The Costa del Sol, alternatively know as the Costa del Golf, is the beautiful 100 mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline centred around Malaga in southern Spain. This area is generally considered to be Spain’s premier golf holiday destination, a claim supported by it being named “Europe’s Established Golf Destination of the Year for 2009” in the IAGTO Awards.
Golf holidays in Spain don’t get any better than this. The availability of golf holiday accommodation on the Costa del Sol is simply vast with a range of golf villas and golf apartments to rival anywhere in the world and, as you would expect the golf here is simply fantastic. This 100 mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline offers over 60 Costa del Sol golf courses, ranging from pleasant local tracks to world class courses; no less than nine of which were designed by Robert Trent Jones senior, that doyen of golf course architects.
In the south there is Valderrama, one of five golf courses on the fantastic 6,000 acre Sotogrande estate. Whilst Valdarrama is generally considered the star of the area (recently voted “Europe’s Third Best Golf Course” by Golf World) it is given a good run for its money by other super local golf courses like its exclusive next door neighbour San Roque or Alcaidesa, the picturesque coastal Links course perched above a sweeping beach and offering fantastic views of the Rock of Gibralter.
Slightly further north, around Estepona, you have the absolutely fabulous Finca Cortesin, the home of the Volvo World Matchplay Championship. Although it only opened in 2007 Finca Cortesin has quickly established itself as one of the best courses in Spain and at 7,438 yards from the back tees it is certainly one of the longest. Interestingly, Finca Cortesin was designed by Cabell B Robinson, a superb golf course architect in his own right and a man who worked as part of the senior design team at Valderrama under Robert Trent Jones senior.
From Mijas up to Marbella there is a cluster of courses including the two 1960s creations of Golf Rio Real and Santa Maria Golf & Country Club plus the beautiful parkland layout of the Santa Clara course.
In the aptly named “Golf Valley” by Marbella it would be hard to avoid the golf courses even if you wanted to. Here you find the undulating golf course at La Quinta Golf Club, the rolling layout at Los Naranjos (another Robert Trent Jones senior design), the lovely Guadalmina Golf Resort, plus the visually spectacular and challenging Monte Mayor Golf Course plus of course the Flamingos Golf Resort where the original course has been joined by the much longer, par-73, Gran Flamingo course and the Gary Player designed El Paraiso.
Between Marbella and the regional capital of Mallaga the golf continues apace with literally dozens of top quality golf courses scattered along the coast; Rio Real, Santa Clara Golf Club, Santa Maria Golf Club, Miraflores Golf Club, Calanova Golf Resort and the former Spanish Open venue Torrequebrada (this wonderful hilly course, with panoramic sea views is the home course of local legend and Spanish Ryder Cup star Miguel Angel Jimenez).
This part of the coast is also home to La Cala Golf Resort, Spain’s largest golf complex. This massive resort, stretched across 1,000 acres of rolling terrain 5 miles inland from the Mediterranean behind Fuengirola, offers thousands of residential units, a hotel, golf clubhouse complex, a David Leadbetter teaching academy and three championship length 18 hole golf courses. All three of the 18-hole courses at La Cala Golf Resort (Campo America, Campo Asia and Campo Europa) were designed by the renown American golf architect Cabell B Robinson (also the designer of Finca Cortesin Golf Resort). All three of the courses at La Cala were constructed to the same high quality standard but they each offer a markedly different golfing experience.
In summary, the Costa del Sol has earned its reputation as being the place for golf holidays in Spain and, wherever you choose to stay along this beautiful 100 mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline, you can be assured of easy access to multiple quality golf courses.
Check of PackYourClubs.com for the best range of golf holiday accommodation on the Costa del Sol.
