The 5 best golf hotels in Spain

Stay in luxurious five-star surroundings, indulge in Michelin-starred dining and play at world-renowned golf courses at these five incredible resorts in Spain.

Camiral Golf & Wellness

Camiral Golf & Wellness is one of the world’s leading five-star golf, lifestyle and real estate resorts, less than an hour from Barcelona, close to the beaches of the Costa Brava.

At its heart is the five-star Hotel Camiral. Blending modern aesthetics and natural furnishings, the 138 rooms and living spaces are luxurious and tastefully elegant. Built in low rise art deco style, the rooms come with views over the golf course or driving range.

There’s five excellent dining options to choose from including the refined 1477 Restaurant, a cafe overlooking the golf courses as well as pool and lounge bars. The Wellness Centre offers indulgent massages, technology-led treatments, a state-of-the-art gym and experts on hand to sculpt your perfect retreat.

Both golf courses at the resort are world class. The Stadium Course, which has hosted the Spanish Open multiple times, is a parkland/woodland layout with pretty lakes framed by pine and oak tress and the Pyrenees mountains. The Tour Course is easier and great fun for higher handicap golfers with wider fairways and less undulations.

The PGA Academy at the resort offers a complete golf learning experience for players or all levels, with expert tuition and courses using the latest technology. There’s also the Junior Golf Academy, where youngsters can enrol on training programmes and tailored-made lessons.

SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort Hotel

Set in the Andalusian hills, this luxury five-star hotel is part of La Reserva Club Sotogrande, a chic community of 600 hectares comprising gated communities of upscale villas and residences set on the western edge of the Costa del Sol.

Close to Marbella and Malaga, it boasts one of Europe’s finest residential clubs, La Reserva Club with its elite amenities including an an 18-hole championship golf course, a luxurious inland beach club complete with freshwater sandy lagoon, water sports, an equestrian centre, a racquet club and two restaurants.

Luxury brand SO/ Hotels & Resorts opened SO/ Sotogrande here in 2022, promising a stylish way to enjoy Andalucia and its culture, through food, wellness experiences, design and fashion. Guests can choose from 152 rooms and suites, all featuring terraces or balconies, located around beautifully landscaped gardens in the form of cottages and lofts.

There’s four high-level restaurants serving Andalusian and international cuisine, three stunning pools with panoramic views, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. The SO/ Spa and Health Club has an exceptional selection of treatments along with facilities such as spa rooms, cryotherapy and hydro pools.

Located on the hotel grounds, Almenara Golf Club has 27 superb holes of golf designed by Dave Thomas, the man behind The Brabazon at the Belfry, host of the 1985 Ryder Cup. It offers stunning views over the Mediterranean and has recently been remodelled by legendary Spanish golfer Manuel Piñero who has made it even more enjoyable for a wider range of golfers.

Sotogrande as a whole 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, host of the 1997 Ryder Cup, and La Reserva Club’s 18-hole championship course, La Reserva Club Sotogrande.

Hotel Peralada Spa & Golf

This resort in Catalonia offers exceptional wine tourism experiences, a five-star hotel, an 18-hole golf course and Michelin-starred dining. The hotel features an elegant design using the finest materials. The 54 rooms and 10 luxurious suites are all about tranquility, some with balconies overlooking the golf course.

Less than 30 miles Girona Airport, the resort sits on the edge of the medieval village of Peralada in the heart of Alt Emporda, one of Catalonia’s major wine regions, and is home to the iconic Castell de Peralada, a 14th century medieval fortress. The castle houses the one Michelin-starred Castell Peralada Restaurant, a high-end casino and museums.

Restaurant L’Olivera by Paco Pérez is another excellent dining option, where the renowned Emporda-born chef (with four Michelin stars) has revamped the entire dining experience. The resort also boasts Shiro by Pérez, where delicious Asian creations are fused with Mediterranean ingredients.

The resort is part of the renowned Peralada wine-producing estate offering premium wines and world-class wine tourism. Differently priced packages for guests include various combinations of guided visits and exclusive wine tastings.

The golf course here is one of Spain’s most beautiful. It’s a parkland layout surrounded by the stunning scenery of Emporda with views of the Pyrenees and Mediterranean. It’s a par-71 with strategic bunkering and water hazards, but it’s designed for the enjoyment of players at any level with four tee boxes. The course is complimented by a 9-hole pitch & putt, always a great option to develop your golf game.

Ritz-Carlton, Abama

On the west coast of Tenerife, around 10km from Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos. The Ritz-Carlton, Abama offers a five-star experience with 459 rooms set in Moorish-inspired buildings housing guest rooms and villas set in lush cliff-top tropical gardens overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

There’s a spa, seven pools, tennis courts, Michelin-starred dining and the Kids Club Abama. Inspired by American summer camps, it’s a unique camping concept of children’s holiday entertainment for kids aged 4-12.

The Abama Golf Club at the resort is beautifully conditioned with endless sea views and elevated tees. Draped across natural undulations, it runs alongside banana plantations with over 25,000 palm trees and 22 lakes and streams to offer a unique, memorable golfing experience. This immaculate course, carved from the southern slopes of Mount Tiede volcano, is challenging and beautiful in equal measure.

The hotel’s gourmet offering is world renowned. There’s Italian, Asian, Spanish and BBQ to choose from at the 10 indoor and outdoor restaurants, cafes and bars. Highlights include the two Michelin-starred M.B, which serves dishes created by renowned chef Martín Berasategui, and Akira Back from the vision of the Michelin-starred chef it’s named after.

Finca Cortesin

About 30 minutes from Marbella, Finca Cortesin is often called Spain‘s premier golf resort. The five-star hotel is the epitome of luxury and just a few minutes’ walk from the beautiful coastline. It’s situated between the beautiful coastal towns of Sotogrande and Marbella, on the road to the mountain villages of the Casares.

The resort’s elegant Hotel Cortesin is built around two palatial courtyards and boasts 67 spacious, light-filled and exquisitely designed rooms and suites. The world-class facilities here include the state-of-the-art Jack Nicklaus Academy and a luxurious spa offering an indoor pool, the very best in Thai treatments and Spain’s only snow cave. There’s four swimming pools, tennis and padel courts, a spectacular 6,000 sqm beach club with a 35m infinity pool, and exquisite dining options.

El Jardin de Lutz serves upscale Spanish classics while REI is the hotel’s signature restaurant, renowned for fusing Asian and Mediterranean flavours. There’s a great Italian restaurant, one of the best in the region, as well as a lounge bar, beach club dining and the Clubhouse restaurant.

For golfers, the main attraction at the resort is the championship-level golf course, designed by Cabell Robinson, which hosted the 2023 Solheim Cup when Team Europe retained the trophy. The manicured layout weaves through a valley of olive trees and the views of the Casares Mountains and the coast are stunning.

Visitors lucky enough to stay here are also within a few miles of other world famous courses, such as Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, La Reserva Sotogrande and Real Club Valderrama.