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The 10 Best Golf Courses in the Costa del Sol

11 October 2021
7 min. read
Ruben van der Zaag
Did you know that there are 70 top-class golf courses in the Spanish Costa del Sol? That's 70! Do we have your attention? We can hear you thinking; "which are the best ones?" Well, we've got you covered. We've created a list of the 10 Best Golf Courses in the Costa del Sol, based on ratings given by Leading Courses members. Good news for you, almost all of these courses are bookable on Leadingcourses.com!  Add playing all 10 of these courses to your bucketlist!
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Some background information to start with. The Costa del Sol (translated The Sun Coast) is a touristic region in the south of Spain in the community of Andalusia. The Costa del Sol basically runs along the coastline from Nerja right up to Gibraltar in Spain's southernmost point. 

The Costa del sol is not an official community but has its name thanks to an Austrian diplomat and tourism entrepreneur called Rodolfo Lussnigg. Lussnigg was the owner of the most important hotel in Almería at the beginning of the 20th century, the Hotel Simón. On 16th February 1928, he launched a campaign in the newspaper La Crónica Meridional, with the aim of attracting visitors on their way to the Seville and Barcelona Exhibitions. To do so, he used the name "Costa del Sol". The campaign was followed by another campaign in several newspapers. It would use the slogan "Almería, the city where the sun spends the winter".

Costa del golf

One of the reasons the Costa del Sol became popular was the opening of Parador de Málaga Golf. In 1925, construction began on the original 9-hole course under the technical supervision of famous architect Harry Colt. Under the direction and design of yet another renowned British architect, Tom Simpson, the course was expanded to 18 holes. The course record is held by local hero Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

The Costa del Sol now boasts the largest concentration of golf courses on the European continent and for that reason, it's often dubbed the Costa del Golf. As the Costa del Sol is a very popular destination amongst golfers - we can see why 😉 - we thought it would be helpful to create a list of the 10 Best Golf Courses in the Costa del Sol.

10 Best Golf Courses in the Costa del Sol

This list of the 10 best golf courses in the Costa del Sol is based on ratings given by Leading Courses members, it does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Leading Courses. As golf courses receive new reviews every day, these rankings will change over time.

 1. Finca Cortesin

Very near the Mediterranean Sea and in a privileged area of the Costa del Sol, Finca Cortesin has become a reference in the world of the golf. Finca Cortesin Golf Club has 18 holes designed by Cabell Robinson, a length of 6800 meters and more than 100 bunkers. It is considered one of the best golf courses in Spain. The privileged location of the layout will make players enjoy wonderful views of the Mediterranean sea and mountains.

2. Real Club Valderrama

Real Club Valderrama is located in Andalucia, the largest and southern-most region of Spain. A few miles north of Gibraltar, it is approximately two hours' drive from Cádiz and one and a half hours from Málaga. The Par 71 Championship Course measures 6356 metres from the professional tees. Valderrama is not an easy course - nor was it intended to be. It is designed so as to call forth thought and precision for every shot. The course was designed in 1974 by Robert Trent Jones, Sr, one of the greatest golf course architects.

3. La Zagaleta

Zagaleta is an exclusive residential country estate covering almost 900 hectares of beautiful natural hills and valleys, in a magnificent location overlooking the sea, just ten minutes from Marbella. Without a doubt, one of the major attractions of La Zagaleta is its private golf course, created and designed by the Californian architect Bradford Benz. 

 The news course, Zagaleta Hidden Trees, was inaugurated in 2005 and truly merges golf with nature thanks to designer Steve Marnoch, who took great care to ensure the course blends in with beautiful surroundings. 

4. La Reserva Club Sotogrande

Golf La Reserva - Sotogrande is a magnificent 18-hole golf course in Andalusia designed by Cabell B. Robinson, offering a spectacular round running between lakes and trees. La Reserva de Sotogrande Golf Club lies in a beautiful natural setting in the upper part of Sotogrande.

5. Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

Founded in 1964, Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is located on prime golfing land close to the beachfront between the river Guadiaro and Sotogrande marina in Andalusia. RCG Sotogrande is often voted to be among the best golf courses in Europe.

6. Real Club de Golf Las Brisas

Las Brisas Royal Golf Club is an 18 holes golf course which is situated in the heart of Nueva Andalucía, in the so-called Golf Valley. Real Club de Golf Las Brisas is one of the oldest courses on the Costa del Sol. Robert Trent Jones, one of the most famous golf course designers, is responsible for the design of the Real Club de Golf Las Brisas.

7. Aloha Club de Golf

The Aloha golf club is an 18 holes course situated in Marbella, right in the heart of the Costa del Golf, and just a few minutes from Puerto Banús. Aloha Golf is an entertaining course which requires accuracy: the holes are not excessively long except for the 1st, the 4th, the 13th and the 18th. Is it a narrow course with plenty of hazards and trees which are strategically placed. The rough also complicates matters and some of the greens have an uneven surface.

8. Marbella Club Golf Resort

The 18 Hole Golf Course of Marbella Club Golf resort was designed by Dave Thomas. Situated amidst the hills of Benahavis, this magnificent Marbella golf course in the heart of the Costa del Sol enjoys spectacular views of Gibraltar, the African Coastline, the Mediterranean and the surrounding mountains.

9. Los Naranjos Golf Club

Although the fairways and bunkers at Los Naranjos Golf Club are wide, it is not an easy round and you will need to hit long and accurate shots to make your par. There is a big difference between the front 9 holes and the back 9, so much so that you might almost think you were playing on two different courses. On the front 9, the fairways are quite wide though pretty uneven and both the trees and the water act as natural hazards. On the second stretch, the course is flatter and sown with orange trees ("naranjos” in Spanish), so it's not hard to guess where the club gets its name.

10. Villa Padierna Golf Club

Perched atop the picturesque hills of the Costa del Sol with sweeping views of the Mediterranean, Villa Padierna Golf Club provides an oasis of tranquillity that is guaranteed to take your breath away. Villa Padierna golf club features three 18-hole golf courses, Flamingos Golf, Alferini Golf and Tramores Golf. You'll also find the Tramores Golf Academy (led by 2005 US Open Champion Michael Campbell) and practice facilities.

Book your tee times in the Costa del Sol

At Leadingcourses.com we have 33 courses in the Costa del Sol directly bookable online. Including 5 amazing courses in this list, but also other popular courses like La Cala ResortCalanova Golf ClubAlcaidesa Links Golf Resort and Chaparral Golf Club.

You can view all the courses on this map of golf courses in the Costa del Sol.

About the author
Biography
Marketing & Communications @ Leadingcourses.com. Loves sports, music and good food, in no particular order.
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