Runaway winner Ana Peláez leads unanimous praise for top Spanish resort after claiming seven-shot victory on Heathland course
Spanish star Ana Peláez has led the unanimous praise for La Hacienda Links Golf Resort and its Heathland course following a runaway seven-stroke victory at this month’s Santander Spanish Women's Professional Championship.
Defending champion Peláez was one of a number of previous winners that took their place in the star-studded line-up for the tournament at the luxury resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol – the finale to the 2025 Santander Golf Tour which featured a total prize fund of €60,000.
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Nuria Iturrioz (the winner in 2023), Teresa Toscano (champion in 2022) and Luna Sobrón, who won the title three years in a row from 2018-20, also had high hopes of victory while they were joined in the elite 33-player field by the likes of Ladies European Tour winners María Hernández and Marta Martín.
But they had no answer to the exhilarating strokeplay of Peláez as the Malaga ace dominated from the start on the par-72 Heathland course, following an opening round of 68 with two rounds of 71 to finish seven strokes clear of her closest challenger, María Parra.
Peláez sealed success in style with a birdie on the final hole, and she was quick to praise La Hacienda for the resort’s hospitality and high-quality golf facilities after defending her title.
She said: “It was an amazing feeling to win. I knew that I had prepared quite a lot going into the tournament and I had done my homework, but when you have a challenging golf course like this you question parts of your game. Eventually it all went well, I’m very happy with how I played and super grateful to La Hacienda for the welcome that they gave to me and all the players.”
Designed by Dave Thomas, the Heathland course combines links with parkland-style areas to create a demanding test. Players are required to navigate wide fairways, strategically placed bunkers and tricky greens, while sweeping views of the Mediterranean and the Rock of Gibraltar lend the course its unique visual character.
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Ahead of the 2024 season, the layout benefited from a major course investment that included the redesign of two holes, the levelling of two fairways and significant landscaping work throughout.
Peláez’s views on La Hacienda were echoed by Parra, who finished runner-up following a fantastic final five-under round of 67 which included two eagles.
She said: “The Heathland is a very challenging course which is the type of layout I like as it brings the best out of you. You’ve got to think a lot about the strategy and be really focused out there and be very accurate, as there’s a lot of trouble if you miss the fairways.This was my first visit to La Hacienda but I enjoyed it a lot and the views are amazing.”
Marta Sanz Barrios, who finished in a tie for fifth place, added: “The Heathland is a special course. It’s a course where you need to hit your first and second shots in the right place because there are a lot of blind shots, but it’s exciting and it keeps you on your toes. It’s a lot of fun.”
La Hacienda Links Golf Resort has shot to the upper echelons of European golf in recent years thanks to significant investment in facilities both on and off its two 18-hole courses – the Links and Heathland.
Between 2022-2025, the resort has added a new clubhouse and dining facilities, new halfway house, beach club and real estate, while La Hacienda further enhanced its international reputation earlier this year with the opening of the five-star Fairmont La Hacienda hotel.