Featured architects

Cabell Robinson

The American who shaped Mediterranean golf

Born
1941, Virginia, USA
Years active
c. 1970–present
Works
40+ across Europe and North Africa
Era
Contemporary

Why the name endures

Robinson ran Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s European operation for more than a decade before opening his own office in Marbella. His courses handle steep Mediterranean hillsides with a subtlety that makes severe ground look playable.

Design principles

  • Fit the hole to the hillside rather than cut the hillside
  • Generous landing areas on sloping ground
  • Greens that can be approached along the contour

Surviving work

Courses to see

Finca Cortesín

Andalucía, Spain

Long, wide and immaculately conditioned above the Costa del Sol.

La Reserva de Sotogrande

Andalucía, Spain

Elevated tees and dramatic descents through cork oak.

Praia d'El Rey

Óbidos, Portugal

Half pine forest, half dune links on the Atlantic coast.