Best golf courses in Murcia

It should come as no surprise that the south of Spain is one of our most popular areas for golf travel. Not only is the weather fantastic, but with easy connections from across the UK, as well as some stunning courses and resorts, it’s the perfect golfing escape.

The region is nestled along a beautiful stretch of coastline, halfway between Malaga and Valencia. And with some of our best value breaks also available in this area, join us as we showcase some of the best golf courses in Murcia.

The Real Golf La Manga Club is blessed with three brilliant layouts, with the most challenging of these generally accepted to be the West Course. There’s plenty of elevation change, and with narrow fairways being carved into the countryside, the course places a premium on accuracy throughout.

The West is kept in a more natural state than the other two courses here, giving more of an authentic feeling to the holes, versus some of the more manicured conditioning you’ll find on the South and North Courses. We particularly love the view from the 18th tee box across Murcia, especially as you know your next stop is the clubhouse bar!

Alongside the North Course that we’ll come to later on, the South at La Manga was built in the early 1970s and became the host of the Spanish Open through much of that decade. The layout was tweaked by the late Arnold Palmer in 1993, before a further refurbishment took place in 2004 to present the course you see today.

Lined with water throughout, the South isn’t a course for the faint hearted. However, owing to it being one of the region’s most-played layouts, the club have incorporated a variety of teeing options to make it eminently enjoyable for all. And, despite the water, it’s the course within the La Manga Club’s portfolio where you’re likely to take driver on the most occasions.

The legendary Jack Nicklaus has put his name to several courses in the region, with one of the most recent being the desert-style layout at Saurines. Opened in 2011, it originally struggled to gain traction, but the Golden Bear’s investment has turned it into a strong destination within Murcia.

The course benefits from its sand-based layout to create fast-running fairways, and greens that putt incredibly true. Plus, with the layout set slightly back from the sea, it offers fabulous views of the nearby mountain ranges. All told, it’s a great addition to any itinerary, although we’d recommend getting a buggy if possible as there are a few lengthy walks between holes.

Another Nicklaus-designed course, La Torre is a slightly more polished offering, with a resort-style product which allows golfers to take advantage of the on-site accommodation.

The course is by no means the longest in the region, but it still offers an enjoyable test thanks to its par-68 routing. Whilst several holes are flanked by the resort’s villas, the layout stretches out away from the excellent clubhouse, offering a dose of serenity as you plot your way around.

Alhama, or Condado de Alhama Golf Resort to call it by its full title, is Jack Nicklaus’ signature design in the region. The course is plotted around several large lakes and can stretch back to 7,500 yards to create a superb championship layout for those looking for a challenge!

There’s some dramatic bunkering, giving an almost lunar-feeling to Alhama at times, and providing a striking contrast between the desert and the bright green hue of the fairways and greens.

If you’re looking for a stamp of approval, they don’t come much better in Spain than having Miguel Angel Jimenez attached to your property, as is the case at Hacienda del Alamo. Another relatively recent design (built in 2006), this design was crafted by the team at Dave Thomas Limited, with the intention of creating a natural-feeling layout, blending with the terrain.

This, of course, means plenty of sand which encroaches alongside almost all the holes. The scorecard can look daunting, however, fear not, as fast running fairways in the summer months will see you hitting some of your longest drives of the season!

The final course at Real Golf La Manga Club, The North is arguably the most scorable of the courses here and is the perfect first-day course to ease you into your trip. That isn’t to say that it’s in any way lesser than the West and South, with it boasting a stunning visual experience as you weave through the tree-lined fairways.

The greens here feature some dastardly slopes to keep you on your toes, particularly when they’re running at full speed in the summer. It’d be tough for us to ever pick a favourite course at the Real Golf La Manga Club, instead, we’d always recommend taking all three in during your trip, particularly if staying on-site!

A final course and another Dave Thomas design at the splendid Roda Golf Club. The course is a great addition to any Murcia-based itinerary, with on-site self-catering accommodation for those looking for a base within the region from where they can explore. There’s plenty of water throughout the back nine at Roda, but the standout hole is the island green at the par-3 7th. Can you make the carry and keep it on the putting surface?