Tove’s feminine touch can be felt from the very moment you get into Lauro Golf Club. The Pro-Shop, the details on the staff clothing and their kindness are her unmistakable token. Tove Maria Pedersen is the only woman president of a golf club on the Costa del Sol. She has held this position for nine years, after being captain or marshal. Danish on her birth certificate, she adopted Alhaurín as her place to live. Tove is a nature lover who dedicates her life to Lauro Golf in a harmonious combination, so that there is no Lauro without Tove nor Tove without Lauro.

Tove couldn’t have imagined that taking her dog for a walk would change her life. It was 30 years ago, first time she met Vicente Pichard, Lauro Golf owner, an encounter that united them forever. Tove and her husband had just moved to the area completely changing their lives: “We had 5 clothes shops in Denmark, my husband was tired because he had started working when he was 18. He wanted to sell everything and come to live here and plant olive trees. We decided to try for 2 years. In the end, we restored an 18000 meters farm and we planted avocado trees also. But I missed my job, so Mr. Vicente invited me to help him by taking charge of the Pro-Shop.  Everything started then.” she recalls.

Her golf fondness came later: “All the kids from the nearby schools were invited to come and try to play golf. My son enjoyed it very much, and after 6 months at the school, Pepe and Salvador Navarro encouraged me to try. I did it and I thought I could do it cause my swing was good. Then I talked to my husband and asked him to come with us, otherwise he was going to be alone at home. He started coming three years later, when he had finished planting all the avocados”, she laughs.

Therefore, Tove practice at the kids’ course, she became marshal and worked organizing some tournaments at the office. Furthermore, she was the ladies team captain for 20 years: “I’ve been connected to the club almost from its beginning. When my husband died, ten years ago, I was asked to become the president. I was a bit scared because I had no idea what a golf club president had to do. So, they explained to me that it consisted of being the image of the club for the people attending, welcoming and talking to them, apart from attending golf club exhibitions”, she explains and goes on with the story: “I enjoy being a president after all, I do it for the love of the club and the family, and because I like talking to people. What I like the least is the title. Many people in Spain like titles and they greet you saying “hi president”. When I was appointed, my niece asked me if I was going to be part of Obama’s family because, in Denmark, we just have golf club managers, but not presidents”.

It’s been nine years since she was designated president and Tove is still enjoying it. Everybody loves her thanks to her happy and kind character: “If you ask about Lauro Golf Club people will say that I have worked a lot for the foreigners. You have to welcome people warmly and create a good atmosphere to make them come back. Here we have a very active social life”, she explains. For her, the club has many other charms: “Lauro Golf is a small course, from the 1st hole to the 18^th it is a nice walk, like a park. Nature here is our best attraction. You can see wild boars, rabbits, eagles, sheep and goats along the course. The clubhouse has a patio also, it is a country house beyond comparison. It is not just golfers; we have all types of visitors to see it”. We have famous barbecues, celebrated every Friday and on tournament days: ”You can see Carlos Pitach, the owner, turning the ribs at the barbecue, it is very cool. Mari Cruz and Alvaro take care of things at the restaurant. The days the ladies play, they cook special menus for us”.

Lauro Golf is also known for holding and supporting renown ladies’ tournaments such as the Santander Golf Tour or the LETAS, as well as junior golf tournaments for kids and teenage golfers: “Yes, we hold many ladies and junior golf tournaments. We are also trying to create a place for women who have never played before and show them the basics of the game to encourage them to play. Many Spanish kids are coming to our school. The Spanish Junior and a cadet winner are here with us. We encourage the whole family to play”, Tove remarks.

Lauro Golf has also a residential complex with apartments to buy and rent, as well paddle courts and bowling. Families are welcome, even if they don’t play golf, just to go for a walk and enjoy the nature and stunning surroundings, and maybe if they are lucky bump into Tove Maria.