Where to travel for golf this winter – Europe

We pick the best golf resorts in Europe to visit this winter in the Algarve, Costa del Sol, Tenerife, Mallorca and Cyprus. It’s time to pack your bags and escape the cold weather.

Algarve

The Algarve in southern Portugal enjoys mild weather conditions in the winter with temperatures around a minimum of 16°C, perfect for golf. Two of the best resorts are Conrad Algarve and Dona Filipa Hotel.

Conrad Algarve is a 5-star hotel located in the resort town of Quinta do Lago, a fabulous playground for golfers. A stunning beach, the idyllic Ria Formosa Nature Park and world-class golf courses are just minutes away. There’s a spa, three swimming pools and the Michelin-starred restaurant, Gusto by Heinz Beck.

Dona Filipa Hotel is just minutes away, another a 5-star haven for golfers, seconds from Vale do Lobo Beach. There’s two pools, tennis courts, kids and beach clubs, a spa and wellness centre. Golfers at these resorts can gain access to some of Portugal’s best golf courses.

There’s Quinta do Lago’s three brilliant courses, The South Course, The Laranjal Course and the Paul McGinley designed North Course. Monte Rei Golf & Country Club is another option for guests, one of only a handful of Jack Nicklaus ‘signature’ courses in Europe and the only one in Portugal. Also accessible is the Sir Henry Cotton Championship Course, Pinheiros Altos Golf and San Lorenzo Golf Club.

Costa del Sol

Spain’s Costa del Sol rarely sees temperatures dip below 15°C during winter with five to seven hours of daily sunshine. SO/ Sotogrande and Finca Cortesin Hotel are two of the best 5-star resorts in the whole country.

SO/ Sotogrande is set in the Andalusian hills on the western edge of the Costa del Sol and has rooms and suites in the form of cottages and lofts. There’s four high-level restaurants, three stunning pools, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre and spa. Guests have access to three of of Spain’s best golf courses, La Hacienda Links Course, Sotogrande Golf Club and La Reserva Golf Club.

Finca Cortesin Hotel is about 30 minutes from Marbella and is the epitome of luxury, just a few minutes walk from the beautiful coastline. The world-class facilities include the Jack Nicklaus Academy, pools, spa, exquisite rooms and suites, excellent dining and a beach club. For golfers, the main attraction is the championship course, designed by Cabell Robinson, which hosted the 2023 Solheim Cup.

Tenerife

During winter, while most golfers in Europe are wrapped in waterproofs and jackets, the coolest month here is February with an average daily maximum of 22°C. On the island’s west coast, the Ritz-Carlton Abama offers a 5-star experience with a luxury spa, seven pools, tennis courts, Michelin-starred dining, and the Abama Golf Club which is beautifully conditioned with endless sea views and elevated tees.

Another luxurious option is the Hotel Las Madrigueras Golf Resort & Spa, which is for adults only. It has a great location in the popular resort of Playas de Las Americas on the south coast and is set within the Las Americas golf course, one of the island’s most entertaining and popular courses.

Mallorca

With over 300 days of sunshine a year, the daytime temperature on this wonderful Balearic island gets as high as 18°C during winter. The island’s largest golf resort is Arabella Golf, close to Palma, home to four golf courses and two 5-star hotels, the Sheraton Mallorca Arabella Golf Hotel and the Castillo Hotel Son Vida.

Sheraton Mallorca’s rooms and suites are designed to suit modern lives, set in a traditional Spanish mansion close to Son Vida golf course with a pool, gym and luxury spa. Castillo Hotel is an adults only 16+ hotel right next to Son Vida, dating back to the 13th century and surrounded by outdoor swimming pools, subtropical gardens and incredible views of the Bay of Palma.

Guests get to play at the 18-hole courses Son Vida, one of the oldest and most famous courses in Mallorca, Son Muntaner, which hosted the Mallorca Golf Open in 2022, and Golf Son Quint, a gorgeous layout with views of the Bay of Palma and the Old Town’s cathedral. The resort’s par-3, 9-hole Palma Pitch & Putt course is a great option to learn the game.

Cyprus

Cyprus is blessed with a perfect Mediterranean climate for year-round golf with average daytime temperatures still a very mild 17°C to 19°C during winter. One of the standout resorts is Aphrodite Hills, home to the 18-hole PGA National Course, the first and only golf course in Cyprus to carry the prestigious PGA title.

Designed by Cabell Robinson, this dramatic clifftop course overlooks the ocean and is part of the luxury 5-star Aphrodite Hills Hotel by Atlantica, making it a great spot for a golf vacation. It offers a variety of holiday apartments and villas as well as various stay and play packages which can combine golf lessons at the academy.

Packages include rounds of golf at the PGA National Course, the Mackenzie & Ebert designed Minthis Hills, Sir Nick Faldo’s Elea Golf Club and Tony Jacklin’s Secret Valley Golf Club.

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