Santa Maria Golf is an 18 holes 5586 metres par 70 course and is situated in a superb location close to the hotel Don Carlos between Malaga and Marbella, set back in the mountains in a setting of incomparable natural beauty offering distracting views over the Mediterranean and the oak covered mountains. The course traces the contours of two valleys in which the natural vegetation, streams and lakes form natural hazards. Santa Maria’s first nine holes were designed by the Spanish Ryder Cup player Antonio Garcia Garrido and were opened in 1991, the subsequent nine holes were designed by Santa Maria's own technical team and were opened in 1996. The course has now matured into one of the finest along the coast and has come to occupy a well-earned place amongst the elite golf clubs in the Costa del Sol.

This course offers an interesting layout with many elevated tees, lush fairways, undulating terrain and well-placed bunkers. The greens are generously on the large side and are considered some of the best along the coast. The 7th hole is one of the most beautiful on the course; it is a long par-3, downhill, with lateral water to the right, the fairway is large and bunkers surround the green. The two-tiered green makes this one even more difficult.

Practice facilities include two practice golf courses, three putting greens and five short holes. There is a wealth of luxury facilities to enjoy such as tennis courts, swimming pool and a lawn bowls club. Other amenities include the 19th-century clubhouse, restaurant with terrace, bars, pro shop, lounges and snooker room.

Vacation Care Golf Recommended Course
Situated between La Cala and Mijas and 10 minutes drive from Fuengirola, Santana has the most breathtaking views of the Mijas mountains and maintains that 'nature and golf are one'. Opened in early 2004 and designed by the highly regarded Cabell B. Robinson, it really is set to become one of the Costa's most popular courses. As it is set on a former avocado plantation and between rivers Rio Las Pasadas and Rio Ojen, many of its fairways are lined with avocado, orange, mango and 500 year old cork trees and there are several water features demanding every club in the bag! One of its most spectacular features is its bunkers filled with crushed marble. The final result is a magnificent par-72 course with wide, well-defined fairways on level terrain, hence it is easily walkable.

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande is an 18 hole, 6224 metres, par 72 demanding golfing feast situated in Sotogrande on prime golfing land close to the beachfront between the river Guadiaro and Sotogrande marina, its most outstanding feature is its natural beauty with views out over the sea. This was the first European course designed by the famous golf architect Robert Trent Jones who also designed the course Valderrama. Since its inauguration in 1964, it is considered to be among the Top 100 Courses in the World and one of the 5 best in Europe and forms part of the "Golden Triangle" with Valderrama and San Roque. In 1994, His Majesty the King Juan Carlos I awarded the Club with the title of Royal (“Real”). It is a member course with certain times reserved for visitors (Monday to Friday only).

“Sotogrande Old”, as it is called by the locals, boasts mature vegetation with pine, cork oaks, eucalyptus and giant palm trees enhancing the natural beauty of the surroundings and following the wide luscious fairways. The course has very little rough, but there are plenty of bunkers and water hazards to make it a challenging course for all levels of golfers. The greens are huge, very undulating and often murderous for the scorecard and the tees are very long, some would say excessively so, but they allow for variations in pin placement and the length of hole. The contours of the greens are typical Trent Jones and the bunkers were the first in Europe to be filled with brilliant white crushed marble. Another “first” at Sotogrande was the use of Bermuda grass on fairways.

There is also a 9 hole course, “El Corto” which is 1299 metres, Par 29, a driving range, putting green, chipping green and private and group classes are available on request. There is a Club House with restaurant and bar, a pro shop, pool, tennis and paddle courts, gym, showers, sauna, Jacuzzi and changing rooms.

Vacation Care Golf Recommended Course
Located just 10 minutes from Malaga airport west of Benalmadena, this is a par72 course designed by Pepe Gancedo, the Picasso of golf. It is a challenging championship course that has hosted several international tournaments, in 1979 the 53rd Spanish Open was played here. The features of this course make it especially suitable for competitions, but playable for beginners and the experienced alike.

Many greens are elevated, fast and well-guarded and their size and movement provide a real challenge. Its main feature and uniqueness is in the variety of fairways which ensure you think carefully about the best club on every single shot. The surroundings and tees are well maintained and manicured therefore they are in particularly good condition.

The management maintain that no visitor of the Costa del Sol should miss this course and its facilities as it has been labelled one of the best courses in Europe on many occasions.

Located in Sotogrande, Valderrama was constructed in 1974 to the designs of Robert Trent Jones Sr, who later significantly revised and expanded the layout in 1984. In 1997 the King of Spain attended the opening ceremony of the Ryder Cup (the first ever held in Continental Europe) and by 1999, it was rated the number 1 course in mainland Europe by Golf World magazine and among the top 60 in the world. For Andalucia it has become the standard bearer, a prestigious resource that tourism authorities are proud to boast about, it has been home to the Volvo Masters (1988-96 and 2002-2010 contracted) and the World Golf Championships (1999-2000).

There is no hole of less than championship quality but it can be fully enjoyed by players of all handicaps. 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), an Executive tee (5498) and a Seniors' tee (5053), as well as a ladies Professional tee (5294) and a ladies Club tee (4873).

The fairways are widely considered the best in Europe, while the greens have been compared by Davis Love and many others with Augusta. The 4th hole, ‘La Cascada’ (the waterfall), is the course's signature holes and is considered one of the best holes in Europe; it is a par 5 of spectacular beauty with a pond between two big bunkers and to the right of the two-tiered green; it demands and gets respect. Described as being thrilling and breathtaking by world's top players, this course is extremely difficult. Strategic play is required for each single shot in order not find yourself out of position in one of the water hazards or behind a cork-oak tree. The course is maintained with such care that all players will think they are playing in heaven, although a lapse of concentration could rapidly be changing this view

The 9-hole par 3 Practice Ground has been described by Nick Faldo as the best in Europe. There is also a pitching green, putting green, driving range, private and group classes, restaurant and bar and shop – all onsite.