Unlimited golf in one of Europe's most unique golf destinations

For golfers looking for something a little different from the classic Spanish golf break, set in the Almería region of southern Spain, Desert Springs offers one of the most distinctive resort experiences in Europe. It combines desert-style scenery, warm weather, on-site accommodation and easy access to several excellent nearby courses.

Over four days, we based ourselves at Desert Springs, played plenty of golf on-site and also visited two nearby courses, Valle del Este and Aguilón. With an easy drive from Murcia International Airport this exact itinerary could easily be your next golf trip!

Our trip started with a flight into Murcia International Airport, where we collected our hire car and made the drive south towards Desert Springs. The journey took around an hour, which made the resort a very manageable option for a short break.

When we arrived, the first thing that stood out was the setting. Desert Springs did not feel like a standard Spanish golf resort. The landscape was dry, dramatic and completely different from what many golfers might expect from a trip to Spain. The desert-style design gave the whole place a real sense of identity.

After checking in, we headed to the clubhouse for lunch. It was a great way to ease into the trip, especially after the flight and drive. The clubhouse had a relaxed atmosphere and the fantastic food was real feature of our stay.

Our opening round at Desert Springs on the Indiana Course was the perfect introduction. The course was visually striking from the start, with fairways framed by desert planting, cacti and rugged surroundings. It was the kind of layout that made you think carefully from the tee, but it was also very enjoyable to play.

Accuracy was important as missing fairways left us on some more challenging surfaces only found in the desert, however the course still felt fun and playable.

After golf, we kept the evening simple and stayed on-site. Drinks at the Crocodile Club were a great way to finish the first day. With everything within easy reach, there was no need to head back out in the car, which was exactly what we wanted after travelling.

On the second day, we stayed on-site and played the Indiana Course again in the morning. One of the biggest advantages of basing ourselves at the resort was how easy everything felt. There was no transfer to another course, no complicated planning and no rush.

Playing the course for a second time gave us a much better feel for it. The holes became more familiar, and we started to understand where to take risks and where to play more sensibly. Some of the tee shots looked more inviting once we knew the layout, while others still demanded plenty of respect.

The Indiana Course definitely rewarded repeat play. The more we played it, the more we appreciated the strategy behind the Peter McEvoy design. It was not just about the unusual setting; there was enough variety in the holes to keep each round interesting.

After the morning round, we had time to relax and enjoy the resort before heading out to the beach in the afternoon. That was another highlight of the trip. It added a different feel to the day and showed how well Desert Springs worked as a base. One minute we were playing desert-style golf, and later we were by the coast enjoying a completely different side of the region.

We returned back to the resort to enjoy another fantastic dinner, reminiscing on what had been a fantastic start to our trip!

Day three brought more fantastic weather with highs of around 25 degrees and gentle breeze keeping us cool. With that we teed off early at Valle Del Este and enjoyed a slight change of scenery. The course itself was in brilliant condition and made for a very enjoyable round of golf with a mix of challenging holes and more scoreable ones, including a fantastic 270-yard par-4 over water which was accessible for a couple of the bigger hitters in our group.

The par-3's also stood out, all had their own identity whether it was a water hazard or a group of bunkers challenging a miss hit shot.

After finishing our morning round and enjoying a lovely lunch at Valle Del Este, we returned to the resort. Feeling as though we had unfinished business from the morning this was where the trip really started to feel like a proper unlimited golf getaway. We booked ourselves in for an afternoon round on the Indiana Course and got almost straight back out there. Being able to play another course in the morning and still get back for a round at Desert Springs later in the day made the itinerary feel full without becoming stressful.

By the time we played the Indiana Course for a third time we were much more familiar with the course. That made the afternoon round particularly enjoyable. We knew which holes suited our eye, which lines to take and where not to miss. It was also the point in the trip where we really appreciated the benefit of staying on-site.

After a full day of golf, we enjoyed some food we had picked up at a local supermarket when we arrived and spent the evening playing card games on our balcony. It was relaxed, convenient and exactly what was needed after 36 holes.

Our final day started with one final breakfast at Desert Springs before checking out and heading to our morning round at Aguilón, which gave the trip one last standout course before we headed home.

Aguilón was a great way to finish, the course itself is superb. With a great variety of holes it feels as though every hole has its own signature element to it. What really grabs your eye is the views, with the Sierra del Aguillon mountain range on one side and the Mediterranean on the other side, it really is striking. It added more variety to the itinerary and gave us a final challenge before the evening flight.

We had plenty of time to play in the morning, enjoy the final round and then make our way back to Murcia International Airport. It meant we could squeeze the most out of the trip without feeling like the final day was wasted.

The biggest strength of the trip was how easy everything was. Desert Springs worked brilliantly as a base because so much was available on-site. The golf, accommodation, food and drinks were all close together, which made the whole experience feel relaxed and straightforward.

At the same time, the nearby courses gave the itinerary variety. Valle del Este and Aguilón meant we were not only playing one venue, but the travel between courses was still manageable. That balance made the trip feel much more complete.

The setting was what really made Desert Springs stand out. It was not just another Spanish golf resort. The desert landscape gave it a completely different character, and that made the rounds feel more memorable. For golfers who had already visited more familiar destinations in Spain or Portugal, this was something a bit different.

The golf was the main focus, and there was plenty of it. Playing Desert Springs several times allowed us to really get to know the course, while Valle del Este and Aguilón added extra variety and gave the trip more depth.

For anyone looking for a Spanish golf break with a point of difference, Desert Springs is well worth considering and is one of the best resorts in Spain. It combined sunshine, convenience, unique scenery and plenty of time on the course, making it one of the most enjoyable golf trips we had experienced in Spain.

Here are some useful travel tips for a golf trip to Murcia, especially if the route is based around Desert Springs, Valle del Este and Aguilón.

• Book a hire car early: For a Murcia golf trip, a car makes everything much easier. Murcia International Airport has car hire available on-site, and it is the simplest way to reach courses and resorts without relying on transfers.
• Fly into Murcia International Airport where possible: Murcia is a convenient airport for this type of trip, particularly if you are heading towards the Region of Murcia or across towards Almería. For Desert Springs, the drive is around an hour, so it works well for a short break.
• Mix resort golf with nearby courses: A good itinerary would combine repeat rounds at Desert Springs with away days at Valle del Este and Aguilón. That gives the trip variety without turning it into a constant road trip.
• Consider bringing a spare club: We found it particularly helpful to have a spare club to hit off the 'hard pan', it allows you to keep your round going whilst not scratching your own clubs!