Great Golf in Girona

Great Golf in Girona

Spain is a very popular European golfing destination. Whether it’s mainland hot spots like the Costa Blanca, Costa Almeria or Costa Del Sol, or any of the Canary or Balearic Islands, most golfers are happy to tee it up where the sun is virtually guaranteed all year round.

Recently, this website has moved away from the mainstream to explore some city-orientated golfing options. In 2022, eyes were opened to golf in and around the capital city of Madrid and last year it was the turn of Barcelona to demonstrate how good the game was in Catalunya.

Last month, we returned to the northeast of the country around Girona, where the Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board laid on a wonderful 4-day trip for a select number of invited golf media journalists to experience some great golf and participate in a few local activities.

Located between Barcelona and the border with France, the province of Girona is a welcoming, tourist-friendly area with good road and rail links to transport tourists to and from its many attractions.

Food plays an important part in the social fabric of the province. Currently, there are a dozen Michelen-starred restaurants (with 17 stars in total) open around the Girona region, ably supported by 51 wineries, more than half of which offer wine tourist tours.

There’s a wide variety of leisure activities available here – ranging from road cycling and mountain biking to water sports such as swimming and canoeing – and in the winter there are five ski resorts in operation with thrilling runs down more than 200 kilometres of slopes.

Of course, we were here primarily for the golf, starting at Peralada and ending at Camiral, but along the way we also enjoyed a late evening stroll around the small medieval town of Pals, a late afternoon excursion to the Palamós Fish Auction & Museum, and a wine tasting tour of the spectacular Peralada Winery.

Remember to click on any of the five-course links below to read a review for the layout.

Peralada

Things got underway at the Peralada Hotel, located less than an hour’s drive north of Girona airport, close to the small town of Figueres, where Salvador Dali was born. The accommodation comprises 64 comfortable and elegant rooms and suites, with some of these overlooking the Golf Club Peralada golf course.

The 18-hole layout entered the Spanish Top 100 for the first time last year at a lofty #62, making it one of the highest entries from an intake of twenty five. It’s a mid-1990s design from local architects Jordi Soler Peix and Eugenio Arguado which is nicely routed over a rolling landscape within a large estate.

After golf, there was the opportunity to visit the Peralada Winery, a very modern state-of-the art facility that was once nothing other than a collection of old farm buildings. Refurbished at a reputed cost of €40 million over a 4-year period, this winery is an absolute must-see for visiting golfers.

Pals

The course at Golf de Pals was next on the itinerary the following day. Situated less than a couple of kilometres from the coast, this 18-hole layout is a Fred Hawtree design from the mid-1960s, with tight, umbrella pine-lined fairways that often lead to small, raised greens. If an intimate golf experience is what you’re looking for then look no further.

The atmospheric clubhouse is jam-packed with old photos of golfers who’ve played here in the past during various events – in fact, the 1972 edition of the Open de España at Pals (won by Antonio Garrido) was the first ever official event ever staged on the European Tour.

When golf was over for the day, an early evening tour of the nearby medieval town of Pals was arranged. This small settlement sits on a hill overlooking the surrounding plains, with narrow cobbled streets rising gently up to a 15-metre-tall Romanesque tower called Torre de les Hores.

Costa Brava

The morning of Day Three was spent at Club de Golf Costa Brava outside Santa Cristina D’Aro, where John Hamilton Stutt set out the original eighteen holes in the mid-1960s. The layout has since been altered following the introduction of an additional 9-hole track 20 years ago. It may be short – at just 5600 metres from the back tees – but it’s also very sweet.

In the afternoon, a short 20-minute drive took the group to the coastal town of Palamós, where a guided tour of the fish market was organized, along with a visit to the Museu de la Pesca next door. Now the only commercial harbour remaining in the Province of Girona, Palamós retains one of the last remaining fishing fleets in the northeast of the country.

Camiral

The final day of the trip was hosted by Camiral Golf & Wellness near Girona airport, with a round on the fabulous Stadium course. First opened for play 25 years ago, it’s one of the finest 18-hole layouts in all of Europe.

Specifically intended to host European Tour events, this Neil Coles & Angel Gallardo design certainly tests elite players, whilst at the same time allowing the ordinary golfer to relish their round from more forward tee positions. 

After lunch in The Club Café restaurant, EGTMA members embarked on a short tour of the newly upgraded Golf Hub (now featuring advanced swing technology infrastructure) before having a look round the Camiral Hotel, which has 138 on-site rooms and suites – and the wellness centre offers whole-body cryotherapy and oxygen chamber therapy!

D’Aro

The official visit came to an end but we had one final place to see before flying home. The course at Club Golf D’Aro sits atop a high plateau some four kilometres inland from the coast and it’s an early 1990s design from Ramon Espinosa, who also worked at Fontanals and Llavaneras in Catalunya.

There’s lots to like about D'Aro with big elevation changes, occasional water hazards, gullies and big bunkers to contend with along the way – for sure, this isn’t a course you’ll get bored playing. And if you’re game is not quite up to the mark on the day, there’s always the surrounding vistas to marvel at.

Thanks

The Girona event was arranged through the European Golf and Travel Media Association and expertly organized by Miriam Moya from the Marketing Department at Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board.

Participants were lucky enough to stay in three excellent accommodations: the 5-star Hotel Perelada, the 4-star Hotel La Costa Beach & Golf Resort in Pals and the 4-star Hotel Aromar in Playa D’Aro.

Journalists had breakfast in all three hotels, ate lunch in the clubhouse at Golf de Pals, Golf Costa Brava and Camiral then enjoyed dinner at Restaurant Mas Lazuli in Pau, Mooma near Fontclara and Bufet Mestra in Hotel Aromar.

Sincere thanks to everybody involved in creating such a memorable golf outing to this intriguing northeast corner of Spain.

Jim McCann

Member

European Golf and Travel Media Association