Unwind in stunning Sotogrande with this unforgettable golf break
At the southern tip of Europe, Sotogrande has been one of Europe’s most desirable and distinctive year-round destination for decades.
Fusing Andalusian culture and history with a world-class lifestyle, Sotogrande stretches from the Mediterranean Sea into the foothills of the Sierra Almenara.
The magic of Sotogrande lies in its unique mix of tranquillity, elegance, action, style and serenity, set in a spectacular sea-front location to forge treasured memories.
Scattered among its beaches, marinas, cork forests, rivers, and mountains are world-class golf facilities at Valderrama, Sotogrande, La Reserva – and now you can enjoy all three in the perfect sunshine getaway.
The golf courses
Valderrama needs little introduction. The host of the first ever Ryder Cup on continental Europe in 1997, Valderrama has also held European Tour events regularly since the 1980s, as well as two World Golf Championships. Valderrama has an aura, a status and a mystique that only a few courses around the world possess.
Sotogrande put Andalusia on the map as a golf destination when the revered Robert Trent Jones opened it in 1964. It has hosted the Spanish Open, with Roberto de Vicenzo winning a year before he became the oldest player to win The Open, while Jose Maria Olazabal won the 1983 Spanish Amateur here four years before Seve Ballesteros – then World No 2 and at his peak – won the Spanish Professional Championship.
La Reserva is one of Spain’s strongest modern courses and can hold its own among the prestigious elite. La Reserva is always in immaculate condition and especially renowned for its expansive views and notable for offering a playable challenge.
Where you’ll stay
The five-star SO/ Sotogrande is the newest addition to the hotel options in the area and is the place to be seen, offering guests a stylish and luxurious setting for their stay and with the very best service, gastronomy and wellness, the SO/ Sotogrande is breaking the mould for high-end accommodation.
There are 152 rooms and suites, featuring artistic touches and the very best interior design, as well as stunning landscaped gardens and wonderful views to provide a haven for relaxation thanks to the state-of-the-art SO/ Spa and Wellness area.
It is also a foodies’ paradise with seven restaurants and bars offering innovative culinary delights in a very cool atmosphere.
What else is there to do?
Sotogrande is one of Europe’s premier sporting destinations. Whether it is yachting, golf, watersports, horse riding, cycling, tennis or polo that light your fire, all are available and celebrated here. For polo lovers, Sotogrande boasts more than 25 annual tournaments as well as multiple equestrian centres and stables alive with activity all year round.
For sailors, a fully developed yacht harbour with 1,400 berths and a 70-metre docking capacity make Sotogrande’s marina a hive of sailing activity.
There are many beaches in and nearby this magnificent destination. Closest are the Playa Sotogrande with the Trocadero Beach Club and the Playa Paseo del Mar with the El Octogono Beach Club and watersports centre. However, if you are looking for something more isolated, the quiet long Playa Guadalquiton is just west of the Sotogrande community.
How to get to Sotogrande
Sotogrande is easily accessible from most European cities and is only an hour and 15 minutes’ drive from Malaga airport. Alternatively, Gibraltar airport is just 25 minutes away, while Jerez and Seville are an hour and 15 minutes and two hours respectively.
The east of the resort lies at the gateway to the Costa del Sol, with Marbella a 30-minute drive, and the Costa de la Luz to the west, with its vast, wild beaches near Tarifa such as Bolonia and Zahara de los Atunes. Morocco is also just 35 minutes away by ferry from Tarifa to Tangier.
The package
Included in this deal are…
– Four nights’ accommodation in a double superior room with breakfast at SO/ Sotogrande
– 18 holes at Valderrama
– 18 holes at La Reserva
– 18 holes at Sotogrande
– Preferred tee times confirmed at booking
– Transfer shuttle to La Reserva, Sotogrande
– Welcome cocktail at the SO/ Sotogrande hotel
– Nine-hole ‘get the rust off’ practice session at La Reserva, with TrackMan and fitting
– Personal locker room with goodie bag from TaylorMade and La Reserva
– Physio session to activate your body
– Personal PGA qualified coach on TrackMan range with TaylorMade balls
– Open bar and food at La Reserva
The deal
All from just €2,450 per person for a double occupation based on two golfers sharing.
Reservations are offered subject to availability and the package is offered for the periods between October 2021 and June 2022 and September and November 2022.
For more information and to book, visit the La Reserva website.
The NCG verdict
There are plenty of courses in the world where you stand on the first tee, soak in the surroundings, and completely drift away from reality. It’s perhaps not as common that we get to play them.
La Reserva is certainly one of them.
From the moment you’re welcomed into the stunning clubhouse, you feel right at home at La Reserva.
Be sure to spend time on the range, pumping balls into the mountains that loom on the horizon, and the perfectly-manicured putting green because once you’re underway you’ll find a golf course that is challenging but always fair.
Slow play is never an issue here. Why would it be? Soak in the beautiful surroundings and maybe take a photo or two that will send your 56 Instagram followers into fits of jealousy.
When your round is over, kick back on the veranda with an ice-cold beer and daydream about uprooting your family and moving into one of the luxury villas dotted around this sun-kissed golf haven.
And it doesn’t even end there. Just round the corner from La Reserva are Real Club Sotogrande and, of course, former Ryder Cup host and regular DP World Tour stop Valderrama.
We stayed in the 5-star SO/ Sotogrande, which could not offer a more perfect setting from which to base your trip. When you’re not relaxing in your stunning room or the luxury spa facilities, you’ll be eating in the fabulous Cortijo restaurant before enjoying a cocktail in the impossibly-cool Mixo lounge.
As far as golf trips to Spain go, it doesn’t get much better – or more premium – than this.
