For many years golf was my reason to travel: 18 holes in the morning, the country in the afternoon, good food in the evening. I did not choose courses by rankings but by whether the trip around them was right – weather, hotel, landscape. Here are the countries that worked for me, with hotels on or near the course. A golf holiday is lovely for non-golfers too: the resorts are almost always in quiet, green settings.
My golf countries
Florida
Port St. Lucie, Treasure Coast · Nov.–AprilAround 1998 I played around Port St. Lucie and Sandpiper – ten days, ten different top courses, all within half an hour. Mild winter weather, resorts with the course outside the room: I can only recommend it.
Hawaii
USA · Big Island · all yearGolf on black lava with the Pacific alongside: the Waikoloa courses are right at the resort, whales on the horizon included.
Italy
Lake Como, Asolo, Turin to Rome · April–Oct.I learned golf at Golf Club Menaggio on Lake Como, where I was a member. From Turin to Asolo and from Como to Rome I have played many courses – the most beautiful in my memory: Villa d'Este.
Spain
Andalusia, Costa del Sol, Valencia · all yearI played Valderrama and Sotogrande around 20 years ago – sensational. Plus the Parador de El Saler near Valencia with its own links course – there I was only a hotel guest passing through. Over 100 courses on the Costa del Sol: my overview further down.
Golf Germany
Allgäu, Lake Constance, Bavaria · May–Oct.One to two hours from Zurich: many courses, fair green fees, hotels with golf packages – ideal for a long weekend.
Austria
Achensee, Tyrol · Mai–Okt.Posthotel Achenkirch with its own 9-hole course, thermal area and Lipizzaner stud – golf and wellness under one roof. And Austria has many more excellent golf clubs, from the Salzkammergut to Burgenland.
Switzerland
Ticino, Alps and Mittelland · April–Oct.Crans-Montana with its panorama is for me one of the most impressive courses in Switzerland. When I lived in Ticino I was able to play all the clubs there – Lugano and Ascona are highlights. All Swiss clubs further down.
Thailand
Phuket · Nov.–Feb.Mission Hills Phuket Golf Resort: course on the doorstep, caddie included, then beach or massage – unbeatable value in the European winter.
Bali
Tanah Lot · April–Oct.Greg Norman's Nirwana course above the surf, next to the Tanah Lot sea temple – golf as part of a Bali trip, not the main purpose.
Switzerland: spectacular courses in a small space
Switzerland offers a great many beautiful and spectacular golf clubs – around a hundred on an area you can cross in a day. One of the most impressive for me is Crans-Montana: the Severiano Ballesteros course high above the Rhône valley, venue of the Omega European Masters, with a panorama from the Valais four-thousanders to Mont Blanc that makes you forget the ball on the tee. When I lived in Ticino I was able to play all the clubs there; Lugano in Magliaso and Ascona on Lake Maggiore have stayed with me as highlights. Here are Switzerland's clubs by region – 18 holes and more in bold, 9-hole courses in normal type. Season April to October, in the mountains June to September; hotels on the course almost everywhere.
Valais and Vaud Alps
- Golf-Club Crans-sur-Sierre (Crans-Montana) – 18 + 9 holes, Ballesteros course, European Masters, unrivalled panorama. Hotels: Crans-Montana.
- Golf Club Sierre · Golf Club Sion · Golf Club Leuk (Susten) · Golf Club Matterhorn (Täsch, Zermatt) · Golf Club Verbier · Golf Club Villars – Valais valley and mountain courses with glacier views.
- 9 holes: Riederalp (Europe's highest course at 1'950 m) · Goms (Obergesteln) · Sedrun-Andermatt-Realp (Uri side).
Lake Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Jura
- Golf Club de Genève (Cologny) · Golf de Bossey · Golf Club Esery · Golf Club Domaine Impérial (Gland, Pete Dye) · Golf Club de Bonmont · Golf de la Côte / Signal de Bougy · Golf Club Lausanne · Golf de Lavaux (Puidoux) · Golf Club Montreux (Aigle) · Golf Club Domaine du Brésil · Golf Club Vuissens · Golf Club Payerne · Golf Club Wallenried · Golf Club Gruyère (Pont-la-Ville) · Golf Club Blumisberg · Golf Club Neuchâtel (Voëns) · Golf Club Les Bois · Golf de Maison Blanche · Golf Club Saint Apollinaire · Golf Club LaLargue · Golf Club Les Coullaux (9).
Bern, Bernese Oberland, Solothurn, Basel
- Golfpark Moossee (Bern) · Golf Club Thunersee · Golf Club Interlaken-Unterseen · Golf Club Gstaad-Saanenland · Golf Club Emmental · Golf Club Aaretal · Golf Club Limpachtal · Golf Club Wylihof · Golf Club Heidental · Golf Club Laufental · Golf Club Basel (Hagenthal) · Golf Club Markgräflerland · Golf Club Erlen
- 9 holes: Weid Hauenstein · Fricktal · Rheinfelden · Schinznach Bad · Flühli-Sörenberg.
Central Switzerland
- Golf Club Lucerne (Dietschiberg) · Golf Club Sempach · Golf Club Rastenmoos · Golf Club Küssnacht · Golfpark Holzhäusern (Ennetsee) · Golf Club Engelberg-Titlis · Golf Club Andermatt Swiss Alps · Golf Club Ybrig
- 9 holes: Meggen · Bürgenstock · Axenstein (Morschach).
Zurich, Aargau, Schaffhausen
- Golf Club Zürich-Zumikon · Golf Club Dolder · Golf Club Zürichsee (Nuolen) · Golf Club Hittnau · Golf Club Kyburg · Golf Club Breitenloo · Golf Club Schloss Goldenberg · Golfpark Otelfingen (Lägern) · Golf Club Lipperswil · Golf Club Winterberg · Golf Club Rheinblick · Golf Club Obere Alp · Golf Club Entfelden · Golfpark Oberkirch
- 9 holes: Bubikon · Unterengstringen · Augwil.
Eastern Switzerland and Graubünden
- Golf Club Bad Ragaz (36 holes, Grand Resort) · Golf Club Heidiland · Golf Club Gams-Werdenberg · Golfpark Waldkirch · Golf Club Niederbüren · Golf Club Appenzell (Gonten) · Golf Club Bodensee Weissensberg
- Engadine Golf Club (Samedan 18 + Zuoz-Madulain 18, oldest course in Switzerland, 1893) · Golf Club Davos · Golf Club Klosters · Golf Club Arosa (highest 18-hole course) · Golf Club Lenzerheide · Golf Club Alvaneu Bad · Golf Club Domat/Ems · Golf Club Buna Vista Sagogn
- 9 holes: Vulpera · Brigels.
Ticino
Italy: from Lake Como to Rome
I learned golf at Golf Club Menaggio e Cadenabbia high above Lake Como – a club rich in tradition, founded in 1907, with narrow, tricky fairways, where I was also a member. If you hit it straight there, you hit it straight anywhere. Later, with my own golf magazine, I was often invited and saw and played many courses from Turin to Asolo and from Como to Rome. One has stayed with me in particular: Golf Club Villa d'Este in Montorfano near Como – a truly beautiful club with immaculate fairways, a dream in autumn with the chestnut leaves. And in 1999 I was a guest at Golf Club Asolo (27 holes), staying at Villa Cipriani.
My courses in northern Italy
- Golf Club Menaggio e Cadenabbia, Lake Como – my home club, 18 holes, tradition since 1907, narrow fairways, lake views. Hotels: Menaggio.
- Golf Club Villa d'Este, Montorfano (Como) – my favourite course, 18 holes in parkland, perfectly kept. Hotels: Como.
- Golf Club Asolo, Veneto – 27 holes, hills in front of the Dolomites, Villa Cipriani ten minutes away.
- Plus many more between Turin, Milan, Lake Garda and Rome – Italy has over 250 courses, and the hotels around them are mostly small, family-run and with good food.
Andalusia: Europe's densest golf coast
Valderrama and the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande – I played both around 20 years ago, and they were sensational: cork oaks, perfect greens, views of Gibraltar. In between, on the Costa del Sol, lie over 100 more courses along some 150 kilometres from Málaga to Sotogrande, and further west the quieter courses around Cádiz and Huelva. Golf is played all year; most pleasant from October to May, in high summer early in the morning. Arrive via Málaga, a rental car is a must. Green fees from around 50 to 90 euros, Valderrama considerably more. I compiled the overview below – I have only played the first two myself.
Sotogrande and San Roque – the big names
- Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande – 1997 Ryder Cup course, Robert Trent Jones, 18 holes. My highlight back then; green fee today several hundred euros, book tee times early.
- Real Club de Golf Sotogrande – ebenfalls Trent Jones, 18 holes, breiter und offener als Valderrama, by the sea. Selbst gespielt, ebenso sensationell.
- San Roque Club – 18 holes, Valderrama's neighbour, usually easier to book.
- Almenara Golf, San Roque – 18 holes with hotel on the course.
- Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort, La Línea – links course with views of Gibraltar and Africa.
- Finca Cortesín, Casares – 18 holes, venue of the 2023 Solheim Cup, top-class hotel.
- La Duquesa Golf, Manilva · Doña Julia Golf, Casares · Casares Costa Golf
Estepona, Benahavís, Marbella
- Atalaya Golf & Country Club, Estepona – 36 holes, two courses, good for several days.
- Valle Romano Golf, Estepona · Estepona Golf · El Campanario Golf
- Los Arqueros Golf, Benahavís – Seve Ballesteros design in the hills.
- Marbella Club Golf Resort, Benahavís · La Zagaleta (private) · Villa Padierna Golf Club · La Resina Golf
- Real Club de Golf Las Brisas, Marbella – Trent Jones, one of the classic courses of the Nueva Andalucía golf valley.
- Aloha Golf · Guadalmina Club de Golf · Magna Marbella Golf · Monte Paraíso Golf – all Marbella.
- Golf Río Real, Marbella – 18 holes down to the sea, with hotel.
- Santa María Golf · Santa Clara Golf Marbella · Marbella Golf Country Club · Cabopino Golf · Greenlife Golf (9 holes)
Mijas, Benalmádena, Málaga and hinterland
- La Cala Resort, Mijas – drei 18-hole-Plätze und Hotel, das grösste Golfresort Spaniens.
- Mijas Golf Internacional – two courses, Los Lagos and Los Olivos. · Calanova Golf · El Chaparral Golf · Miraflores Golf · Santana Golf · Cerrado del Águila · La Noria Golf · La Siesta (9 holes)
- Golf Torrequebrada, Benalmádena – curves and sea views, often a tournament venue. · Benalmádena Golf · Bil Bil Golf
- Parador de Málaga Golf – the oldest course on the coast (1925), right on the beach next to the airport, Parador on the course.
- Guadalhorce Club de Golf · Club El Candado · Lauro Golf (27 holes) · Alhaurín Golf · Antequera Golf
- East of Málaga: Añoreta Golf, Rincón de la Victoria · Baviera Golf, Vélez-Málaga · Los Moriscos, Motril
Cádiz and Huelva – quieter and cheaper
- Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Chiclana – Ballesteros-Design, 36 holes, Hotels direkt am Platz. · Club de Golf Campano · Sancti Petri Hills · La Estancia Golf
- Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club, Rota – 27 holes by the sea. · Sherry Golf Jerez · Montecastillo Barceló, Jerez · Vista Hermosa, El Puerto · Sanlúcar Club de Campo
- Arcos Golf, Arcos de la Frontera – in the hinterland of the white villages. · Fairplay Golf, Benalup · Montenmedio Golf, Vejer · Villanueva Golf
- Huelva: Islantilla Golf (27 holes) · Isla Canela Golf · Costa Esuri Golf · Golf El Rompido · Golf Nuevo Portil · La Monacilla Golf · Dunas de Doñana · Club de Golf Bellavista · Corta Atalaya
Seville, Córdoba, Granada, Almería
- Sevilla: Real Club de Golf de Sevilla · Real Club Pineda · Club Zaudín · Hato Verde · Las Minas Golf
- Córdoba: Club de Campo de Córdoba · Pozoblanco · Jaén: La Garza
- Granada: Granada Club de Golf · Santa Clara Golf Granada · Medina Elvira Golf · Los Almendros
- Almería: Desert Springs, Cuevas del Almanzora – desert course in Arizona style · Valle del Este · Aguilón Golf, Pulpí · Almerimar · Alborán Golf · La Envía · Playa Serena · Playa Macenas · Marina Golf Mojácar · Cortijo Grande
And outside Andalusia
- Parador de El Saler, Valencia – its own links course between dunes and pines, right by the sea; I stayed here on the way to Andalusia – I did not play the course: my hotel page.
Hotels on the course: Marbella and Costa del Sol · Sotogrande · Novo Sancti Petri (Cádiz) · Islantilla (Huelva). My travel page: Andalusia by rental car.
My golf travel tips
- Golf bag on the plane: register it as sports luggage with most airlines, compare prices – sometimes renting locally is cheaper than the flight surcharge.
- Resorts with the course on the doorstep save an hour's drive every day – and you can play just nine holes in the evening.
- Off-season pays twice: free tee times, lower green fees, cheaper hotels.
- If 18 holes are too much: driving range and short course exist almost everywhere – that is what I do today.
I book hotels via Booking.com – with the filter «golf course (max. 3 km)». More golf destinations and photos to follow; if you can recommend a course, write to me on Facebook.