Andalucía, a Golfer’s Paradise
With a guaranteed climate, more than 320 days of sunshine per year and world-class golf courses set in privileged locations, Andalucía is one of Europe’s foremost golfing destinations, attracting lovers of the sport from all over the world.
With more than 100 prestigious courses, designed by world-class architects, and players in each of the eight provinces of the region; Andalucía offers spectacular facilities for beginners, amateurs and professionals.
Golf is a well-established sport along much of the Andalusian coast. It’s an alluring prospect for those who want not only sun, sand and sea during their holidays, but the opportunity to enjoy some of the most spectacular golf courses in Europe.
With beautiful landscapesand idyllic beaches; the Costa del Sol boasts 70 top-class courses, many of which are located between the mountains and the sea. More than half of Andalucía’s courses are found on this stretch of the coastline, which is why it has become known as the Costa del Golf. Not only does it boast the highest concentration of greens in Andalucía, it now has the largest concentration on the European continent.
The coast of the sun’s association with the world of golf is due to the opening in 1925 of the Parador de Málaga Golf, a luxurious complex that began as a nine-hole course and was later expanded to 18 holes.
The Costa is now home to many excellent greens that offer the most challenging courses with outstanding facilities, such as the Finca Cortesin Golf Club located in the Malaga town of Casares. A reference point in the golfing world, this 18-hole course has more than 100 bunkers and is considered one of the best courses in Spain.
Other magnificent courses in the province include the Marbella Club Golf resort, situated among the hills of Benahavis with spectacular views of Gibraltar, the African coastline and the surrounding mountains; and the El Paraíso Golf Club in Estepona, whose clubhouse is an old finca (farm) which has been carefully restored to meet the demands of today’s golfers.
The Province of Cadiz is where another large proportion of Andalucía’s top golf courses are found. With its impeccable Atlantic coastline, Cadiz has 20 golf courses that are celebrated for natural surroundings of great beauty, their varied design, different levels of difficulty and excellent facilities.
The Real Club Valderrama, located in Sotogrande – a 90-minute drive from Malaga airport – is a Par 71 Championship Course designed in 1974 by Robert Trent Jones, considered one of the greatest golf-course architects of his era. This celebrated club was home to the Volvo Masters for many years, while the Spanish Open was held there in 2016.
Located in an area recognised for its horses and its sherries, Sherry Golf Jerez is an 18-hole par 72 green considered one of Cadiz’s best courses; while La Estancia Golf is located in one of the most beautiful areas in Cadiz, next to the Barrosa beach in Chiclana.
A little further along the Costa de la Luz in Huelva, one will find no end of golfing opportunities providing memorable challenges for all levels of golfing enthusiasts.
The province of Huelva is considered the birthplace of golf in Spain. In 1914, the North Lode Golf Club was established at the mines of Riotinto. The course had nine holes and was the precursor to the current Club de Golf Corta Atalaya.
There has been a proliferation of high-quality golf courses in Huelva in recent years – like the Club de Golf Huelva-Bellavista and La Monacilla Golf Club – and the province now has 11 major courses in locations from the sierras to the coast.
The golfing attraction in Andalucía does not stop there, for enthusiasts will also find some ten courses in Almeria, including two Arizona desert-style courses; while the interior provinces of Seville have five golf courses, Granada has three, Cordoba, two, and one in Jaen.
Of course, this sport in Andalucía has no boundaries and people with disabilities have plenty of opportunity to learn or improve their golfing skills at the many adapted golf schools and academies that offer specific classes in order to turn the dream of playing golf into a reality.
Andalusia is Europe’s leading golf tourist destination due to the quality of its courses, and throughout the year some of these courses host important tournaments, like the European Golf Circuit, which brings together some of the top golfers in the world.
Next year, Andalucía will host the Solheim Cup 2023at the Finca Cortesín. The international women’s golf competition, which will see the European and American teams compete against each other, will take place from 18 to 24 September 2023.
This competition, which is the female equivalent to the men’s Ryder Cup, will be held in Spain for the first time, which will make Andalucía a key reference point for the sport worldwide.
For more information, visit: andalucia.org
