PGA Catalunya (Stadium) - Northern Spain - Spain

The course (design) is true test of golf, I liked it, but it will test at first your driver, both length and accuracy. You have to play a driver from every (yellow, mens’) tee, but Par 3’s, otherwise you play only for bogey. It is long, that is for sure. Many bunkers served during my visit as water hazards after the thunderstorm the day before, remaining bunkers were unraked and hard like concrete. Not what I would expect for this level of green fee.

Everything else is only disappointment. Course is nested between two highways, so if you are lucky to find a corner sheltered from roaring trucks, than you will be immersed into heavy construction place, full of cranes and trucks. Most of the trees shown on old photos and marketing materials are gone and replaced by mono design villas, often very close to the fairway. Not exactly what I enjoy. It is getting to be a pure resort course.

Talking about amenities, the clubhouse is nice modern design, but food served is only average. Both on site hotels are about the same, average food and very noisy, full of drunk golfing and cycling societies, singing and drinking till very very late night. And driving range closed on Sunday afternoon, if you wish. Should be 41/2 for the course design and 2 for the rest.

A luxury 5 star resort with quality modern rooms and service to match. The complex contains 36 golf holes, a large state of the art driving range, swimming pool, spa, its own market, a cosy bar as well as fine dining, there is no storage of things to do for the travelling golfer. The real highlight was the ‘stadium course’. With more movement in the land than you expect, the course weaves itself through beautifully with most holes using the valleys, manicured pines and water to work it’s way around the land. It provided generous landing areas, lovely bunkering (without being to penal) and plenty of movement in the greens. While it was it great condition, it was easy to see this was a championship course (EuropeanTour) and made to test the best by carefully using the hints the course provides and so calculated risks are essential.

This is a really solid golf course with a great routing, a very consistent course in terms of 'no weak holes'. It therefore makes it difficult to determine standout holes, but highlights were the tempting par 5's such as 3, 7, 15 and the rolling par 4's 4, 6, 9, 13, 14 & 17. For the par 3's it was the downhillers with water lurking on holes 5 & 11.

But what really impressed me was how enjoyable and fair it was to play! As I came off the course I realised that not only is it a championship course, but a course that the average golfer enjoy too!

Visited in march 2019 along with rounds at both Emporda courses and Pals. By far my least favourite of the four. It can work for professionals but huge carries on every hole and massive greens are not a great test of golf as far as I’m concerned. Some very good holes don’t make up for a few really bad designs (#9, #16…). But more than that the environment is unpleasant. Cranes and scaffolding noises on almost every hole. The condition is pretty good, bunkers very consistent from hole to hole, greens are true, fairways are lovely. But it’s not a good thing when you’re actually happy that a round is finished.

This is by no means #4 on the list of best continental Europe courses. A Chantilly, Knokke le Zoute, Valderrama, Sotogrande or Cannes Mougins are far superior in every aspect of the game. If in the area it’s a yes, if not not worth a trip.

This is one of the best courses in Spain and in Europe. The resort is just great. They have villas and a nice hotel to stay very close to the golf course. Superb practice facilities. Just the golf restaurant could serve better dishes.

The Stadium course is a masterpiece as I see it, it saris withe the view from the first tee and lasts till the approach to the 18th green. Some really beautiful holes out there like the signature hole (13). But every single hole is a experience and you will need excellent golf shots for a good score.

Also superb are the greens with 12 on the stimpmeter really quick and undulating.

This is a true golfing experience on the Costa Brava region.

A golfer immediately gets a heightened sense of challenge just by standing on the Stadium’s first tee box. The holes are tight, fraught with danger and significantly longer. There is a palpable demand for accuracy of the tee, and the approach shots are relentless given the deep encroaching bunkers that are thirsty for stray balls.

Compared to the Tour course, the hazards are a huge factor on this course. I was captivated by the dramatic tee shots and changes in elevation. Be prepared for a few blind second shots and an abundance of undulating crowned greens. This course is ready for a major tournament, and there continues to the plans to improve the holes – especially the visuals.

I’m an old fashioned golfer who likes to walk and play fast. At one tee box on the front side, I was able to count 6 different ugly concrete cart paths from my vantage point. A number of other holes have concrete cart paths directly in your line of sight off the tee which is not pleasing to the eye. One could argue that other materials (eg: Astroturf) could have been contemplated when the course was being built to create the warren of paths. On other holes, the busy nearby motorway is in full view. Local politics pose challenges to tree planting and removal to block the traffic and trucks. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two greens are moved in order to re-route certain holes.

This is a very good course which will only get better with time, given the passionate investments being made and the endless budget for improvement. The club and the fantastic people who work here are really committed to achieving excellence in everything they do – both on and off the golf course.

Despite the challenging nature of the Stadium course, there is a variety of tee boxes available to assist with pace of play. What I really loved was the variety of the lengths of the par 3s and 4s. I hope the club doesn’t forget that short holes are the greatest and that adding more length is NOT (always) the best way to “improve” a golf course.

Strategy off the tee is significantly better than bashing a driver all day long. A successful championship golf course makes a golfer think twice. The lovely variety adds memorability without sacrificing challenge. The “stadium” feel to each hole will make this an excellent venue for the Ryder Cup – which is the goal of the club. I wish them luck.

A friend and I played a round on PGA Catalunya’s Stadium course on March 21st 2018. The course itself ranks among the very good ones we have played: design, fairways, greens .. all was fine - some bunkers seemed to need some maintenance but nothing that bad given the time of the year.

The very big problem is that a majority of holes are currently surrounded by considerable works in progress, involving the erection of numerous villas sometime very close to the rough zones!.

As a results the immediate environment of the game is more often than not just a nightmare: ugly views, noise, dust, scafoldings, construction machines etc….

And this is likely to last for months!

The shame is that the club gives absolutely no hints of those troubles when booking a tee time and the green fees are still by far the most expensive in the vicinity.

How to rank a course in such conditions?

The experience could be superb and ends up just awful.

I have played here quite a few times now since my first round back in 2010, so this review is a bit of an update. The Stadium course was an instant hit with me nearly seven years ago and remains so now. I would say that it gets a little better each year and in April 2017 was as good as I have seen it. One very slight negative right now, is that there is construction on a major level around and close to the course, including some of the buggy paths but if we are talking, 'just the course' then I can report that all is very well. My favourite holes are still; the 3rd, 4th, 9th and the 13th. For a course with plenty of rounds (especially when compared to more exclusive Spanish courses), the condition is fantastic, bordering on perfection - the greens this time were so fast and true. Of the 40+ Spanish courses that I have played, this remains the very best for me and a real shame this as a Ryder Cup venue in 2022, missed out to the Italian bid.

PGA Catalunya combines top level service with world class facilities. The Hotel resort is great with friendly and helpful staff. The practice facility is one of the best I have come across!

The course itself is very good. The conditionning is on par with what you would expect from tour level courses. The greens are fast and true. The layout did not fit my eye perfectly, but that doesn't mean it is not good. It is a typical ''target golf'' layout, with narrow tree-lined fairways. The green complexes and bunkering place a premium on the ''air game'', with very few holes allowing for run-up approaches. That is not inherently bad, but I believe it limits strategy and enjoyment. The set of par 3's is the highlight of the course, as well as the good elevations changes on many tee shots.

It is a great place for a golf holiday!

There's no let up with this course, it's just challenge after challenge after challenge. Designed so that you have to think about every shot, and then take the punishment if your execution doesn't match your ambition.Routed through a forest with the Pyrenees as a back drop, its a peaceful verdant location but I barely noticed the surroundings because I had to concentrate so hard on my golf.First rate club house and practice facilities, on the doorstep of Girona airport, and very good value, if you like being challenged there really is no reason not to play this course.

PGA Catalunya has no business being ranked in the European Top 10. It's barely a Top 100 course. What it really is, is a boring modern slog. The quality of the off-course facilities is among the best resorts in Europe, and it may end up hosting the Ryder Cup, but a great golf course it is not.