Marbella for golf lovers

Louise Swan, April 2022 | CSR news and articles of interest

Marbella and the Costa del Sol have been associated with golf since their very beginning as international lifestyle destinations. This would suggest the link stretches back to the 1950s, when the first golf course in Marbella was inaugurated in Guadalmina – still one of the region’s finest today. However, the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina is not the oldest on this shoreline, that honour befalls the Málaga course of the Parador de Golf, which like the parador chain itself traces its origins back to the 1920s. You see, the golfing tradition actually goes back a century!

In that time the area extending between Málaga and Sotogrande – another legendary name in the lexicon of the sport – has evolved into one of the most important centres of the golf in the world. And with almost 70 courses of every style, setting and description, this really is the ‘Costa del Golf’. In fact, wherever you are within this coastal region, you’ll never be more than a few minutes’ drive from the next beautiful course, so it’s more than fair to say that, with the possible exception of the British Isles and the USA, this really is the number one golfing destination in the world.

But then even they do not have the same concentration of playing opportunities as we can boast, much less the consistency of good weather that ensures a premium playing season from September until the end of June. Golf is one of the pillars upon which the reputation of Marbella is built, and nowhere is this more visible than in its epicentre of the sport, the Golf Valley. Situated within the large suburban areas that sprawls across an undulating valley just inland from Puerto Banús, this is a golf-lover’s paradise, which blends into the stunning subtropical greenery of the Real Club de Golf Las Brisas before seamlessly continuing as Los Naranjos Golf – each a different take on creating a fairway parkland paradise surrounded by hills and sea views.

Game and Lifestyle

Only the iconic San Roque, Valderrama and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande of the western Costa del Sol can challenge such pedigree with their own gorgeous greenery, luxurious clubhouse amenities and proud amateur and professional championship records. Top international designers such as Gary Player, Robert Trent Jr and of course Severiano Ballesteros have designed the courses that all the greats – from Ballesteros and Nick Faldo to Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods – have competed on. The Volvo Masters, Andalucia Masters and of course the now-legendary 1997 Ryder Cup are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to international golf championships hosted on the Costa del Sol.

For the many who come here to enjoy a round of golf, or are fortunate enough to enjoy direct access to a course from their Marbella frontline golf properties, the game is every bit as much a passion but played at a more leisurely pace, for it represents not only a great outdoor activity but also a very sociable way of life that is inextricably linked with the Marbella way of life.