Almeria, the easternmost province of Andalusia, enjoys more than 200 kilometers of coastline and two distinct areas, the east and west, separated by the Cabo de Gata-Nijar maritime-terrestrial natural park. One of the characteristics that best define it is the sun. This province has an average of 3,100 hours of sunshine per year, an ideal climate to enjoy its golf courses.
Almeria’s communications have improved greatly in recent years, starting with the airport, which has greatly increased the number of international flights, and the new highway that runs through the entire province from north to south, reaching Adra, a town bordering the province of Granada. The highway links Almeria with Europe, crossing the entire Spanish Mediterranean coast and passing through Valencia and Barcelona. Tourism in Almeria dates back to the visits of the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans and Carthaginians, but those who stayed longest were the Arabs, who left a deep mark on cities and towns.
There are many tourist attractions in the province, such as its endless beaches and the marinas that line its coasts attracting an important nautical tourism, among which Almerimar is worth mentioning. The Almerimar Marina is one of the most important in the Mediterranean, with its 1,000 berths. Adra, Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce, Almeria, San Jose and Garrucha are also ports of interest where water sports enthusiasts can find the best facilities.
Another great attraction of Almeria are its natural parks. The Cabo de Gata-Níjar, with volcanic formations, beaches and charming villages, such as Sierra María-Los Vélez, a landscape full of contrasts, or the famous Tabernas desert, dry and rugged, which has served as a backdrop for films about the old American West.
The golf courses dress the dry landscape of this sunny Andalusian province in green. Golf Almerimar, designed by Gary Player, was the pioneer course. It was followed by Playa Serena, Cortijo Grande, Envía Golf, Marina Golf, Desert Springs Golf Club -the first Arizona desert-type course built in Europe-, Golf Valle del Este, Alborán Golf, Aguilón and Playa Macenas.
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Golf Almerimar
The Almerimar golf course, built in 1976, is part of a complex that includes two hotels, apartments, other sports facilities and a marina. The course, designed by Rob Kirby and Gary Player, offers wide fairways although players should be wary of trees. The greens are wide and well protected by bunkers. There are five holes affected by water hazards.
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La Envia Golf Country Club
Located in an authentic viewpoint overlooking the sea in the Sierra de Vícar, its 18 holes are articulated along a valley between mountains that protects it from the wind, creating optimal conditions for the practice of this sport. Palm trees, pitas and bushes of native vegetation define the limits of each course. Its image is that of an oasis in the middle of a spectacular desert. The 18 holes run over an uneven terrain, with numerous bunkers and lakes, which sometimes require special dexterity and skill. The course is the heart of a large residential and hotel project in which sports facilities of all kinds abound. La Envia has with a magnificent restaurant.
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Alboran Golf
The Alborán Golf course, designed by Ramón Espinosa and located near the capital of Almeria, in the El Toyo tourist complex, next to the Cabo de Gata natural park, it has an 18-hole championship par 72 course of 6,278 meters. It has a large practice range and different training areas. It is a course in which a balance has been achieved between the different holes, both in length and orientation. It has two lakes that influence the game and at the same time store water for irrigation, both located in the first half of the course, and a total of 66 bunkers distributed throughout the course. Alborán Golf hosted the 2005 Mediterranean Games.
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Playa Serena Golf Club
The Playa Serena Golf Club is located 20 kilometers south of the capital of Almeria. Located on the edge of the beach, the course is a links with no steep slopes. The course has wide fairways and sloping greens, wide and well protected by water and sand traps. The vegetation includes acacias, pines and palm trees. The course is long and rich in water. Not in vain, in twelve of its eighteen holes there is some obstacle of this type. An important hole for the final score is the 13th. Known as the ‘lap breaker’, it is a par 5 with a very difficult tee-off.
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Aguilón Golf
The last golf course opened in the province of Almeria is a spectacular 18-hole course whose design has been carefully designed to adapt to the conditions of the environment, composed of a delightful landscape. The result was an exemplary integration within a peculiar orography that allows it to interact with the natural elements that form the old estate. In addition to this maximum adaptation to the original topography, a comfortable course for the players has been achieved, without forgetting its aesthetic and strategic plot. The course has a spectacular and unusual design, with more than 100 bunkers, 6 large lakes and a large number of natural ravines, which together make playing this course an unforgettable experience.
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Marina Golf Mojacar
The Marina Golf Mojácar course, designed by Ramón Espinosa, is located in an extraordinary site. on the coast of Mojacar. In spite of not being a very long course, it constitutes a beautiful garden to play golf next to the sea and with spectacular views in different parts of its course, being exceptional from the tee on hole 4 and those from the shot to the green on the 13th. In addition to the 18 holes par 71, Mojácar Golf has four holes par 3 pitch & putt and practice area with 25 tees (9 covered).
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Golf Valle del Este
This course, in the municipality of Vera and inaugurated in 2002, was designed by José Canales inspired by the famous desert courses of Arizona. It winds through a terrain of gentle hills, beautiful valleys and natural gullies. Its chromatic beauty stands out, as the green of the golf course blends with the natural color of the terrain and the volcanic gravel, typical of the area for millions of years. All this is seasoned with its own vegetation composed of palm trees, carob trees, olive trees, fig trees, palmettos and esparto grasses. There is a path that runs through the resort and offers beautiful views of the Mediterranean and the golf course. Valle del Este Resort has its own hotel, sports club and beach club on the beach of Vera. The resort is 40 minutes from Almeria airport, two hours from Alicante airport and three hours from Malaga airport.
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Desert Springs Golf Club
At the eastern end of the coast Andalusia, above the Almanzora Valley, 40 minutes from Almeria airport, Desert Springs is the first European desert-style course in Arizona. Designed by Peter McEvoy, it is well worth playing. The difference with the ‘conventional’ courses is obvious, something normal considering that this is the desert where Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone shot “For a Fistful of Dollars” and where numerous western movies were filmed, so a hardcore golf course is a perfect fit here. Desert Springs is anyway not as tough as it looks, but a great challenge for the golfer in a curious setting, with cactus, rocks and dry riverbeds, something that was unknown in Europe. It is a must play here.
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Cortijo Grande Golf Resort
This is a great little course. Located in a fertile valley near Mojacar, four kilometers from the sea, Cortijo Grande has a predominantly flat route. Lemon and orange trees dot its colorful fairways. The course, which does not have a clubhouse, although there is a bar-restaurant nearby, is ideal to play and enjoy all year round thanks to the mild climate of the area.
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