FULL REPORT & gallery from our latest visit on 3rd April '08!

Posted on 18th Apr, 2008 by admin in the "Clubhouse FULL REPORTS inspection visits Phase 3 phase 4 Phase 5 photo shoots The Course" category

Welcome to the full April report with completely new, and completely up to date photos! We concentrated this month on providing views of the properties from the golf course. The very kind people at the De Vere clubhouse loaned us a buggy for a couple of hours, which we used to tour the course, starting up the 10th fairway, moving all the way around the proposed phase 5 area, moving on to phase 4, then down past the 17th green and 18th tee and fairway to have a look at phase 3 and then on to the front 9.

Please be aware that these photos are also available to view on our Flickr page. It really is worth visiting our Flickr page because the images there are available there at absolutely HUGE sizes! (More than 6000 pixels wide!) You can zoom in to find your own house! Just write in if you need help using Flickr. And now onto the gallery. Please just hover over the gallery area to access the controls, and if you click a picture a detailed description will appear! The full report is below the gallery:

Our Roda Golf and Beach Resort full April report

The Roda golf course was looking fantastic as usual, there were lots of players out there, some playing some great golf, others just enjoying the day out. We stopped for a brief chat with a few groups just to get their opinions on the golf course and Roda Golf generally, without exception, everybody thought it looked fantastic and they were enjoying the golf course very much.

There was one particular "4 ball" who were not owners, however they were so impressed that they were looking for property to purchase at the resort, that has to be great news and we expect that will start to happen more and more as each phase comes on-line.

A big thank you to all the golfers who gave us a few moments of their time, much appreciated.

The views of the properties and the completed phases looked great from the golf course side, the front line villas in particular with the swimming pools are very impressive, particularly when you see the owners enjoying their lunch and a glass of wine or two, whilst watching the golfers at the same time, the resort really is starting to "come to life"!

The Roda fairways are in almost perfect condition and the greens are now as fast as we have seen them, not quite Augusta and the Masters standard, but fast none the less, the one thing that separates the golf course at Roda Golf from the other golf courses in the region is the attention to detail and the manicuring around the course, that is down to the world class experience that Mike Maloney from De Vere and his team bring to the project.

There is still no sign of the apartments on phase 4 being started, albeit there is now considerable work on the front line golf villas, phase 3 A is looking fantastic and lots of owners have now completed over there and phase 3 B looks all set to be delivered about August / September time. We know there have been considerable delays, but I think everybody will agree it has been worth it, Calidona really are delivering a world class resort.

We have reported before on the opening on the clubhouse and it would appear that we got our dates for the official opening incorrect, my advice to everybody is get ready to enjoy the sensational facilities at the clubhouse sooner rather than later, for those who have visited the new clubhouse, I think you will al agree it looks incredible, for those of you still to visit and see the facilities, you are in for a real treat.

The fully renovated beach club will be ready with a full service for the Summer, we will have a special report on that in the near future, if there are any questions regarding any of the above, please write in and we will be happy to provide as much information as possible.

We met a lot of people who were renting properties for the first time at the Roda Golf and Beach Resort, this was also very good news for those people looking to rent their properties out and start getting a return on their investment.

Please remember, if you are planning to rent out your property, make sure you have a professional property management company looking after your property and your guests, this is the best way to guarantee that they come back next year, you really do need so much more than just a "key holding" service, our sponsors over at Calida International Properties will be very happy to help and assist in any way they can.

I hope you enjoy our latest set of photos and in a day or two we we publish the virtual reality view from the par 3, 11th green!

A day's Golf

Posted on 16th Apr, 2008 by admin in the "The Course" category

Last week Stuart from Calida International Properties, finally found the time for a round of golf. He sent us this report, sure to make any owners languishing in the rainy UK jealous!

We were very fortunate to be joined by Mark Jones, Wales and Llanelli Scarlets number 14, for a game of golf this week. Also joining us to make up a four ball was Gary Conroy, PE teacher from Manchester.

Mark was over for a well earned rest after a very busy and very successful 6 nations campaign where Wales won the Grand Slam. Gary was over checking progress on his phase 3, part B penthouse apartment. (We could have sent him pictures if he'd asked!..but then he'd have missed the golf ;)

Mark was playing off a lowly 24 handicap, where Gary was playing off 5. I knew early on, I had my hands full in this stableford competition with these two very competitive characters; I later found out that Gary used to play semi-pro football as well.

Both Mark and Gary played some superb golf, my own not faring too well unfortunately, especially as I am off 15 and have been playing quite well recently.

Mark won the front nine comfortably and we were never able to catch him, Gary as you would expect played some quite stunning shots, the highlight being a 45 yard bunker shot which stopped "stone dead" next to the flag on the second bounce, for a tremendous birdie, show off!

This was the first time that Mark had played the Roda golf course (you could have fooled me) and the first time to pick up his clubs for 6 months, Gary being an owner has played a few times. It was a fantastic afternoon, the weather was beautiful, right up to the time when we walked off the course at about 8.15pm. Mark won the competition by some margin with some great golf shots, coming off the course with a very creditable 37 points. Gary, playing with rental clubs, finished in last place, but I have been sworn to secrecy about his stableford points, hmmm!

Both Mark and Gary were very impressed with the condition of the golf course. The lakes and fountains were fantastic and provided a real test, particularly when the wind was up, the greens were as fast as I have seen them, and the fairways were in superb "nick". Most of the bunkers were raked, and were immaculate around the edges and the whole golf course is maturing beautifully.

If there was one complaint, we did notice that pitch marks on the greens were not being repaired, c'mon everybody, let's make an effort to keep the greens nice and tidy for all fellow golfers, please adhere to etiquette and local rules at all times, especially slow play, you are supposed to be directly behind the golfers in front of you, not directly in front of the golfers behind you.

Overall, a fantastic afternoon, great golf course and awesome company, thanks Mark and Gary, will get you next time Mark! A huge "thumbs up" from everybody for the Roda Golf and Beach Resort.

Phase 4 delays - Advice from the experts

Posted on 10th Apr, 2008 by admin in the "construction Interviews phase 4" category

Another interesting comment from our sponsors at Calida International Properties, this time they are addressing the delays at Phase 4 which are concerning many of our readers:

We are constantly being asked "what are the reasons for the delays on phase 4 at Roda Golf?"

Phase 4 - April 2008 - Click to enlarge

It is so very frustrating, particularly for those owners on Roda Golf Phase 4, but of course it does affect everybody, including the developer, nobody wants to "crack on" more than the developers themselves! Luckily the answer is extremely simple.

I appreciate you all think that this is just an excuse, however the truth of the matter is that town hall bureaucracy is responsible. For those of you who live in Spain or have purchased in Spain before, you will know all about this subject. It is so painfully slow waiting for the local council or town hall officials to take responsibility and simply issue the licences. That is the problem in a "nutshell" - nothing more sinister than that, so for all you conspiracy theorists out there, please relax (easier said than done) there are some great updated pictures of phase 4 coming in our imminent "April - Full Report" article. These new, and very detailed photos taken from the course, show that there has been progress, but we appreciate not enough, so please watch this space, as soon as we have news we will advise you.

Roda Golf - Buy or wait?

Posted on 8th Apr, 2008 by admin in the "Interviews The market" category

Our sponsors over at Calida International Properties are enthused with the amount of visitors we are getting here on Roda Golf Info, and they have agreed to start writing some articles for us! In this first article Stuart Thomas, managing director of Calida International, discusses his thoughts on the ever present worry - "Buy now or wait?". Stuart provides some illuminating, and honest insights into the current market in general and at Roda. We print his article in full below:

Location, Location! Does it get better than this? - Click to enlarge

We have been asked many times over the last few months, "why should we?", or "why would we?" buy property at Roda Golf and Beach Resort - and it is a very good question.
Clearly the world wide "credit crunch" has really started to "spook" not only those people who are considering purchasing, but also those who have already purchased at Roda, combine that with a very strong euro, and you can see why people might consider delaying their purchase of property at Roda Golf and Beach Resort

The truth is there is never a good time to buy... or indeed a bad time to buy! There is only a time when it is right for you as an individual. Let me explain - The property market in Spain has experienced a considerable slow down, that was always going to be inevitable, particularly after ten years of solid growth, the problem is not as bad as the problem currently being experienced in the UK, however there is no doubt, there is a slowing of the market.

In the UK there has been some quite dramatic slowing figures being produced, but not in London, the UK generally has slowed to a standstill, but London property prices continue to perform pretty well. One should understand that Roda Golf and Beach Resort is a lot like London in this respect, you have all heard the expression "location, location, location", well Roda Golf and Beach Resort is currently the very best location in the region, and possibly even the best location in Spain to purchase property.

San Javier / Murcia Airport - Click to enlarge

When you consider the world class Dave Thomas designed golf course, the gated resort just a couple of minutes from the stunning blue flag beaches of the Mar Menor, just 5 minutes from San Javier airport, with the 2 cities of Cartagena and Murcia just a stones throw away, and luxury properties still available for under 240,000 euros, it s easy to see why property sales are still pretty buoyant, not as good as they were 2 years ago, but on a resort with a maximum of 1,800 properties, obviously there was going to be a problem with availability.

There is not the wide choice of properties available any more, nearly all of the really desirable properties have gone, no longer can you just walk in to Roda Golf and pick from a choice of penthouse apartments, now you have to take what is available, this is why, if you are seriously considering buying at Roda Golf, make sure you can afford it, then go and "jump straight in" you will not regret it.

Somebody asked us just today, "what if I wait for the euro to weaken against the pound?" well what if everybody does the same thing?, you will have a mad rush again when the euro weakens and property prices will rise very sharply, what if the euro continues to strengthen? you will kick yourself for having "missed the boat" yet again.

Properties are limited at Roda Golf, particularly the "front line" golf villa's and the penthouse apartments, and the problem is getting worse daily. Unlike other developers and other resorts, Roda Golf are still making steady sales, if you are considering buying at Roda Golf, then it must be because you love the place, you have probably played the golf course and, like me, you have probably put a ball or two in one of the fabulous lakes. You will probably have enjoyed a nice cold beer served by the very friendly staff at the clubhouse, or enjoyed the wide variety of stunning restaurants in the nearby town of Los Alcazares, whatever your reasons for wanting to buy at Roda Golf, our advice is "strike while the iron is hot" - delay at your peril.

Pools installed in Birdie Villas

Posted on by admin in the "Amenities" category

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.

Celebrity news! We bump into Mark Jones!

Posted on 3rd Apr, 2008 by admin in the "Interviews Sports" category

Celebrity news! Look who we bumped in to at Roda Golf today, you Welsh owners and rugby fans out there will recognise Mark Jones, the Llanelli Scarlets and one of this season's Wales 6 nations Grand Slam winners!

The number 14 for Wales was enjoying a much deserved vacation at the Roda Golf and Beach Resort with his wife Helen, fresh from celebrating the Grand Slam win over France just a couple of weeks ago. Well done Mark and congratulations from the Roda Golf Info team!

This was Mark and Helen's first visit to Roda Golf for over 12 months and they thought it was fantastic, they were both very impressed with the progress at Roda Golf and Mark told us, he thought the new Roda Golf clubhouse and PGA academy facilities were just sensational, we even caught him hitting a few balls on the range, good to see you Mark and thanks for your time today, come back and visit soon.

The incredible technology available in the PGA Academy!

Posted on 21st Mar, 2008 by admin in the "Amenities PGA Academy Training" category

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.

Very large scale Phase Plans available for download

Posted on 20th Mar, 2008 by admin in the "Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 phase 4" category

We recently found these very large scale plans depicting the plans for Phases 1-4. Sometimes it's hard to find plans this big and detailed, so we are posting them for the benefit of our readers :) We will also zip them into one file and put them in the "resources" section on the right. These plans are so detailed you can see every house number...can you see yours?!

Click on a link below to open the picture in a new window. Remember you'll have to click "view actual size" in the windows toolbar...these are big (incidentally that makes them very well suited for printing)

"Virtual Reality" view over 9th fairway from Clubhouse!

Posted on 17th Mar, 2008 by admin in the "Clubhouse The Course virtual reality" category

Just click on the big picture and drag your mouse from side to side! Our friends at Calida International Properties recently hired a professional photographer to visit the Roda Golf site, and he has started to make these incredible "virtual reality" views! Here's the second one he has made showing the view from the clubhouse over the 9th fairway, and we are sure there are more to come. Is there a specific area YOU would like to see covered? Just let us know using the comments below and we'll see if we can do it for you!

Sticky: Welcome to the News Section!

Posted on 11th Mar, 2008 by admin in the "Uncategorized" category

See below for our constantly updating news section. You can also search for older news in a variety of ways:

Search using the search box (top right of your screen)
Click on a relevant "Category" in the categories box on the right

This post stays here all the time to help our readers, the latest news is constantly replaced below :) Happy reading!

Roda Golf and Beach Resort Information