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Golf guide • Spain • Andalusia (Costa del Sol)

Golf in Málaga: the Costa del Sol's oldest course, ten minutes from the city

Málaga has three courses less than half an hour from the centre and the airport: the Parador de Málaga Golf, laid out by Tom Simpson in 1925 and the oldest on the Costa del Sol; the Real Guadalhorce, redesigned by Miguel Ángel Jiménez; and the 27 holes of Lauro Golf in Alhaurín de la Torre. Come to play in the morning and spend the evening between the Alcazaba, the Picasso museum and the tapas bars, ideally from February to June and from September to November.

Plan this tripUpdated

Málaga is often just a point of arrival: you land, hire a car and head off to Marbella. It would be a shame not to stop. The city, founded by the Phoenicians, stretches around a bay closed off by the Montes de Málaga, between the mouths of the Guadalmedina and the Guadalhorce. The old centre is easily explored on foot, the port has opened up as a promenade, and the museums have turned the capital of the Costa del Sol into a genuine destination in its own right.

For golf, everything is close at hand. The Parador de Málaga Golf, created in 1925 by the sea, is the oldest course on the coast and lies five minutes from the runways. The Real Guadalhorce occupies a former farming estate north of the airport, around an 18th-century cortijo, and Lauro Golf unfolds its three nine-hole loops on the lower slopes of the Guadalhorce valley. Three styles, three courses, and no journey longer than half an hour.

The ideal rhythm fits into three to five nights: a tee time each morning, a late Andalusian lunch, then the city on foot as the light fades over La Malagueta. Those who want more courses will find Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Mijas twenty to thirty minutes to the west, which makes Málaga a convenient base for a longer week.

The courses

Green with a yellow flag between olive trees and oaks, a verdant valley sloping down to the sea below

Parador de Málaga Golf

  • Architect: Tom Simpson
  • Opened 1925
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

The Costa del Sol's oldest course: work began in 1925, the royal family opened it in 1928, and Tom Simpson designed the 18 holes, par 72, on flat seaside ground five minutes from the airport. The course hosted the Turespaña Masters in 1992, won by Vijay Singh, and again in 1999, won by Miguel Ángel Jiménez. A links-style nine completes the set. Wide fairways and a sea breeze in the afternoon: an ideal first round straight off the plane, for every level.

Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf

  • Architect: Kosti Kuronen; Miguel Ángel Jiménez
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

At Campanillas, north of the airport, the course designed by the Finn Kosti Kuronen in the late 1980s has been completely reworked by Miguel Ángel Jiménez, a son of Málaga and honorary member of the club. The 6,202 metres, par 72, play in two parts: a parkland-style front nine over gentle hills, then a hillier back nine where water comes into play. The clubhouse occupies an 18th-century cortijo, and a nine-hole par-3 course lets you work on your short game. A demanding course, best kept for regular players.

Official website

Lauro Golf

  • Architect: Folco Nardi; Mariano Benítez
  • Opened 1992
  • 27 holes
  • Par 72

In Alhaurín de la Torre, about twenty minutes from the airport, Lauro Golf opened in 1992 with an 18-hole course by Folco Nardi, later joined by a third nine by Mariano Benítez. The three loops combine into par-72 courses, on a wooded estate dotted with fourteen lakes, where century-old oaks have been preserved. Two hillside holes look out over the Guadalhorce valley and the Mediterranean. The clubhouse, the Cortijo El Paredón, has a century-old ficus in its courtyard. Varied and welcoming, it suits groups of mixed ability.

Official website

Where to stay

Gran Hotel Miramar

Designed by Fernando Guerrero Strachan and opened in 1926 by Alfonso XIII as the Hotel Príncipe de Asturias, the palace on the Paseo de Reding became a hospital, then the law courts, before turning hotel again in 2017. Ask for a Deluxe Terrace Sea View, with a private terrace over the bay; Premier Atrium rooms face the dome of the Patio Real, where afternoon tea is served. The Parador course is fifteen minutes away.

Soho Boutique Castillo de Santa Catalina

On the hill of El Limonar, this neo-Moorish palace from 1932, built on the remains of a 17th-century fort, overlooks the whole bay. Gardens, sea views and a gastronomic restaurant: an intimately scaled five-star address, recommended for adults, a few minutes by taxi from the historic centre.

Parador de Málaga Golf

For those who want to sleep by the 1st tee: the Parador, a low, hacienda-style building, has 88 rooms, all with a terrace, in the middle of the course and three minutes' walk from the beach. Five minutes from the airport and ten from the centre, it is the most practical base for a short stay focused on golf.

Terrace with scalloped arches, armchairs and potted bougainvillea, palms and a view of a Mediterranean bay at dusk

Where to dine

José Carlos García

One Michelin star. After fifteen years at the port, José Carlos García has moved his restaurant to La Malagueta, into the former Café de París where he made his name. Creative Andalusian cooking, seasonal produce from the province, and a signature dish: sea bass, liquid potato gnocchi and a gazpachuelo made from its bones. Lourdes Luque runs the dining room, and the wine list favours whites.

El Pimpi

Founded in 1971 in an 18th-century house on calle Granada, the bodega looks out onto the Roman theatre and the Alcazaba. A meeting place for Malagueños and passing visitors alike, it is the spot for regional wines and classic Andalusian tapas, with the kitchen open without a break from midday until almost midnight.

Beyond golf

The Alcazaba and the Roman theatre

Built in the 11th century by the Hammudid dynasty and later remodelled by the Nasrids, the Alcazaba links two sets of walls, zigzag gateways and water patios, joined by a rampart walk to the Gibralfaro castle higher up. At its foot lies the 1st-century Roman theatre. Go up early in the morning: the view over the port and the bay rewards the climb.

Picasso and the Centre Pompidou

Picasso was born in 1881 on the Plaza de la Merced. Two hundred metres away, the Museo Picasso Málaga has occupied the 16th-century Buenavista palace since 2003, built around works donated by his family. On the harbour quay, the glass cube coloured by Daniel Buren marks the Centre Pompidou Málaga, opened in 2015, which shows a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.

The Caminito del Rey

About an hour's drive north, in the Gaitanes gorge near El Chorro, this walkway clinging to the cliff, built in the early 20th century for the dam workers, bears the name of Alfonso XIII, who walked it in 1921. Restored and reopened in 2015, it runs for almost three kilometres and must be booked: a fine day off the course.

Crenellated ramparts of an ochre stone fortress, a bell tower and white houses above a harbour at dusk

When to go

Málaga can be played all year round, but the best months run from February to June and from September to November: mild days, courses in good condition and clear light. Winter stays mild on the coast, with a few days of rain between November and March. July and August are hot and very busy, so play at first light to finish before the heat.

Getting there

Málaga-Costa del Sol airport (AGP), served by many direct flights from across Europe, is a quarter of an hour from the centre by taxi. The Parador is five minutes from the runways, Guadalhorce and Lauro about twenty. From Madrid, you can also take the AVE to María Zambrano station and hire a car there to reach the courses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the oldest golf course in Málaga?

The Parador de Málaga Golf, where work began in 1925 to plans by Tom Simpson and which opened in 1928. It is the oldest course on the Costa del Sol.

Which golf courses are closest to Málaga airport?

The Parador de Málaga Golf, five minutes from the runways, then the Real Guadalhorce in Campanillas and Lauro Golf in Alhaurín de la Torre, each about twenty minutes away.

Can visitors play at Real Guadalhorce?

Yes. The club is private, but visitors are accepted on weekday mornings, by online reservation.

When is the best time to play golf in Málaga?

From February to June and from September to November. Winter is mild and playable; summer is hot and calls for very early tee times.

How many days do you need for a golf trip to Málaga?

Three to five nights are enough to play all three courses and enjoy the city. Beyond that, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Mijas are twenty to thirty minutes away.

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Your golf trip: Málaga

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