Spain

Programme 5

In the year of the Ryder Cup at Valderrama and the land of Seve Ballesteros, Peter Alliss travels to Southern Spain.

First he visits the grandeur of Seville before interviewing Snr. Jaime Ortiz-Patino, owner of Valderrama and the driving force behind its securing the Ryder Cup for Spain. Snr. Patino gives a very candid opinion of his obsessive desire to make his course the best in mainland Europe and why he won’t settle for second best. An expert green keeper in his own right, we see how the course has earned the nickname “the Augusta of Europe”.

Leaving Valderrama, Peter travels east to Rio Tinto, the first place where golf was played in Spain. Rio Tinto is a ‘campo rustica’ and having seen the most exclusive and the most basic of courses, he wonders if there is anything in-between for the non tourist Spanish golfers. He finds this at La Canada – a local course. Here he meets up with Steven Redgrave, then Great Britain’s four time Olympic Gold medal winner. Steve is going for a record 5th Olympic gold at Sydney and he discusses how hard it is for sportsmen to compete and fund themselves between big competitions.

Each programme will be digitally remastered subject to adequate financial support and all are available to broadcast subject to terms being agreed.