Golf Architects/Designers: Manuel Piñero

Manuel Piñero was born in Badajoz on the 1st of September 1952 and as a child his parents moved to Madrid, where “purely by chance” he was introduced to the world of golf. One day, his grandmother was taking him to “earn a few pennies” as ball boy at a tennis club, however, before getting there they passed the practice course of the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and there he stayed. He worked as a caddy until 1969, when he turned professional; on his first tournament in La Coruna he finished in second. In 1970 he ended the Championship of Spain in the 27th place and a year later, was the sixth.

In 1973 he was third in the Professional and in 1976 together with Severiano Ballesteros he won the World Championship, his first major sporting success in a competition that he has participated for eight times throughout his career. A year later, Manuel Piñero won the prestigious trophy PGA Penfold in the United States. In 1978 he was vice-champion in the Spanish Open as well as in the Swiss Open. He also reached second place in the Manchester Open and Venezuela in 1979.

His record in the Ryder Cup is one of the best of the five rounds he played in 85, when the European team won, he scored four points, two in the foursomes, one in the four-ball formed by him and Severiano, and the individual against Lanny Wadkins -one of the most in-form players of the American team beating him 3&1. In 81 he also won his individual round, beating Jerry Pate 4&2.

Retired from the professional tours, the world champion decided to reorient its work to design golf courses. In 1988, together with Antonio Garcia Garrido, his first project was the design of the La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Marbella, Costa del Sol, Spain. In the Marbella he also designed the Monte Paraiso Golf and the El Soto Club de Golf. From his portfolio there courses like Los Moriscos in Granada,  El Puerto Golf Course in Cadiz, La Serena Golf in Murcia and El Campanario Golf Course in Estepona.

Since 1989 Manolo lives in Marbella, where he directs with enormous success La Quinta Golf Academy, dividing his time between this and his other work, the design of golf courses.