Campo Villa de Madrid | Ventas | the Madrid Open | Manuel Pinero

GOLF
"There are two or three courses in the city, but they get really crowded. So you can go to the courses outside Madrid like El Escorial, where my brother used to study. It's the Monastery of El Escorial, which is like a Catholic school, and there's a golf course there called La Herreria. It's quite fun, and only about 40 minutes away from Madrid. Of course, you have Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, where we played the Madrid Open. It's been redesigned by Manuel Pinero and is probably the best course in the area. It's an American-style course with a lot of legs and a lot of shots over water. From Club de Campo, you can see Club Jarama R.A.C.E., another course that's quite hilly, right in a little valley of the mountains there. You also have La Moraleja I and II, which are a little farther away from the city."

LUNCH
"La Bola Taberna is a true bastion of the cocido a la madrileña, a stew made with chickpeas and sausages, that they only serve at lunchtime. The restaurant was founded in 1870 and nothing much has changed. Another great place is De Maria. They treat you well and it's not too expensive. You can get any kind of food, and it's all outstanding."

BULLFIGHT
"Las Ventas, Madrid's bullring, is the biggest ring in Spain. I'm not really into bullfights, but it's good to see at least one. The atmosphere at Las Ventas is incredible. You can feel the fear and exaltation of the bullfighter and the angst of the bull. I don't think there are words to describe it. Las Ventas is the toughest place for a bullfighter. You can go to the Plaza de las Ventas around mid-May to watch daily bullfights in honor of Madrid's patron, San Isidro."

TAPAS