Europe's Premier Golfing Destination
From Top Tour venues to Cutting-Edge Academies...
With more than 70 excellent golf courses from east of Málaga to Sotogrande, the Costa del Sol is not only Spain’s golfing flagbearer but also the leading golf destination in continental Europe. Since the 1997 Ryder Cup was played at Valderrama – the first time the event had been held outside Britain and the United States – this 150-kilometre stretch of golfing paradise has also been popularly known as the “Costa del Golf”.
Over the past four decades, the Coast has hosted numerous other European Tour events – men’s, women’s and seniors – among them the World Cup, World Golf Championship, Volvo Masters, Spanish Open and World Match Play Championship.
Global Golf Stars
In recent years golf has definitively shaken off its image in Spain as something of an elite sporting pursuit. First Severiano Ballesteros, then José María Olazábal and Sergio García, and more recently Jon Rahm, have helped popularise the game to such an extent that it now has the fourth highest number of officially registered participants (with the respective regional federations) in Spain, only topped by football, basketball and hunting.
In short, golf is now cool and enjoyed by aficionados of all ages, backgrounds and budgets. And the coolest golfing playground of them all is the Costa del Sol, where beginners can learn the game at one of several state-of-the-art academies and more experienced players can challenge themselves on courses where the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer, Dame Laura Davies, Francesco Molinari and Málaga-born Miguel Ángel Jiménez have tested their own elite skills.
Renowned Golf Designers
Some of the world’s most renowned architects have also designed courses on the Costa del Sol, including the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Spain’s Javier Arana and long-time Costa del Sol-based American Cabell B. Robinson.
The Costa del Sol’s excellent diversity of golf amenities is further enhanced by the climate. The high season is actually from spring to autumn, with golfers from the more northern climes delighted to be able to play on the Coast throughout winter as their home courses are enveloped in snow or buffeted by wind and rain.
Making New Friends…
With so many golf courses in such a concentrated area, every single town and urbanisation on the Costa del Sol is close to at least one course, with a range of options for either joining a club or buying a season ticket for anything from a week to a year. In addition, the Coast is home to several golf societies so, if you are a newcomer to the area, joining a society can be a great way to make new friends and meet other golfers.
Golf fans can also currently enjoy top international action on the Coast: the Andalucía Valderrama Masters (on the European Tour) is held annually at Royal Valderrama, widely considered continental Europe’s finest course; and the Ladies European Tour and European Challenge Tour also returned to the Coast in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
And If You Don't Play Golf?
Non-golfers accompanying their golfing partners and family members can also take advantage of the Costa del Sol’s other superb sporting and leisure amenities, including tennis, pádel, horse-riding, polo, cycling, hiking and water activities – as well as gyms and spas.
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