Golf is one of the more popular activities to participate in the Costa Brava, great new courses are appearing each year and the selection of where to play is becoming just as difficult as producing a ‘hole-in-one’.
A selection of the best are detailed below:
Central Costa Brava
Club de Golf Girona
GOLF GIRONA is an 18-hole, par 72 golf course designed by the prestigious English architect F.W. Hawtree, seeded entirely with Penncross, the best quality grass for playing golf.
A course that is entirely adapted to its natural surroundings, without any antennas, power lines or highways crossing it, featuring an advanced sprinkling system using regenerated water from Girona’s purification plant, and meeting the most up-to-date environmental standards.
The top nine holes are extremely competitive – their design requires players to use all the clubs in their golf bags. The bottom nine are simply spectacular, with all the tees set atop walls built with Girona stone, offering impressive panoramic views of the fairways. It is a true pleasure to follow the flight of the ball towards its destination, and encourages many players to take out their woods. When Mr. Hawtree designed this part of the course, he probably wanted players to feel as good as possible after having completed the rigorous top nine.
Emporda Golf club
The Emporda Golf course offers a total of 36 holes, divided into two separate 18-hole courses: Links and Forest. The course was designed by Robert von Hagge, who chose to integrate a links-style course with two large lakes, dunes and rolling bunkers into a classic Mediterranean landscape replete with dense, manicured pine stands and spacious fairways. To this end, he was able to take full advantage of the natural beauty of the setting itself: stunning El Baix Emporda in the heart of the Costa Brava region.
With the inauguration of the final 9 holes, the course came to offer a total of two separate 18-hole courses. The first, called LINKS, spans dunes and lakes in a style reminiscent of the world-famous greens of Scotland. The second, FOREST, is more Mediterranean in style and winds invitingly through pine trees and lakes.
The Emporda Golf has been chosen as one of the Top Ten Golf Courses in Spain, recognized by the prestigious “Peugeot Guide” which has granted us a mark of 17/20 in the ranking of the 100 best golf courses. Furthermore, the famous American magazine “Golf World” has placed us in position 13 of the best courses in Spain. EG was made the permanent headquarters for the PGA Pre-Qualifying School II European Tour and, since 2002-2003, has hosted the PGA Qualifying School European Tour Final and the Peugeot Tour Emporda Golf in 2006 and 2007.
Golf Platja de Pals
Under the management of the English architect Mr. Fred Hawtree, who from the very beginning worked closely with the plans of the Parera-Coll family. The promoters displayed a marked respect for the environment, up to the point where they did not allow a single pine tree to be felled unless it had been marked beforehand
The first holes on the first Costa Brava golf course were inaugurated in the summer of 1966, and soon after, in 1968 the extension of the course was undertaken with nine holes more until the 18 regulation holes stipulation was fulfilled. The new regulation course was inaugurated in 1970 with the celebration of the “Spanish International Amateur Championship”. Two years later, the Golf Platja de Pals, held the “1972 Spanish Open”.
Since then the course has been considered as one of the finest in Spain thanks to its design and construction, and it has been the venue of numerous international competitions.
The North Coast
Peralada Golf Club
An outstanding 18-hole par 71 course with a 6,071 metres layout and 4 tees boxes per hole. With few slopes and different areas with lakes, trees and lush manicured gardens it is a suitable course for players of all levels.
It blends in perfectly with its surroundings, being environmental preservation and nature protection present all along the area. It was the first European golf course to hold the UE Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certificate.
From its opening in 1993 it has been awarded as the best golf course of the Costa Brava on several occasions and the Emerging Golf Destination of 2000 -with the other Costa Brava-Girona Golf Association golf courses- by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators).
It has welcomed many competitions and tournaments of the highest level such as the Open Catalonia 95, the Pre-Qualifiying School PGA tests and the Seniors Qualifying School.
Torremirona Golf Club
An exclusive 18 hole, championship golf course, designed and immaculately maintained throughout the year, offers the golfer spectacular views whilst navigating the various lakes and undulating greens.
The South Coast
Club de Golf Costa Brava
The 18-hole Golf course inaugurated in 1968 was designed by Hamilton Stutt & Co. It combines a very technical course in the first round with a more relaxed one in the second. The first nine holes, surrounded by pine and cork oak forests, differ from the other nine located on the flat with very wide fairways, leading to the 18th hole, below the Casa Club, a typical 1841 Catalan farmhouse.
The Club is private but Green Fees are accepted throughout the year.
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