Combine your passion for golf with sailing and yachting adventures at these fabulous resorts around Europe.
Costa Navarino, Greece
Costa Navarino is the prime sustainable luxury golf destination in the Mediterranean, in the Greek Peloponnese. W Costa Navarino has now become the latest 5-star luxury resort to open here, joining The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, giving visitors three 5-star resorts to choose from – soon to become four with the opening of the 5-star Mandarin Oriental in 2023.
Costa Navarino boasts four signature golf courses, all within 13km of each other. The two original courses, The Dunes, designed by Bernhard Langer, and The Bay, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, are considered the top two layouts in Greece. They have now been joined by two new signature courses designed by Jose Maria Olazabal: the International Olympic Academy Golf Course, and The Hills.
W Costa Navarino is located at Navarino Waterfront from where you can take the opportunity for a memorable half-day, full-day, or two-day sailing adventure in the waters off the coast of Messinia. You can swim in crystal-clear waters and explore virtually unknown islets. You can also join the experienced skippers and crews aboard motor yachts for half-, to two-day cruises and discover secluded beaches accessible only by boat.
Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort, Italy
Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort is one of Tuscany’s finest 5-star golf resorts, nestled in a verdant valley on Monte Argentario, one of the most exclusive locations in Tuscany’s wild territory of Maremma. It’s home to Italy’s only PGA-licensed golf facility since 2019. The 18-holes here are spectacular, beautifully weaving through natural Mediterranean vegetation and ancient olive groves.
While at the resort you can explore the sea with a boat tour or join a sailing course at the resort’s partner organisation, Scuola Vela Argentario (Argentario Sailing School). The school organizes fun and educational sailing courses held by qualified and experienced instructors. The classes, private or collective, are divided into initiation, improvement, training, and regatta. They are available for beginners and experts, for children at least 4 years old, teens and adults.
Islantilla Golf Resort, Spain
Islantilla Golf Resort is the perfect place for a family vacation, a trip with friends to the beaches of Huelva or a golf getaway to the Costa de la Luz. It’s comprised of the newly renovated 4-star DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, and a wonderful 27-hole golf course.
The golf course opened in 1992 within 180 acres of pine forest on the Gulf of Cadiz. It’s an immaculate parkland course that was considered good enough to host the Spanish Masters in 1995 and has since held a number of European Challenge Tour events. It’s made up of three 9-hole layouts so golfers get a varied choice.
Islantilla Golf Resort is affiliated with The Spanish Sailing School of Islantilla which offers all kinds of watersports including windsurfing, kitsurfing and surfing. The school offers excellent sailing courses, directed by Fernando Serra Lalaurie, instructor of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation.
SO/ Sotogrande, Spain
Luxury brand SO/ Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of the 5-star SO/ Sotogrande in Andalucia in summer 2022, promising a new one-of-a-kind resort. There’s quite a few world-class resorts in this part of Spain, but SO/ Sotogrande offers a new, stylish way to enjoy the region and its culture, through food, golf and wellness experiences.
Sotogrande is home to three of the best golf courses in Spain, each within a 2km radius of SO/ Sotogrande. Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, Real Club de Valderrama which hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup, and La Reserva Club’s 18-hole Championship Course. There’s also Almenara Golf, located on the hotel grounds. This is a world-class course with stunning views over the Mediterranean, designed by Dave Thomas, who designed The Brabazon at the Belfry, host of the 1985 Ryder Cup.
The resort is set within Sotogrande, the exclusive lifestyle community set on the western edge of the Costa del Sol. Close to the Strait of Gibraltar, it provides the perfect location and conditions to indulge in a variety of activities on the water. There’s kayaking, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, sailing, and fishing. Whatever your choice, the hotel will organise it for you. You can treat yourself to a day to remember in a Sunseeker Predator cruising The Med, or if you prefer sailing boats, why not try your hand at sailing with a private lesson.
Zala Springs Golf Resort, Hungary
Set among vineyards in the wine producing region of Balaton, Zala Springs Golf Resort is Hungary’s first purpose built golf resort community. Its 18-hole championship golf course, part of IMG Prestige and designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., was named Hungary‘s best golf course at the 2019 World Golf Awards. The resort has a Wellness Centre & Spa, and its luxurious apartments and suites are available to rent, with stay and play packages on offer.
Close to the resort is Lake Balaton, the largest lake in central Europe. It has more than 70 beaches and is backed by forested volcanic mountains and fertile vineyards, the perfect place to try sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and paddle boarding.
You can explore the beauty of Lake Balaton with the resort’s ‘Adventure Sailing’. Guests at the resort can enjoy the Lake’s wonderful scenery in comfort and safety, a great activity for any day of the year. On request, the resort provides transfer, catering and the boat’s captain.
