download all xmas season menus in one zip file (550kb)

Looking good for Xmas and New Year at Roda Golf!

Xmas day lunch
Xmas day lunch

New Years Eve dinner
New Years Eve dinner

New Years day lunch
New Years day lunch

Our new Corvera Golf & Country Club site, launches!

Hi all, sorry we've been neglecting you all a little lately, but we've had to spend a little time finishing our new "sister" site www.corveragolfinfo.com! That's right, we are now offering bang up to date news, information, photos, video and multimedia following the construction of Corvera Golf and Country Club, in Murcia.

We already have a few articles, including a full tour of Corvera Golf which we photographed whilst being taken on a tour at the end of last month

Don't worry, we won't be neglecting you much longer! Keep your eyes peeled for our report on Roda golf and the end of the month!

The "other" golf courses near Roda!

A quick reminder, lest we forget, that although we have one of Europe's most prestigious courses right on our doorstep, the Murcia region of Spain is blessed with many other fine Golf courses. Here is a quick sampler of thirteen of the best in our area!

Stuart Thomas of Calida International Properties, has added his "star ratings" and some commentary below the tables! Stuart is a keen golfer, and a regular face on all the areas courses. I am sure you might have some comments on his remarks...we would love to hear them!

 

Roda Golf, San Javier, Murcia
18 Holes
Designed by Dave Thomas
Driving Range
Putting Green
Practice Zone
Clubhouse and Shop
Tel: +34 968 173093
http://www.rodagolfcourse.com
 
 
La Serena, Los Alcazares, Murcia
18 Holes
Designed by Manuel Piñero
Practice Zone
Bar and Restaurant
Tel: +34 968 5775576.
www.laserenagolf.es
 
 
 
 
La Torre Golf Resort, Roldan,Murcia
18 Holes
Designed by Jack Nicklaus
Par 68, 4 sets of tees
For golfers of all levels
Many bunkers
Three lakes
Tel: +34 968 044879.
www.polarisworld.com
 
 
El Valle, Banos y Mendigo, Murcia
18 Holes
Designed by Jack Nicklaus
Practice Areas
New in the Nicklaus Golf Trail!
Tel: + 34 968 033002.
www.polarisworld.com
 
 
 
 
Mosa Trajectum, Banos y Mendigo, Murcia
27 (3 x 9) Holes
1 Short Academy Course
Designed by The Key for Golf
Covered Driving Range
Practice Areas
Pro Shop
Bar and Restaurant
Memberships Available
Tel: + 34 968 607209.
www.thekey.es
La Manga Club, Los Belones, Cartagena
54 Holes
– North, South and West Courses
By R. Putman & Dave Thomas
Extensive Practice Areas
Superb Pro Shop
5 Star Hyatt Int. Hotel
pa Facilities
Bars and Restaurants
Tel: + 34 968 331234.
www.lamangaclub.com
Hacienda del Alamo,Fuenta Alamo,Murcia
18 Holes
Academy Course
Designed by Dave Thomas
Golf Academy
Recommended by MA Jimenez
Extensive Practice Facilities
Tel: + 34 902 654400.
www.hdagolf.com
 
 
Las Ramblas, Orihuela Costa, Alicante
18 Holes
Designed by D. Jose Gancedo
Practice Areas
Driving Range
Pro Shop
Restaurant and Bar
Tel: + 34 966 774728.
www.golframblas.com
 
 
Villamartin, Orihuela Costa, Alicante
18 Holes
Designed by Paul Putman
Practice Areas
Driving Range
Pro Shop
Bar and Restaurant
Tel: + 34 966 765170.
www.grupoquara.com
 
 
Campoamor, Campomor, Alicante
18 Holes
By Carmelo Gracia Caceilles
Practice Facilities
Driving Range
Extensive Pro Shop
Hotel and Spa
Tel: + 34 965 320410.
www.lomasdecampoamor.es
 
 
La Marquesa, Quesada, Torreveija
18 Holes
Driving Range
Practice Areas
Pro Shop
Bar and Restaurant
Tel: + 34 966 714 182
 
 
 
 
Mar Menor Golf Resort, Torre Pacheco
9 Holes (soon 18 holes!)
Designed by Jack Nicklaus
Refreshments
Par 72 when extended
Tel: +34 968 041765.
www.polarisworld.com
 
 
 
 
Torre Pacheco, Torre Pacheco
9 Holes
Dave Thomas Design
Tel: + 34 968 585111.
www.golftorrepacheco.com

Roda Golf - Beautifully manicured, great golf course and suitable for all levels of golf, some tough holes.

La Serena - Very difficult with lots of water, suitable for low to medium handicap golfers, a tough test a very nice golf course.

La Torre - Very easy and suitable for all levels, pretty bland, but a good day out.

El Valle - Great setting, great golf course and suitable for most levels of golfer, a lovely golf course.

Mosa Trajectum - Technically difficult, very nice setting, poorly maintained and expensive, not for the high handicap golfer.

La Manga Club - 3 great golf courses, wonderfully manicured and with great facilities, quite expensive, but something for everybody.

Hacienda del Alamo - Quite a trip, about thirty minutes from Roda Golf, nice course, quite long, but very enjoyable, no high handicaps, quite difficult.

Las Ramblas - A real fun course, some great holes, very pretty and suitable for all golfers, very enjoyable course.

Villamartin - Very tired looking, very busy, and sadly it's poorly maintained, but a nice track with some nice holes, seen better days, but suitable for all.

Campoamor - Nice facilities, nice golf course, suitable for all standards, but sadly has problems with fairways and greens every year. When in nice nick a nice golf course.

Mar Menor - A very nice golf course, some testing holes, only 9 holes at the moment, but very mature and in great shape, suitable for all and very enjoyable.

La Marquesa - An easy golf course, in poor condition but suitable for all, some ok holes.

Torre Pacheco - 9 hole golf course, very nice and suitable for all standards, worth a visit.

A small summary and a recommendation

Hi everybody, well here we are again after a very busy summer, we hope you have all had a great summer, especially those of you who have been lucky enough to stay at Roda Golf this year, the weather here has certainly been better than in the UK.

The amount of rentals on the resort generally have been very good, and considerably up on last year. Visitor numbers at Roda Golf have certainly increased, and the area generally has been extremely busy. Owners on phase 3B are busy completing on their new properties and the golf course is, as always, looking tremendous. The beach club has opened to great reviews and has been a tremendous success and the club house and golf academy have been very busy all summer. You can see from all those links that we were there - first - covering it all!

It is fair to say that Roda Golf and Beach Resort really is a great holiday destination and no longer just a construction site, For those owners yet to complete on their properties but who would like a holiday at Roda Golf, please visit our sponsors, brand new, Roda Golf property rentals web site at www.calidainternationalrentals.co.uk and select from the many luxury properties for your next holiday or weekend break.

Here at Roda Golf Info, we are constantly trying to provide the sort of information and regular updates that you can not find anywhere else, well with that in mind we would like to make you all aware that you can now receive Spanish lessons at your own home on Roda Golf, we have teamed up with Angela, a lovely lady from the North East of England, who lives on Roda Golf, who will help with your basic Spanish. This will prove invaluable in the local bars, restaurants and shops. For the more adventurous, she can help you with your conversational Spanish and grammar.

Angela can be contacted on (00 34) 628 119 687 between 10am and 7pm most days. She will be happy to accompany you to the golf club house for a trial run of anything you may have learned, she is also available for translation help and assistance where required, her rates are very reasonable and we are very happy to recommend her services.

Angela will also be available for trips to the pharmacy or doctors surgery to help with translation, her fee will be based on an hourly rate and she will quote on an individual basis, good luck and have fun.

Finally don't forget to visit this brand new Roda Golf property rentals web site at www.calidainternationalrentals.co.uk www.calidainternationalrentals.co.uk

Phase 3b and a general report for August 2008

Welcome to the August update for Roda Golf and Beach Resort, apologies for the delay, however we have been very busy over the summer, literally thousands of people (owners and visitors) have been coming to Roda Golf to enjoy the fine weather. The vast majority have been having an absolutely fantastic time, we have been swamped with the amount of people requesting pictures of their own part of the resort and their individual properties, our main sponsors Calida International Properties have been busy showing lots of potential buyers around the resort and lot's of people have been completing on their new property on phase 3a - and now we are all set for the completions on phase 3b to begin!

September and October are also going to be very busy months for Roda Golf with hundreds of people completing on their properties on phase 3b - yes there has been considerable delays, but we believe it has all been worth waiting for. We have noted some negative comments on various web forums regarding Roda Golf and the beach club (we all know which forum) however in our humble opinion, the beach club is fantastic. Yes there is still a small amount of work to be done, very minor and mainly cosmetic, however what a fantastic facility and a great day out, we love it!!

As for Roda Golf generally, this is definitely a case of "you cannot please all the people all of the time" we wanted a golf clubhouse, and we now have the best clubhouse in Spain; We wanted the beach club, it is ready, up and running. The restaurant service could be better, but great food and great location, the golf course is already recognised as one of the best in the region; Rentals are up on last year, the facilities definitely show an improvement on last year. We have the PGA golf academy with it's excellent golf pro-shop and facilities now available. People wanted cheaper golf for the occasional golfer, Roda introduced the "twilight game" 36 euros for 18 holes, a small beer and a tapa (Spanish snack). This represents the best value for money anywhere for this standard of golf course!

...On to phase 3b, we had a comprehensive walk around phase 3b, we also took lot's of pictures, as we always do, and we certainly hope you enjoy this latest batch of photo's. We are very pleased with the progress, the apartments all have great views, most have views of the golf course. The penthouse apartments all have the concrete stairs, a fantastic feature, and whilst it has taken a small amount of usable space from the terrace, the ease of access to the rooftop solarium is adequate compensation and all very private.

Excellent communal garden areas with wonderful swimming pools of various shapes and sizes. These are low density communities with lot's of olive trees - a new addition to Roda in these quantities, very nice walkways, and a number of apartments and townhouse which are actually "front line" to the golf course.

The gardens still have to mature and "green up" however this will happen in weeks not months, just as we have seen on the earlier phases. The builders really are putting the finishing touches to all outside areas, cleaning up paths, all children's play areas are completed and looking great. When the fences come down from the "front line" golf villa's phase 3b is going to be just stunning.

For all of you about to complete on your properties on phase 3b, many congratulations, we think you are going to be delighted.

Our main sponsors at Calida International Properties would like to remind you that should any of you require any help completing on your property on any of the phases at Roda Golf, they are very happy to help with things like mortgages, snagging's, furnishing your property or property management and ongoing rentals services, please visit www.calidainternationalpropertymanagement.com for further information.

As always, please remember that these pictures can be viewed in the original (huge) sixes over at Flickr - Here's the link!

Phase 3b starting to open!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. We're sure you agree it's been a little hot for work, but luckily perfect weather for a round of golf :) The big news this month is that Phase 3b is starting to come on line and the fences are moving back to reveal just what the builders have been up to! Early next week we will publish our full report and a complete gallery of pictures, but here, to whet your appetite are a couple of superb "large scale" panoramas showing just how phase 3b is shaping up! Simply click the picture to see the original full size picture on our Flickr page! (When you get there just click the "see all sizes" button!)

Roda Golf - Phase 3 Panorama - 1

Roda Golf - Phase 3 Panorama - 2

Roda Beach Club - July 2008 - Part 2!

We can't keep away from the Roda Golf Beach Club in La Manga! With the weather as perfect as it has been lately, we found an excuse for another visit, and this time we took our photographer. We also shot a couple of little videos for you. Although we freely admit we are not video experts, we think that the videos give a really insight into what it is actually like in and around the beach club, so for that reason we include them for you.

We visited the club on a Monday, so it was pretty quiet, although some people were in evidence around the pool. We also saw a few people covered in mud on the beach. the local mud is said to have therapeutic properties

The staff were extremely helpful. The young lady in reception took the time to explain a little of the history of the club, and how the unusual building had originally been constructed for a top minister in Franco's government. She also took the time to translate the restaurant menu into English (we'll publish it soon) and showed us around the entire complex

On the ground floor you will find the main entrance, and walking through to the beach side you pass the bathrooms and the elegant and modern spiral staircase to the first floor. As you leave the reception area you emerge between the bar (on your left) and the restaurant to your right. Both areas are fabulously modern and clean. The shining white floor emphasising the white table linen. The glass doors which encompass the entire area where retracted, and a light breeze flowed through the entire club. We haven't visited during the evening yet, but it must be an extremely attractive and romantic place to take dinner.

As one leaves the rear of the beach club through the vast sliding glass doors the beach is of course directly in front, and the sea just a few meters away. there are stylish loungers arranged on the beach. Walking around to the left we find the pool area just next to the outdoor bar seating. The outdoor bar tables had bar menus, and the snacks and drinks seemed reasonably priced (there are pictures of the menu in the gallery and full size (very readable) on our Flickr page here). The pool area is splendid, and has ample loungers. We hear from Roda that entrance numbers are strictly limited, so we are sure the pool shouldn't get overcrowded

Heading back inside, we crossed the bar and restaurant area and headed up the spiral stairs to the first floor. What a stylish area! there are six stunning day beds arranged in the central area, affording magnificent views out over the Mediterranean. Whilst to the the left is a table and chairs. Around the corner to the right is a small alcove with a sofa and chairs. We noticed a dumb waiter here to, ready to send up a couple of cocktails before dinner we imagine! The whole upstairs area, is surrounded by glass, and many doors lead outside onto the veranda. Walking around afforded more lovely views of the sea, and across the pool area.

All in all the Roda Golf Beach Club is a modern and attractive place to be. Whether for a swim and mud bath, or as an evening detination for a romantic dinner. Do yourself a favour and check it out for yourselves!


Roda Golf Beach Club - July 2008 - PartII


A "walkthrough" of the Roda Beach Club...