Golf in Costa Del Sol

Better known as the Costa del Golf, the capital of European golfing holidays the Costa del Sol rightly assumes its position as king of the golfing holiday castle. This privileged area has its own micro-climate with an average of over 300 days of sunshine each year, so if you like your golf in the sun then set up camp here for a few weeks.

For golfers who crave the sun throughout the year this is the place to be. It has been pushed all the way in recent years by Portugal's Algarve region, one of mainland Europe's most popular hotspots, but has still remained number one. And it just keeps getting better.

Over the past ten years the number of courses between Malaga and Gibralter has doubled and more are nearing completion at this particular time. The long-standing tracks, namely Torrequebrada, Guadalmina, Mijas, Parador, Atalaya Park and Sotogrande, have been supplemented since last year.

There are in excess of thirty courses strung along this sixty mile stretch of Spanish coastline and another dozen or so set back in the foothills of the magnificent Sierra Blanca Mountains.
The standard of golf in this area is quite exceptional all along the coast. However, it is the stunning area south of Estepona that brings the biggest smile to golfers' faces. There are two options for taking holidays in this vicinity. By staying in either the Suites Hotel at San Roque or the superb new resort of Almanara, both set in the Sotogrande estate, you are beautifully situated to enjoy the undoubted delights of Valderrama, rated the number one course in Europe. It is a traditional course where every hole offers a different test. Here, the terrain and water have been used to create a course that golfer of all standards can really enjoy.

Add to that, San Roque, home of the annual PGA school where professionals try to regain their playing cards lost during the season, and the wonderful Almanara, a course of two nine hole loops that, although still quite new, provides as good a test of golf found anywhere, and you have the nucleus for arguably the best golfing break within three hours flying time from the UK.

A real bonus when staying in the Gibralter area is Alcaidesa. Although quite short, Alcaidesa makes up for this in its course design. Accuracy is the byword and club selection is imperative in order to attack the small undulating greens, which are exceptionally true.

The second option is to base yourself around Puerto Banus which has a number of restaurants and bars for you to spend your time during the evenings. There is a wide selection of hotels and apartments from which to choose. Atalaya Park and El Paraiso, both 4-star hotels with their own golf courses on site, are a good choice.

Various tour operators can supply flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh while also organising suitable accommodation to suit all pockets.

Guadalmina, La Quinta, Los Arqueros, Nos Naranjos, Rio Real, Estepona and Monte Mayor are just a few of the courses visitors can sample. Regular visitors to the region try to play one of these extra special courses on each return visit, keeping their annual costs to a minimum, but steadily working through the entire selection.

In the evenings you can sit back, relax and re-live the day's events with a glass of fine wine or a tipple of your choice.