Eastern Costa del Sol Golf and Green Fees

The East Coast of the Costa del Sol stretches from the City of Malaga to the outskirts of Marbella, and takes in a massive array of different golf courses ranging in technical difficulty and price.

Its proximity to Malaga airport and the amount of discounted green fee prices on offer make this a very popular choice for golfers looking to escape for their golf holiday. There are many areas to choose from along the Eastern coastline such as Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Cabopino, and Elviria, all of them alive with a plethora of bars, coffee shops and restaurants, and of course not forgetting the beautiful climate and views of the Med.

First up – Torrequebrada golf course which opened in 1976, and is a masterpiece designed by Pepe Gancedo. This course is recognised as one of the most beautiful and well established courses on the Costa del Golf, and yet incredibly this popular course has the most competitive green fees along the whole coast! How nice to be able to play the same course where the Spanish Open was held in 1977. Although it’s not a long course, it’s a test of skills for players of all levels, with the tee shot here being of prime importance. Wild drives will lose you balls in the trees and woods, and the rough, bunkers and water hazards are all very much in play at all times. Don’t be fooled by the short 80 metre length third hole, it should not be confused with the word easy, Seve Ballesteros scored a 7 here! Torrequebrada golf course was reputed to have been one of Bing Crosby’s favourite courses, Miguel Ángel Jiménez practiced hitting many a ball here, at the old practice range where his father worked, and these days his brother is there most days teaching.

Parador golf course, this was the first links course on the Costa Del Sol, and the oldest, being inauguratedin 1929 as a primitive 9 hole course which was later expanded to 18. Recently a further 9 holes have been added which provides golfers a choice of three 9 hole combinations. After almost 70 years the installations are still maintained to high standards, and the course and club are as good to play as ever. It’s probably the most popular course with the regular local golfer due to its close proximity to Malaga, and for offering value for money green fees, whilst it’s almost certainly underrated or overlooked by the golfing tourists, who tend to play the more well known courses along the rest of the Costa del Sol. Due to its age, the course has a pleasant natural maturity about it, the flat open fairways are forgiving for the higher handicap players and welcoming to the beginner. There are also a few huge par 4s on the back nine to cope with, which make the last six holes quite challenging unless you are a confident iron player. There is no short Par 3, the shortest is the 150 meter 13th. The greens have been steadily improved over the past few years and the course is flat so can be walked, however it is generally a very busy course so take care to book your green fees in advance when possible.

Santana Golf & Country Club is an 18 Hole par 72 golf course of approx. 6203 metres in length, set in 138 acres of picturesque parkland. The course, sympathetically laid out by the architect Cabell B. Robinson is set in a former avocado plantation. The finished result is a magnificent course with wide and well defined fairways on level terrain, hence easily walkable, where water features play an important albeit not excessive part in the overall design. Each hole has two championship tees and two tees for general play for both men and ladies– wide and well manicured putting greens, surrounded by strategically placed bunkers filled with sand produced from crushed marble. The beautiful environment with its natural surroundings will give the golfer the overriding impression of an existing maturity to every aspect of the course. Santana golf is technically speaking a demanding course, as the unique design of each hole is intended to give a continuous challenge, even for the more experienced player. The layout of the greens, well protected by greenside bunkers, as well as the many water hazards spread throughout the course, will challenge every golfer, and require good course management as well as the use of every golf shot in the bag. Due to the sheer demand to play Santana Golf course the green fees are in the middle price range, but most definitely worth it. If you decide to add this to your golf holiday schedule you will not be disappointed.

Next up is La Cala resort. Golf courses La Cala, Asia and Europa together form this resort. Apart from the golf courses its principal facilities include a luxury hotel, the clubhouse and a luxury spa with all the usual features. The resort also acts as the winter headquarters for a number of European golf federations and for many foreign international football teams. The most cost effective way to cheapest way to enjoy the golf here is to book a 3 course green fee pass and play all three.

La Cala America is one of the most enjoyable golf courses in the region. The exciting topography of the landscape has you playing from elevated tees, across cavernous carries and playing over fantastically undulating fairways. The par-72 track is popular in the area, and compared to its sibling rivalries in the Asia and Europa golf courses, the America golf course is the longest and considered by many as the toughest.

La Cala Asia is an interesting golf course where the focus is predominantly on the approach shots. Although water is only present on two holes, around half of the tight greens, already protected by defensive bunkers, require tough approach shots to their elevated positions holes through the round make the Asia Course at La Cala Golf Club a thoroughly enjoyable test of golf.

La Cala Europa is probably the most forgiving of the three golf courses at La Cala Golf Club, the fact that it is based lower in the hills makes for the ability to have wide, spacious fairways and grander greens, not to mention the fact that it’s easier to walk around than the other two courses at the golf club. The Ojen River comes into play on 8 of the holes, with players having to cross five bridges throughout their round, all together this makes for an interesting round of golf that at 6,615-yards is a good test for all players, and the natural surrounding lined with the local flora including lavender, eucalyptus and interesting olive trees makes the ideal setting for your round of golf.

No article about the Eastern Costa del Sol Golf courses would be complete without talking about the two Mijas golf courses, Los Lagos golf course and Los Olivios golf course. These are popular golf courses on the Costa del Sol with reasonably priced green fees. The courses, Los Lagos and Los Olivos, are situated in the valley of Mijas, north of Fuengirola, only twenty minutes from the Málaga international airport and Marbella, and 3.5 kms from the sea. Los Lagos is the oldest and dates back to 1976 and is one of the largest on the coast. It is characterised by wide open fairways, large raised greens and more than a sprinkling of bunkers, it has a very open feeling and always thought of as one the easiest courses on the coast hence its overwhelming popularity. By contrast the second, newer course Los Olivos is shorter and narrower with little water but is more undulating with lots of trees to navigate. Los Olivos was constructed originally between 1983-1984, although it has recently been totally refurbished (2000-2001) this course lies in a smaller piece of land and has different characteristics to his brother. The greens are smaller with undulations and well protected by bunkers. Also, it has a large number of olive trees strategically situated around the fairways, which demand a strong and straight drive from the player. The Club House is an old Andalucian Cortijo (farmhouse), and beside it, one can feel the continual buzz on the terraces of the Restaurant, where the variety of our clientele can be noticed; Mijas Golf has managed to mix, with success, the residents on the area with visitors from all over the world – and the green fee prices aren’t bad either!