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The Courses

Penha Longha

Up in the Sintra hills, in the grounds of a former monastery, lies one of Europe’s finest golf courses. Penha Longa's hilly, dramatic and fabulously challenging Atlantic course, burst onto the Portuguese golfing scene in the early 1990s, and has been a must play course ever since. Some of the terrain is open and exposed to prevailing winds, other stretches are more sheltered and tree-lined. Alongside the course are one or two constructions dating back centuries, not least the unforgettable Roman Aqueduct that straddles two of the front-nine holes. The size and speed of Penha Longha's greens are matched by the size, depth and quantity of the bunkering around them. On this wonderfully varied and challenging layout, many dramatic elevation changes will thoroughly test your club selection and course management. Beyond the course, the bends and chicanes of the Sintra autodrome come into view on the back nine, while the layout's higher elevations offer panoramic vistas onto the distant Atlantic Ocean. From the short par-4 1st right through to the testing par-5 18th, every hole is memorable and wonderfully designed. In combination, they ensure Penha Longha's place as one of Portugal's most highly rated and best known golf courses.
Ranked in the Top 30 in Continental Europe, The Atlantic Course designed by the famed Robert Trent Jones Jr, offers a challenging course with breathtaking views over the ocean with Estoril and Cascais to the South and the Sintra hills to the North.

Montecastillo 

This relatively new course has already established its championship credentials, hosting the PGA European Tour on more than one occasion. The course gives an open and expansive feel with holes well laid out over the "sherry growing" hills overlooking Jerez. The bunkering is impresssive and the greens large and fast. With some attractive water features, especially alongside the 10th and 17th, and distant views over to Jerez there is plenty to take in - including some dramatic elevated tees - notably at the 18th.

Valderrama - #98 2013 Golf Magazine's World Top 100

Valderrama’s superb design and its unmatched conditioning, history, wow factor and the sheer spine tingling experience of visiting ensures it remains the benchmark by which all European courses are judged. There may be more difficult, scenic or better value courses but, when all the criteria are viewed together, the only course on the continent to have hosted the Ryder Cup emerges as one of the continent's top 2 or 3. Valderrama is a 6356 metres par 71 with no hole of less than championship quality. However, it can be fully enjoyed by players of all handicaps, thanks to the genius of Robert Trent Jones Sr, whom many consider the leading golf architect of his day. The amenability of the golf course to the handicap golfer and its deliberate severity to the championship player owe much to the extensive range of tees. Each hole has a Professional tee (6356 metres), a Club Championship tee (5994 metres), an Executive tee (5498 metres) and a Seniors' tee (5053 metres), as well as a Ladies Professional tee (5294 metres) and a Ladies Club tee (4873 metres). The tees are differentiated not just by distance but by careful siting. 

 Valderrama has two prevailing winds: the poniente from the land, which in summer can be very hot, and the levante from the Mediterranean, which brings a cooler sea breeze. The changed conditions, depending on which one is blowing, add variety to a golf course that is already rich in shot values. The practice ground is near the Clubhouse and has been described by Nick Faldo as the best in Europe. Since that comment was made the facilities have been much improved.

San Roque

The first of the two courses opened in 1990 and was designed by Dave Thomas and Tony Jacklin. Dave Thomas is famous for the Brabazon course at the Belfry, host of the Ryder cup and this is evident in the design quality of this course. The course is set within the old Domecq sherry family’s summer estate. Built amongst rolling cork forests against the backdrop of the Sierra Bermeja Mountains, ensures magnificent scenery as well as top quality golf. The old house has been tastefully converted into the club house and hotel, with the initial impression being that you have arrived at a class golfing establishment. On arrival you feel immediately welcomed to the exclusive environment, quality class, For all its grandeur the staff  are very friendly and will give you a warm welcome. The Old course is technically less demanding than the New, which has been set up for lower handicap golfers. The first nine winds through the cork woods. The landing areas are quite forgiving but approach shots into elevated greens mean careful club selection is needed. The surrounding cork trees line many of the fairways meaning that accuracy off the tee is important. The second nine drops through ravines and winds itself back around to the club house. Water on the 18th makes for a testing finishing hole if you have to hold your nerve. The course proves a stern test of golf. So much so that it has been a regular host to the European PGA Qualifying School. The greens here are usually in superb condition, very fast and full of subtle contours – any pars will be well earned.

El Saler

Situated just south of the city of Valencia, El Saler Golf Club is located on the Mediterranean and within Albufera Nature Park. It is laid out on terrain dotted with pine trees and sand dunes. Javier Arana designed this course with outstanding fairways and ample greens. El Saler has hosted a number of Spanish Opens and it is considered one of the top European courses and has been ranked as high as number 29 in the world. Most shots are threatened by well placed bunkers, trees or dunes and the carefully contoured fast running greens prove testing targets. El Saler is wonderfully diverse, combining the ocean and dunes of links golf with inland holes set among lush pine forests.

PGA Catalunya

Quickly becoming one of the world’s most sought after tee times, PGA Cataluña Golf Resort’s internationally known Stadium Course is the ultimate Spanish golfing experience. Two courses – the Stadium and the Tour course – were conceived by Spanish golf legend Ángel Gallardo and Ryder Cup star Neil Coles. They envisioned a creation that would allow golfers of all skill levels challenging, but enjoyable rounds while captivating the senses with the natural surroundings. The result is an architectural masterpiece of golf with fairways bordered by dense, mature forests, ever present water and far reaching views. Since the opening celebration in 1999, PGA Catalunya Resort has quickly gained an impeccable international reputation and is currently ranked 2nd in Spain, 3rd in continental Europe and, most recently, 88th in the world.  Consistently earning the coveted accolades as Golf World magazine’s Top 10 European venue and Golf Monthly magazine’s Top 3 European venue, the Stadium Course has twice hosted the Spanish Open - in 2002 and 2009.

This spectacular and imposing course has been consistently ranked among the best 10 golf courses in Europe since it was opened. As the venue for numerous PGA European Circuit tournaments, it is also routinely singled out for praise from the professional playing fraternity. Be warned, however; the beauty of the course can distract from the many dangers waiting to do serious damage to your scorecard.  It makes no concessions with its trees pressing onto fairways, strategically placed bunkers and the lakes that come into play on no fewer than seven of the toughest holes. This is a quality that keeps players returning time and again to test themselves. It is rare to find so many memorable holes on one course and despite the many ups and downs, tees are elevated and very few fairways are uphill. The stunning dogleg of hole 6 is one of them and it demands nothing less than a driver and total commitment.