On the Coste del Sole you will find more than 50 golf courses and you will get a small presentation of Santa Maria Golf which is located in Elviria, 10km from Marbella.
scdcd
The golf courses on the sunny coast attract thousands of Norwegians every year. It is perhaps not so strange when there are close to 30 courses just around Marbella. In addition, the sun shines almost every day and the temperature is rarely worse than an average Norwegian summer.
Text and photo Ingar Næss
If it is the first time you are planning a trip to Spain to play golf, there are plenty of courses to choose from. It's no wonder that this area has been named Costa del Golf (the golf coast). In total, there are around 50 courses here if you extend by a few miles from Marbella.
To get the best possible benefit from the trip, it pays to check a bit where you want to play. A tip is to make use of one or more of the discount offers available.
The Nordic club Golfisolen.eu offers both tournaments and discounts for its members. You can also try golfspain.com, here you will find several good discounts on many courses. If you are staying in a hotel, ask at the reception, because here you can save money.
Those partying choose the areas around Marbella to combine golf with sun and a pleasant nightlife. Good food and good wine are easy to find everywhere, but you get the best tips here at Reis. Taking a walk on the seafront after a round of golf is always nice, whether you're going to have lunch or just have a look.
Tippeklubben Tippet ogTapt.
While I myself am walking on the promenade and taking some pictures, I hear atmospheric Norwegian voices, this time the laughter came from a group of happy boys. They throw their arms straight in the air and smile when I point the camera at them.
I introduce myself briefly and learn that this is the "famous" betting club, Tippet og Tapt from Ytere Enebakk. I wonder how the betting went and they said they had won almost forty grand! When asked if they had lived up to their name, they confirmed this with a resounding YES! They would not answer how much they had lost. When asked why they chose Marbella, the answer was simple. It is a short distance from Norway and everything a boys' trip needs, if I am to interpret all the answers.
They were looking forward to the next day, because then they would have to play an informal competition with a number of other Norwegians.
One of their favorite tips was Santa Maria Golf. This is a well-established course with a pleasant environment. I can also confirm that Santa Maria is a great golf course, with nice fairways that you can enjoy, even if the course certainly has its challenges.
Santa Maria an exciting golf course with history! It all began in the 90s when a small group of Spanish golfers and investors decided to build a course. They were looking for an area large enough for an 18-hole golf course and for a small residential development. The area they chose was considered to be very appealing, with a wonderful view of both the mountains and the sea. Access from the main road along the coast was very good and the motorway, slightly further north, further improved accessibility. Another important consideration was the proximity to the international airport and short flight from most major European capitals.
Santa Maria, clubhouse
The demand for golf was already increasing in the early 90s. This did not only apply to the British market, but also the German, Scandinavian and Spanish markets were ready for this sport. A good observation already at that point.
Santa María Golf is considered to be one of the best maintained golf courses from this early period on the Costa del Sol. The central location less than 200 meters from one of the best beaches in Marbella was also important.
The course was opened as we know it that day in November 1996 with a great clubhouse with all the necessary facilities.
Santa Maria is a course with exciting challenges and, as previously said, surrounded by great nature and views, but already on hole one you understand that here you have to play smart.
Hole No. 1
On this beautiful day in October, I meet happy Norwegian golfers from the Oslo area. Here the atmosphere was at its best and they said that they had played the course many times and always looked forward to coming back.
So does the owner of The Orange Tree Restaurant, namely he organizes a golf tournament at Santa Maria every Monday. So when you visit his restaurant on Apelsintorget in the Old Town of Marbella, just have a golf chat with Frank. You will never doubt who he is. Maybe you'll end up playing together when you head to Marbella.
Hole no 9
Santa Maria is an exciting course where you get to challenge your golf, not least when you get to hole no. 9. Here you get the pleasure of a well-designed hole where you meet a large water obstacle before going up a "dogleg" left.
Hole 10 is also a great and challenging hole from about 50m above the water hazard you will find the tee spot.
On hole 15,
which is a challenging par 3 hole, you get another small challenge. Here you can also see the proximity of buildings around the track.
When you now reach hole 18, you will see the clubhouse with its pleasant restaurant. Then it's just a matter of hitting long and straight. I only have 70m left on the 18th hole when I have to hit the second shot. A total of 32 points and with that I thank you for my round!
If you fancy a cup of coffee and something to eat, you are welcome at the club's restaurant. Here you also have a great view over both hole 1 and hole 18.
I recommend Santa Maria Golf! Remember you will always have more left to go at least two rounds, so you get the benefits of having played the course and know its challenges.
Good luck on your round at Santa Maria.
Travel tips for golfers, when in Spain, Marbella, Elvira. Explore
Comments