Resort golf in the Spanish Costas
With covid travel restrictions easing again at long last, we’re sure that many people will be looking forward to an overseas golfing excursion this year so we thought it might be a good idea to highlight a few of the main golf resorts located around the coastline of mainland Spain, starting in northern Catalonia and finishing in southwest Andalusia.
It’s so easy to fly to the main airports in Alicante, Barcelona, Malaga and Valencia, with alternatives always available at Girona, Murcia and Reus. And for golfers who prefer to travel light and can’t be bothered to bring their golf clubs, both Alicante and Malaga have club hire services located on arrival at the airport – what could be more convenient?
EMPORDÀ
Located less than 50 kilometres from the French border in the northeast corner of Spain, Empordà Golf Club has just completed a €21 million investment in its golf and lifestyle facilities. The club’s Links and Forest courses – both designed by Robert von Hagge – have undergone an extensive makeover which included tree clearance and bunkers being rebuilt using the Better Billy Bunker method.
Off the golf courses, the on-site Hotel Empordà Golf rebranded as Hotel Terraverda at the end of 2021 and it’s been totally upgraded with a contemporary new look following the redesign and renovation of all the bedrooms. communal areas and restaurant. A new outdoor swimming pool was also installed.
One of the first tasks of Flavio Papa, the new Director of Golf, will be to look after hosting the 2022 Empordà Challenge tournament, with this European Challenge Tour event due to be held on the resort’s Links layout from 9th to 12th June.
PGA CATALUNYA
A little closer to Barcelona, the 36-hole European Tour Destination at PGA Catalunya has also invested in its infrastructure. A new €5 million Wellness Centre opened last year and twice that amount of money will be spent this year on the property with the development of new wellness suites, a naturalised lake and residential area, and the renovation of the reception and retail shop.
Director of Golf Dirk Delfortrie has also overseen recent improvement work on both the Stadiumand Tourcourses, involving a large-scale programme to redefine the grassed areas of both courses. New trees and bushes were planted, white silica sand was added to all the bunkers, and natural lava rock was introduced to give greater definition to non-playing areas. 4.5km of new buggy paths were also constructed.
The European Amateur Team Championship was held here last July (with Denmark beating France 5½-1½ in the final), and this competition was the latest in a long line of elite golfing events staged here in the last twenty years.
LAS COLINAS
Further down the Spanish east coast, on the other side of Alicante airport, Las Colinas Golf & Country Club is a relative newcomer on the Spanish golf scene, first opening its doors to players in 2010. The course lies at the heart of thirty residential communities, anchored by a clubhouse and restaurant that are fast building a reputation for their enticing dining options.
Located next to the clubhouse, Il Palco offers authentic traditional Italian cuisine while clubhouse restaurants umawa and unik offer something entirely different – the former inviting you on a sensory journey of flavours inspired by Nikkei cuisine and the latter presenting international dishes with a Mediterranean touch. And there are even more local ingredients to savour at the nearby beach club in the WOW Beach restaurant.
The Cabell Robinson-designed layout at Las Colinas is complemented by a short game facility which was developed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez working closely with the management team. The facility has also been used in the past few years for Stage 2 of the European Tour Qualifying School.
LA MANGA
The Real La Manga Club needs little introduction as it’s regarded as one of Europe’s most popular golf resorts and residential communities, opening exactly 50 years ago now. Extending to 1400 acres, La Manga boasts three 18-hole golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre, eight football pitches, a cricket performance centre and gymnasium – if you’re in any way sports orientated then this is the place to be.
The North and South courses were first to appear in 1972, designed by American Robert Putman, and they were followed 25 years later by the Westcourse, which was fashioned by Dave Thomas adding nine holes to the former 9-hole La Princesa layout. Hesperia Investment Group bought the resort a couple of years ago, with the aim of revitalising the entire La Manga business.
Last year, the club signed a 3-year agreement to host Qualifying School for the Ladies European Tour, with competitors able to enjoy the luxury of on-site accommodation at the 192-bedroom 5-star Príncipe Felipe hotel which is conveniently situated adjacent to the original two courses.
LA CALA
Moving south and west from Murcia into Andalusia, La Cala Resort has welcomed visitors for more than thirty years now, starting out with the North and South courses, now called the Americaand Asia. Both were designed by Cabell Robinson and the prolific Spanish-based architect returned in 2005 to set out a third 18-hole layout on the property, namely the Europa.
All 54 holes were recently renovated. The greens on the Asia course were converted to Bermuda in 2019 and the same work has since been carried out on the Europa course, along with bunker enhancements. Rough and untidy grass areas on the Asia were also replaced with wood chips and pine needles, making for cleaner playing surfaces under the trees.
Off the fairways, La Cala features a refurbished 107-bedroom hotel, plus a selection of on-site properties for sale and rental. Residents also have the use of a modern spa and a selection of very good restaurants (such as the newly opened La Bodega) and bars.
FINCA CORTESIN
An hour’s drive west from La Cala lies the 532-acre Finca Cortesin estate, set in the rolling hills between Marbella and Sotogrande. Like Las Colinas, it’s another modern golf and lifestyle destination resort with a Cabell Robinson-designed course that has not operated for too long, first opening its doors in 2007 to be precise.
The World Match Play Championship, held for many years on the West course at Wentworth, moved to Finca Cortesin in 2009 and a further two editions of the tournament were staged here. Of even greater importance, the Solheim Cup is due to be staged at the resort in 2023, when the top female professionals of Team Europe will defend the trophy against their American counterparts.
A few years back, the course became the first in Spain to install eco-friendly Ultra Dwarf MiniVerde Bermuda grass on all its greens and all the bunkers have now been reconstructed using the Better Billy Bunker method.
Complementing the par-72 layout are outstanding practice facilities, while the resort’s other impressive amenities include a luxury 67-suite hotel; a spa that includes a snow cave; and the choice of four restaurants.
SOTOGRANDE
Since purchasing four fincas and combining them to form the biggest private estate in Spain in 1962, Sotogrande SA, owners of La Reserva Club, has expanded its horizons. Sixty years on, the company has not only developed a number of gated communities, it also owns the local marina and has just opened the new 5-star SO/ Sotogrande hotel.
The community’s diverse leisure pursuits include polo, kitesurfing, paddle boarding, canoeing, tennis, padel, cycling, and running through trails in the Alcaidesa nature reserve. There’s also an award-winning Beach Club – featuring Spain’s only private man-made beach – which was unveiled a couple of years ago.
Currently, Sotogrande promotes a 4-night “stay & play” package which allows guests at the SO/ Sotogrande hotel to play at La Reserva Club, Real Club Sotogrande and Real Club Valderrama, with private transfer shuttles and an open bar with food and drinks available for the duration of the visit. As Marc Topiol, Charirman of Sotogrande said: “the on-course experience combined with a stay in the SO/ Sotogrande hotel is sure to leave guests with memories that will last a lifetime.”
Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses
More resorts along the Spanish Costas Around this time last year, we published an article entitled Resort Golf in the Spanish Costas, where we featured some of the top golf facilities located along the east and south coast of mainland Spain. We’ve decided to revisit this geographical area again, starting with Peralada on the Costa Brava and finishing with La Hacienda Alcaidesa on the Costa del Sol. In between those two resorts, we’ll highlight several others that are worth consideration as affordable stay and play golfing options. Peralada We begin with Golf Peralada in the province of Girona, near the border with France in the northeast corner of Spain. The 18-hole layout here is an early 1990s creation from Jordi Soler i Peix, with holes routed around the hotel and a few small clusters of residential housing. Extending to just over 6,000 metres from the back tees, this par 71 layout is laid out as two returning nines, each of which end with approach shots to water-protected greens. There’s also a 9-hole pitch and putt course beside the driving range, with holes measuring between 53 and 108 metres. The hotel comprises 54 guest rooms (32-35 square metres) and 10 suites which vary in size – from a Garden Suite at 45 square metres to the Presidential Suite at 90 square metres. One and a half kilometres from the club, next to the 14th century Castell de Peralada, you’ll find the Peralada Wine Spa with its range of treatments and massages. Close by, the new Peralada Winery merits a visit to find out of it fulfils its stated aim to “provide visitors with a unique and sensory experience”. El Prat Positioned 30 kilometres north of Barcelona city centre, Real Club de Golf El Prat moved to its current premises at the end of the 1990s when expansion plans for the airport resulted in the club losing its former Javier Arana-designed layout. A total of forty-five holes were fashioned here by Greg Norman’s design firm, with the Pink (Bosque and Arriba nines) and Yellow (Piscina and Abajo nines) promoted as the two premier 18-hole configurations. Accommodation is supplied by Hotel La Mola, which is set in the nearby Sant Llorenç del Munt nature reserve. There are 185 guest rooms in the hotel and 22 fully equipped meeting rooms. For big events, the adjacent 17th-century Mas Bonvilar manor house can be used as a reception hall for up to 700 people. There’s also a buggy shuttle available between the clubhouse and the hotel. El Saler Another Javier Arana design that thankfully still survives is the architect’s masterpiece at Parador de El Saler in the Albufera Nature Park to the south of Valencia. Unveiled in the late 1960s, the course weaves in and out of a pine forest beside the Playa de la Devesa, where tree-lined inland holes alternate with links holes next to the sandy strand that runs along the coast. Many agree that it’s one of the best golfing layouts on the continent of Europe. The on-site Parador hotel extends over two floors to 63 spacious and comfortable air-conditioned rooms, along with a couple of suites. Guests can also enjoy the relaxing spa with treatment room, an outdoor swimming pool and a grass soccer field. For large events, the "Vela Latina" convention room can hold gatherings of up to 400 people. La Finca Situated around 150 kilometres south of El Saler as the crow flies, the 18-hole layout at the La Finca Resort on the Costa Blanca is an early new millennium offering from Pepe Gancedo, who journalist Peter Dobereiner once dubbed “the Picasso of golf” for his artful design work. Set out as two returning nines, the course extends to 6,400 metres from the back tees, with water coming into play at holes 5 to 7 on the outward half then at holes 16 and 17 on the inward half. There are 120 modern guest rooms within the La Finca Hotel and they’re a mix of 74 deluxe rooms, 20 Club View rooms and 20 recently refurbished Club Superior rooms, together with six Junior and Royal Suites (each with a generous 58 square metre configuration). The Spa offers guests the use of a wonderful water circuit, outdoor pool and a range of beauty treatments and massages. La Quinta We move now to the south coast of Spain and the Costa del Sol, where La Quinta Golf & Country Club first appeared in the late 1980s with an 18-hole layout that has since been extended to twenty-seven holes. It lies just off the AP-7 main highway, in the Benahavis golf valley between the Sierra Blanc mountains and Puerto Banus on the Mediterranean coast, with the A and C loops regarded as the 18-hole layout of first choice. The on-site Westin hotel affords 170 accommodation options, consisting of 163 guest rooms, three Junior Suites, three Executive Suites, and the Presidential Suite. Each Classic Room has either a king-size bed or two twin beds, with a Deluxe Room having a larger living area. Executive Suites can connect to a Deluxe Room, while the Presidential Suite has a 155 square metre terrace with an outdoor jacuzzi. Villa Padierna Venue for the LET’s season-ending Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de España a few months ago, Villa Padierna Golf Club is a 54-hole complex with three 18-hole layouts: the original Flamingos course (unveiled in 2001), the championship-standard Alferini course (inaugurated in 2007 and host to a recent LET professional ladies’ event), and the par 63 Tramores course, with ten par threes and only one par five on the scorecard. The Villa Padierna Palace hotel provides 132 guest rooms in total, split between Superior and Deluxe Rooms (19-42 square metres), Suites (43-250 square metres) and Villas (one of which in the past hosted First Lady Michelle Obama and is spread across three storeys). The Antanara Spa retreat has 10 treatment rooms, saunas, heated swimming pool, cold plunge pool and a floatarium. Alcaidesa Head half an hour along the AP-7 from Villa Padierna towards Gibraltar and you’ll arrive at La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort in San Roque, one of 28 golf facilities in membership of the prestigious European Tour Destinations network. Both the Links and Heathland 18-hole layouts were designed by Dave Thomas but it’s the recent extensive renovation conducted by former Nicklaus Design architect Kurtis Bowman – with every single hole substantially remodelled – that has elevated this course into the upper echelons of golf in Spain. At the moment, the main accommodation provider for the resort is the nearby all-inclusive 4-star Aldiana Costa del Sol hotel which has 334 guest rooms assigned across different buildings of up to three floors, from family rooms to superior suites with 80 square metres of living space and a separate living room. The hotel’s spacious spa also contains saunas, a whirlpool, and a large indoor pool. Additionally, the new Fairmont La Hacienda Hotel is due to open by Easter 2024, offering more than 300 guest rooms and suites either within the hotel or in the accompanying villas. This complex will also feature five restaurants and bars (including a pool bar and a beach restaurant) along with a spa, swimming pools and fitness centre. If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
More resort golf options in the Canary Islands It’s two and a half years since we were in the Canary Islands to participate in a golf tournament at Anfi Tauro, after which we produced an article entitled Great Golf in Gran Canaria, detailing the many terrific golf facilities on that particular Atlantic island. We thought we might broaden the scope of our look at golf across all the islands, publishing this article to cover the best resort options. Before the pandemic took hold at the start of 2020, around 13 million people visited the Canary Islands every year so tourism (and golfing visitors) plays a big part in the economy of this special Spanish archipelago off the west coast of Morocco. Across the largest five islands, there are more than twenty golfing layouts in operation and we currently feature what we consider to be the best sixteen courses, most of which also appear in our Top 100 listings for Spain. ANFI TAURO In GRAN CANARIA The 18-hole layout at Anfi Tauro Golfis a spectacular late 1980s Robert von Hagge design that was literally hewn from the volcanic rock landscape on the southwest coast of Gran Canaria. Founded by Norwegian entrepreneur Bjørn Lyng, the Anfi Group is a well-respected Vacation Membership company offering accommodation options both at the golf course and a few kilometres away at Anfi del Mar. The Anfi Emerald Club and Anfi Opal Villas next to the course allow golfers to stay right on site but for those who want to keep the golf separate during their stay then there are four vacation clubs nearby at Anfi del Mar where suites come with a wide range of services, activities and tropical gardens. There’s also a shopping centre, clinic and wellness centre, along with pool bars and restaurants. SALOBRE in GRAN CANARIA Just a 15-minute drive to the east, the Salobre Hotel Resort & Serenity complex lies a bit in from the coast, in the foothills above Playa de Arguineguin, where two contrasting 18-hole courses comprise the main sporting activity at this location. The Old course was first to open at the start of the new millennium, followed by the New course in 2008. If ever you’d like to spend a day playing two completely different tracks at the same place then this is it! Resort residents also have the use of the spa and sauna facilities, together with a wellness centre and fitness suite. There’s also a cycling centre and outdoor swimming pools for those with excess energy to dissipate. On the other hand, if you’d rather just daydream the day away then there are Balinese beds (and a complimentary bottle of cava) for hire, enabling you to chill out and take in the panoramic views of the ocean 3 kilometres away. LOPESAN MELONERAS in GRAN CANARIA Another 10-minute drive east of Salobre, Lopesam Meloneras Golf sits just outside Maspalomas, where the sandy splendour of the famous sand dunes extends to around a thousand acres. The course is laid out above the Pasito Blanco marina and, like the Old at Salobre, it’s a Ron Kirby design (from 2006) which is owned and operated by the Lopesan Hotel Group. The three nearest 5-star accommodation options are the Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort, the Lopesan Villa del Conde Resort and the Lopesan Baobab Resort but there are also another eight group hotels on the island. ABAMA in TENERIFE Located between Callo Salvaje and Alcalá on the southwest coast of Tenerife, Abama Golfis a little removed from the main tourist traps of Los Cristianos and Las Americas. Dave Thomas designed the layout here in early 2000s, with fairways set out across sloping terrain that runs down to the 459-bedroom Ritz Carlton hotel on the coastline, which boasts an impressive array of wellness amenities including seven swimming pools and a fitness centre. The Michelin-starred Japanese fusion restaurant Kabuki relocated to the clubhouse a few years ago and the sushi bar at these larger premises is open every evening except Tuesdays. LAS AMERICAS in TENERIFE In Tenerife, the course at Golf Las Americas arrived at the tail end of the golf boom in the 1990s and it’s one of the few designed by John Jacobs. Arranged as two loops of nine around a central clubhouse, Las Americas is the epitome of holiday golf in a buggy with the sun on your back and a smile on your face. The three-storey 5-star Hotel Las Madrigueras is situated next to the 4th fairway and guests are given complimentary golf buggies with direct access to the 1st tee from the hotel. COSTA ADEJE in TENERIFE Ten kilometres north along the TF-1 Autopista del Sur lies the 27-hole facility at Golf Costa Adeje, where the Pepe Gancedo-designed Championship course hosted three editions of the Tenerife Ladies Open between 2005 and 2009. The Hotel Suite Villa Maria, a complex of 78 one- and two-bedroom villas (some with outside jacuzzi) and three-bedroom villas with private pool, is only a 5-minute drive away, with residences situated inside the 9-hole Los Lagos short course. TECINA in LA GOMERA Away from the two main islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, you’ll find the other main golf resort in the Canary Islands on the small island of La Gomera, which you can access in under an hour via the ferry from Los Cristianos in Tenerife. It’s well worth the short journey as the course at Tecina Golf is a real delight to play. Designed by Martin Ebert when he was an associate of Donald Steele, the layout hosted eight editions of the Challenge de Espana event on the European Challenge Tour from 2009 to 2016. For golfers who are not making just a day trip from Tenerife but wanting to stay longer, the 4-star Hotel Jardin Tecina has a wide range of facilities including 7 restaurants, 5 swimming pools, 5 tennis courts, 4 bars, 2 solariums and a fitness centre. Located in an unrivalled cliff top setting, amidst 70,000 square metres of botanical gardens, this Fred Olsen hotel certainly isn’t short of options for relaxation and leisure. What about the other two main islands in the Canaries – Lanzarote and Fuerteventura – you might ask? Well, we produced another article entitled Golfing in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura in the winter of 2019, which gave an account of our visit to the six golf courses located on those two islands. COSTA TEGUISE in LANZAROTE Unfortunately, only one layout makes the cut for our Canary Islands ranking chart and that’s the John Harris-designed 18-hole layout at Costa Teguise Golf Club on Lanzarote, with this club offering playing packages for golfers staying at four nearby hotels: the Grand Teguise Playa, Melia Salinas, Los Socos Club Resort and Hotel Villa Vik. The four courses on Fuerteventura all serve up a fun-filled round of golf, starting with the southernmost layout at Jandia, where holes are set out on either side of the imposing Barranco de Vinamar. The short Playitas course (with eight par threes) near Gran Tarajal features plenty of interesting green contouring while, closer to the resort of Caleta de Fuste, near neighbours Salinas de Antigua and Fuerteventura GC have their moments (but sadly, not often enough). Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
PGA Catalunya Resort bucks Spanish real estate sales trend Confidence in Spanish European Tour Destination underlined by solid infrastructure and reputation for excellence Girona, Spain – March 6, 2014 PGA Catalunya Resort, the 300-hectare estate near Barcelona, has reported sales of more than 30 luxury properties in 2013, defying market trends and cementing its position as one of Europe’s finest new golf and residential communities. Building on its reputation for excellence, the World Top 100 venue has agreed sales of more than 70 properties since the residential development’s launch in 2011, and continues to offer a credible and intelligent investment choice for international buyers. “While property prices stagnate worldwide, developments offering hideaways with rental perks are paying dividends,” wrote property columnist Zoe Dare Hall in The Sunday Times, after visiting PGA Catalunya Resort in 2013. “The reason it is selling well, in a Spanish market where 60% discounts are commonplace, is far more prosaic,” she added, explaining that a development with a solid infrastructure gives buyers confidence and encourages investment. Opened in 1999, the European Tour Destination features generous plots set away from the fairways, with stunning views of the Montseny Mountains, for contemporary design villas, comfortable semi-detached properties and modern luxury apartments. It also offers private leisure facilities for residents and a variety of rental opportunities for visitors. Property contributor to The Times, Graham Norwood, wrote: “Golf developments offer a sanctuary of tranquility, security and open green spaces. They’re more recession resistant than most and you don't even need to play golf. “In the economic uncertainty of recent years, some classic resorts have still proven popular and few more so than PGA Catalunya Resort near the historic Spanish city of Girona.” Graham Norwood attributes this success to having much more than just greens and fairways to offer buyers. The resort’s location, 25 minutes from the beach and just 37 minutes away from the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona via the new high speed rail link, plus local historical and cultural attractions, and numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, contributes significantly to its popularity. “Spanish star golfer Sergio Garcia has opened his training academy at PGA Catalunya Resort, and this association between top-class golfers and residential courses is often testament to their quality,” Norwood adds. The three-time Spanish Open venue has seen its popularity grow steadily since the residential development started in 2011 – a year that also saw the unveiling of the estate’s expansive 2,000 square-metre putting and chipping green, the largest in Spain and the only one of its kind in Europe. The following year, PGA Catalunya Resort was voted home to Spain’s No. 1 golf course* – an accolade it has retained for 2014/2015 – and was recognised as the best European Golf Development in Spain in 2012 and 2013 by International Property Awards. These milestones, coupled with the continued investment in infrastructure and its real estate development, further enhance PGA Catalunya Resort’s reputation as a secure and well-managed development that continues to attract property purchasers from across Europe. For more information about PGA Catalunya Resort visit www.pgacatalunya.com. * As ranked by top100golfcourses.com
