Surrounded by magnificent pines and silvery green olive trees that dot the
fairways, the course boasts one special tree in particular. After playing our
tee shots at the par-5 15th, we stop to admire the fantastically gnarled and
twisted thousand-year-old olive tree known as Sa Capitana, one of the
oldest on the island.
Son Muntaner is one of four golf courses linked to the Castillo Hotel Son
Vida, which is part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Mallorca. Designed by
F.W Hawtree in 1964, Son Vida is Mallorca’s most time-honored course, and
the original home of golf in the Balearics. The hilly and challenging layout
of Son Quint with marvellous views over the Bay of Palma from several of
its tees and greens, and the Executive 9-hole course, adds up to 63-holes of
excellent golf, and one of the best golf complexes in Europe.
A Taste of Mallorca
After a shower, a siesta and a cold beer on the hotel terrace, we head into
Palma to meet one of Mallorca’s star chefs, Marc Fosh, who has recently
opened his third restaurant on the island, called Misa Braseria + Bar,
featuring dishes such as Catalan fish soup with monkfish and mussels and
slow-cooked beef in hay and mountain herbs.
“Business is going well so far and the restaurant is attracting a varied
clientele. Each of my three restaurants has its own character and style; Misa
is casual and accessible, Tasca de Blanquerna offers Mallorcan cuisine with
a twist and Simply Fosh is upmarket gastronomic,” says Marc. “We are very
lucky here, the island’s benign climate, fertile soil and sea provides a great
variety of produce to work with.”
From the land comes pork, in particular from the indigenous black pig,
bred in the wild in forest groves and scrubland. For centuries the pig has
been the great benefactor of Mallorcan gastronomy and supplied embutits
(sausage type products) such as the island’s calling card sobrassada. The
island also has delicious wild lamb that lends itself to being cooked whole
and smaller game such as rabbit and partridge that provide the ingredients
for traditional stews and soups.
There’s excellent virgin olive oil, succulent oranges, honey, almonds,
desserts such as ensaïmada made from coiled sweet pastry, liquors like palo
or hierbas and fine wines that have been awarded a Designation of Origin.
The sea provides fish species such as dolphin fish, grouper, red mullet and
scorpion fish that’s highly appreciated for its consistent firm white flesh
and unique taste. Amongst the island’s other seafood and shellfish are pink
prawns, octopus, cuttlefish and the red lobster, the main ingredient in some
memorable dishes such as seafood stew or caldera.
The following day we drive across the island to the north coast for our
second round at Club de Golf Alcanada. Set to the stunning backdrop of
the Bay of Alcudia, this top-notch Robert Trent Jr-designed track will take
your breath away, offering fabulous sea views from 16 of its 18 holes. The
458-metre, par-5 1st is an excellent strategic opening hole of the risk-reward
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