Following the releases of the manicured USA style course called DriftWood and the windswept Links of Ayrshire Dunes came Mike's next release, a sunbaked mediterranean course with the neat name El-Escorpion. This was again a fresh approach, almost with a desert feel to it with the dry dusty wasteground texture, but instead of familiar cacti this was planted with dry looking bushes and trees and strong spiky grasses. Again splashes of colour would be feature of this design, but only in key places at the tee or behind the greens. This was a more dry and barren feeling course, the grass textures lighter than DriftWood and very much in tune with its location setting. Lakes would also be a key feature of this design, often in play around the greens. This was another tough course to play, not as penal as Ayrshire Dunes but with many of the driving areas protected by bunkers and the greens themelves often tucked away behind lakes and bunker hazards. Staying out of trouble required patience and accuracy.

Four Favourite Holes

Hole 1 - The opening hole, like Ayrshire Dunes was one of the best on the course and a tough test to make par at. The drive itself is not overly hard, but you are so aware that you must hit the fairway that your nerves can easily kick in. The reason you need an accurate drive is the almost island feel to this green with a lake wrapping around the left side and cutting across the front up to a bunker. The safe shot clearly is to bail out right or short into the bunker, but this hole can very easily start you off on the wrong foot. The view on the approach shot is excellent.

El-Escorpion (1st hole)

Hole 3 - All the par 3's at El-Escorpion are quite pretty set peices but the best looking is the 3rd with a colourful tee area overlooking a green that extends out into a large lake and is bordered by sand both front and back. At 170 yards this isnt the toughest hole around the course but it is certainly one of the most beautiful. This hole is all about the distance, get that right and you could walk away with an early birdie on your card. You can imagine the groundsmen stepping back feeling very pleased with this hole.

El-Escorpion (3rd hole)

Hole 14 - My favourite hole on the course is the shortish par 4 at the 14th at 420 yards. Take a driver here and you will leave a short iron into the green and a great birdie chance. The twist however is the water runs all the way down the left side of this hole and this will play on your mind as you step up to the tee. Some colourful planting is seen near the tee area, and this hole offers the best view of the course looking down from tee to green.

El-Escorpion (14th hole)

Hole 15 - This is a real testing par 4 where the drive is the key shot. At 436 yards this isnt especially long, but the fairway bends away from you to the left and the tee shot goes over ever extending wastground. So the question is how much to bite off the dogleg. Pull your shot left and you will probably end up in trouble, also too far right isnt much better as a group of trees can block this side too. The smart play says play safe and short but then you leave a long approach. A hard decision to make and another nice view out over the course here.

El-Escorpion (15th hole)

Despite some excellent holes, on a personal note i never quite took to El-Escorpion quite as much as most other Mike Jones designs. In relative terms of course this remains a very fine design indeed and notably against so many subsequent releases it still deservedly hangs onto a top 40 chart place. It's many tucked away greens meant i was never totally comfortable attacking the pins on this course . However, importantly there have been so few mediterranean style European designs released for the game that this course still has a key place on a tour playlists as a great European venue. It is quite a unique looking course even today.