At the Ryder Cup in 1997 at the famous international Valderrama course in southern Spain, no doubt the signs for ‘Costa del Golf’ raised a smile. For years before and since the Costa del Sol has been a top golfing destination. A key reason for this is the climate, as it really is possible to play golf in sunshine all year round, but also the large number of professional level golf courses Costa del Sol offers. For those in Europe, the flight is short and affordable, and there’s the nightlife to enjoy, beaches and other days out.

When visiting the “Costa del Golf”, since such great courses can be found all along the coast, no villa or hotel is far from the golfing action. And some of our villas at Luxury Villas Marbella even overlook golf courses. You can’t get much closer than that.

Guide to Golf courses Costa del Sol

There are so many but here’s just a few of our favourites to whet your golfing appetite!

As mentioned Valderrama hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup.  The course was designed by one of the best golf course architects; Robert Trent Jones Snr.  It is set inland and the golf course winds its way through trees and lakes making it one of the more difficult golf courses in the Costa Del Sol.  Having said that, there are a variety of different tees ensuring the course is accessible for golfers at all levels.

Finca Cortesin is a huge golf course measuring in at 7,500 yards from the championship tees. It’s challenging layout means that just one missed lead to going into the rough or water. It is set in the mountains of the Costa Del Sol with outstanding views making the most of the natural landscape. In the past it has been the host of the Volvo World Matchplay.

La Reserva is one of the Costa del Golf’s newest courses, only opening in 2003.  It offers amazing views of the Mediterranean and the mountains but most importantly is cleverly design to flow over the terrain in a way to make it a true challenge.  It is fast growing to become one of the area’s top courses.

The Aloha Golf Club has hosted 3 PGA Tour events and is set in the heart of the Costa Del Sol’s golfing region, close to both Marbella and Puerto Banus. The proxity to these towns makes it idea for those looking to spend the day playing a round of golf and then party all night.

Los Flamingos Golf is at the famous 5 star Villa Padierna Hotel. This 18-hole, 71-par course measuring 5,714 metres was designed by the prestigious architect Antonio García Garrido and has a great variety of trees and stunning views of the Mediterranean.

The greens are generous in size, but the fairways are slender on the first half of the course, where more precision is needed than on the second half. Flamingos Golf has hosted prestigious golf tournaments such as the 2002, 2003 and 2004 European Seniors and the Women’s Spanish Open in 2010.

Photos from Pixelbay and Tripadvisor.