Javier de Arana

Javier Arana sailed in the 6-metre class at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics alongside his father Luis de Arana. Shortly thereafter Javier Arana started a career in golf, which included multiple wins in Spanish amateur tournaments, and also saw him play in 1933 at The Open Championship, where he missed the cut.

During World War II Arana studied topography and began to start designing golf courses. In addition, several of the Spanish courses were devastated during the war, requiring rebuilding and Arana stepped in to help with that, learning his trade. He eventually designed multiple courses and is usually considered the greatest Spanish golf course architect. Among the courses he designed were El Prat (1954), Club de Campo de Madrid Black Course (1956), Real Guadalmina Golf Club South Course (1959), Royal Golf Society of Neguri Galea Course (1961), Ulzama and Rio Real (1965), the RACE Course (1967), El Saler (1968), and Aloha (1975).