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Golf guide • Spain • Andalusia, Costa del Sol

Golf in Marbella: the Golf Valley between the Sierra Blanca and the sea

Marbella, on the Costa del Sol, is ringed by some of Spain's oldest golf courses: Robert Trent Jones's Los Naranjos in the "Golf Valley" of Nueva Andalucía, Guadalmina and Río Real, both designed by Javier Arana, and Santa Clara on the hills above town. Come to play a string of courses ten to twenty minutes from your hotel and dine in the old town, ideally from autumn to spring.

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Marbella took up golf before it took up mass tourism. Guadalmina opened its first holes in 1959, Río Real followed in 1965, and in 1968 José Banús founded the Club de Golf Nueva Andalucía, now Las Brisas, west of town. Around it grew what is known as the "Golf Valley": a run of fairways between Puerto Banús and the first foothills, facing the limestone peak of La Concha, which looms over every tee.

Two of the valley's most famous courses are, however, closed to visitors. Las Brisas, where Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller won the 1973 World Cup, only accepts guests accompanied by a member, and Aloha, a Javier Arana layout completed after his death, is a members-only club. The visiting golfer plays next door, at Los Naranjos, and on the town's other historic courses, from San Pedro Alcántara to the east of Marbella.

The rhythm of the trip soon falls into place: a tee time each morning, lunch at the clubhouse, the afternoon on the beach or in the whitewashed lanes around the Plaza de los Naranjos, and dinner on the Golden Mile. With around 2,900 hours of sunshine a year, the season hardly ever stops. La Quinta, a Manuel Piñero layout opened in 1989 on the Benahavís side, rounds off the week easily.

The courses

Gently curving white-sand bunker, a row of orange trees laden with fruit and stone pines along the edge

Los Naranjos Golf Club

  • Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
  • Opened 1977
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

A neighbour of Las Brisas, Los Naranjos was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1977 on land planted with orange trees and crossed by a river. Run at first together with its neighbour, it became independent five years later, with its own clubhouse in 1982. The architect's signature is all there: tree-lined fairways, big bunkers, water in play and very large greens, following his "hard par, easy bogey" formula. A championship par 72, open to visitors, that rewards course management more than length.

Official website

Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, Sur

  • Architect: Javier Arana
  • Opened 1959
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, in San Pedro Alcántara, is one of the oldest clubs on the coast: Javier Arana delivered a first nine in 1959 and the second in 1963. The South course, a par 72, runs between pines and jacarandas on flat ground, with greens and bunkers reworked in 2002. The 10th and 11th run along the Mediterranean. The club also has a second eighteen, the North, and a nine-hole par-3 course; visitors are welcome on both full-length courses, which makes it a good base for two days.

Signature hole. The stretch along the sea at the 10th and 11th, where the sea breeze often decides your club selection.

Official website

Río Real Golf

  • Architect: Javier Arana
  • Opened 1965
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Javier Arana laid out this course in 1965 on 45 hectares along the Río Real, where the river meets the sea, east of the centre. Fourteen holes follow the flat valley, four climb the hillside and open up views of the Mediterranean. The routing, tight yet natural, is Arana's real lesson. An intimate, shady par 72 that plays well at the end of a trip, and can be combined with the club's small hotel.

Signature hole. The 4th, a dogleg-left par 4, plays from an elevated tee down to a green set close to the coast.

Official website

Santa Clara Golf Marbella

  • Architect: Enrique Canales
  • Opened 2000
  • 18 holes
  • Par 71

Designed by Enrique Canales and opened in 2000, Santa Clara sits on the hills seven minutes from the centre. The ground is flat enough to walk, but the position commands the coast: on a clear day the view stretches from the Sierra Blanca to the sea, as far as Gibraltar and the mountains of Morocco. A par 71 of 5,922 metres, it suits every level and makes an excellent first round of the trip, before the more demanding layouts of the valley.

Official website

Where to stay

Marbella Club Hotel

Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe built his residence here in 1954 before opening it to guests. Today, 121 rooms and suites and 16 Andalusian villas are spread over more than four hectares of gardens running down to the Golden Mile. The hotel has its own course, designed by Dave Thomas in the hills of Benahavís. Keep one lunch for the Beach Club, under the palapa facing the pier: catch of the day and a long sobremesa.

Río Real Golf Hotel

To sleep beside a fairway rather than on the beach, the Río Real club hotel has only around thirty rooms, in an Andalusian building facing Arana's course, a few minutes from the centre. Ask for a room on the course side: you make the first tee time straight from breakfast, and dine at the club restaurant, El Club de Río Real, without getting back in the car.

Tiled roofs and whitewashed houses among bougainvillea, palms and a wooden jetty over the sea at dusk

Where to dine

Skina

Two Michelin stars. Skina occupies an old farmhouse on the Golden Mile, facing the Parque de los Enamorados. Chef Mario Cachinero reinterprets Andalusian classics through broths and sauces, while Marcos Granda oversees a cellar of more than 6,000 wines, also served as pairings. The à la carte menu is offered only at lunch; in the evening you choose between tasting menus. Closed on Sundays.

Bar El Estrecho

On calle San Lázaro, an old-town lane so narrow that it gave the bar its name, El Estrecho has served tapas since 1954 and calls itself the bar ‘con más solera’ in Marbella. Andalusian and Málaga cooking: order the fried boquerones and ask at the counter for the dish of the day. The room is small and fills quickly, so arrive early. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Beyond golf

The old town

The casco antiguo is arranged around the Plaza de los Naranjos, laid out after the reconquest of 1485 on the lines of the Castilian Renaissance, with its town hall and orange trees. The neighbouring lanes lead to the 15th-century hermitage of Santiago and the church of the Encarnación. Heading down towards the sea, the Avenida del Mar is lined with ten sculptures by Salvador Dalí.

La Concha and the Sierra Blanca

The 1,215-metre peak of La Concha shapes the skyline of every course in the valley. The Sierra Blanca trails, through pines and limestone, climb up from the upper reaches of town; the view takes in the coast and the city. Set off early and take water: a fine rest day for a golfer's legs, though not for the knees.

The Roman baths of Las Bóvedas

At the mouth of the Guadalmina, a few minutes from the club, the Las Bóvedas baths retain a vaulted octagonal hall on two levels and the remains of their heating system. The site, listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural in 2007, is thought to correspond to Cilniana, a stop on the Antonine Itinerary. A 16th-century watchtower completes the visit.

Whitewashed lane with pots of red geraniums on the wall and an orange tree laden with fruit in the evening

When to go

The season runs almost all year. From February to May, then from September to November, the days are mild, the courses at their best and the coast quieter. Winter stays bright and playable, with a few rainy days; it is high season for northern European golfers, and tee times need booking early. July and August are hot and very busy: play at sunrise and keep the afternoon for the beach.

Getting there

Málaga airport (AGP) is about fifty kilometres away, some three quarters of an hour along the coastal motorway. Marbella has no railway station: a car or a driver is essential, and the courses are ten to twenty minutes from the Golden Mile. Gibraltar airport is an alternative depending on flights.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Marbella open to visitors?

Los Naranjos, designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1977 in the Nueva Andalucía valley, is the benchmark course open to visitors. Guadalmina Sur and Río Real, two Javier Arana layouts, complete the historic trio.

Can you play Las Brisas or Aloha?

Not freely. Las Brisas only accepts guests accompanied by a member, and Aloha is a members-only club. Visitors play Los Naranjos, right next door.

When is the best time to play golf in Marbella?

From February to May and from September to November, for the mild weather and course conditions. Winter is playable and in high demand; summer means teeing off early in the morning.

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

Four to seven nights: enough to play Los Naranjos, Guadalmina, Río Real and Santa Clara, and add a course in Benahavís or Estepona.

Which airport should I fly into for a golf trip to Marbella?

Málaga airport (AGP), about 45 minutes by road. Gibraltar is an alternative depending on flights.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Marbella

Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you.

Palm-lined fairway and small lake at sunset, ochre cliffs and the Mediterranean on the horizon
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Sloping fairway between stone pines and oaks, limestone cliffs above and the sea in the distance at sunset
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