If you love a round of golf but aren’t a fan of wet and windy weather then why not consider hitting the greens of Spain. Across the Iberian peninsula you can find some of the finest 18 holes anywhere in the world, with courses ranging from beginner friendly to world class. As the land that has spawned some of the greatest golfers ever including Miguel Jimenez and the legendary Seve Ballesteros, Spain is a dream destination for any golfer to drive down the fairway.
From the Costa Brava to the Costa del Sol, and all points in between, you are rarely far from a round of golf in Spain. A trip to the Costa del Sol and the area around Malaga yields a great choice of courses, with the highest density in the country. Finca Courtesin is perhaps the most famous course in the area. This new course (opened in 2007) is a gem in this cluttered area and has already been the venue for the World Match Play Championship hosting the likes of Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts. A wonderful seaside and rural vista with views of distant mountains frames this challenging course, rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the finest in this part of Europe.
Fans of the Ryder Cup will be keen to check out the links of Valderrama, near Cadiz, nicknamed the Augusta of Europe. This is a tough course and is normally members only, but for the (admittedly steep) entry fee you can challenge yourself on one of the worlds finest course while looking across rolling Spanish hills and villages. Nearby is another famous course, Sotogrande, arguably the better course of the two. A little less exclusive but still very challenging, Sotogrande is nestled amongst fragrant forests and with an excellent pedigree in world golfing circles as the venue for European Tour qualifying. Either of these courses would make a must play list for any golfer with a decent handicap.
Of course there is more to Spain than the Costa del Sol, and this is true in golfing terms too! Visitors to Catalonia and the Barcelona area should aim to get a round in at the PGA Catalunya Resort near Girona. Mountain foothills, lush forests and sprawling lakes set the scene at the spectacular course. One golfer has termed this course as, ‘the most perfectly enjoyable challenge’.
PGA Catlunya Golf Course made an immediate impression by hosting the Gene Sarazen World Open in 1999, The Spanish Open in 2000, and in 2001 it was voted in Europes top 10 courses by Golf World Magazine. With its large oak and evergreen trees lining the fairways and measuring 7200 yards, PGA Catalunya is a tough par 72.
No matter if you’re near the beaches of Valencia, the heartlands around Madrid or the wilds of Galicia and A Coruña, you are never far from a perfect round of golf.
In association with Golf Kings UK offering Specialist Golf Holidays around the world & Graybit Travel