La Hacienda Links Golf Resort recently played host to the inaugural Gasol Foundation Golf Invitational—an event that brought together a star-studded field to raise vital funds in the fight against childhood obesity.
The tournament, held across the resort’s two championship courses, the Links and the Heathland, brought in €116,000 for the Gasol Foundation. Tennis icon Rafael Nadal was among the headline names joining event founder and six-time NBA All-Star Pau Gasol. They were joined by top Spanish golfers Ángel Hidalgo, Ángel Ayora, Andrea Revuelta and Paula Martín, as well as current and former footballers Álvaro Morata, Marcos Alonso and Aritz Aduriz.
The event began with a ceremonial tee shot from a World War II-era bunker and wrapped up with a gala dinner and auction. Guests also enjoyed the luxury of the new Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol Hotel, which opened earlier this year.
Gasol, who teed it up alongside Revuelta, Adri Arnaus and Rudy Fernández, saw his team in contention throughout the day, eventually finishing second. The winning fourball featured Hidalgo, César Penalva, Pablo Masilla and Juan Delgado.
Speaking after the event, Gasol said: “With this team, we’ve set the bar very high for our first edition. I’m very excited that this event will become a benchmark for continuing to grow in promoting healthy habits and giving that opportunity to children who don’t currently have it.”
Nadal—a keen golfer when he’s not on the tennis court—added: “Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have a privileged life are obligated not only to contribute to our foundations, but also to motivate and inspire others to do their part and make this world a better place.
My passion for golf began because it was the only sport I could play without risking injury, but it’s a sport that has something unique about it. Today we played with two incredible players, Paula and Andrea. They can’t be compared to us, but we can have a good time despite the difference in skill level; that doesn’t happen in any other sport.”
The setting for the tournament was La Hacienda Links Golf Resort – one of Spain’s rising stars in golf. The Links course was given a major redesign in 2022 by architect Kurtis Bowman, while the neighbouring Heathland has also seen extensive renovations. The resort is now regarded as one of Europe’s top 36-hole golf venues.
In 2024, its new halfway house was named the best in the business at the World Golf Awards – another sign of the resort’s growing reputation.
Javier Jiménez Casquet, director general at La Hacienda, said: “It was a privilege to host both stars and amateurs from the worlds of sport and business in aid of a worthy cause.
When we set out renovating both of our courses, we knew it was vital to build golfing experiences suitable for tournaments such as this one, and we are delighted that the players enjoyed all 36 holes across their stay.”
