10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT GOLF ON THE COSTA DEL SOL
The Costa del Sol and golf have gone hand in hand for nearly a century. As well as one of the most popular tourist attractions, golf on the Costa del Sol offers the chance to enjoy the area’s scenery and sunshine and practise your favourite sport. But do you know everything about golf in this part of southern Spain?
Costa del Sol golf fact 1
The Costa del Sol has the highest concentration of golf courses in the whole of Europe. Not for nothing is it also known as the Costa del Golf. There are over 70 courses in total.
Costa del Sol golf fact 2
Playing golf on the Costa del Sol is a year-round activity – with over 320 days of guaranteed sunshine you can play all day and every day.
Costa del Sol golf fact 3
Golf in the part of southern Spain began back in 1925 at Parador del Golf in Malaga, the first course in southern Spain. But it wasn’t until several decades later that golf on the Costa del Sol took off in earnest. The next golf courses to open were Guadalmina Club de Golf (1959) and Rio Real Golf in Marbella (1965).
Costa del Sol golf fact 4
A long list of designers has contributed to excellence in golf courses on the Costa del Sol. Spanish legend Javier Arana created three courses in the area including Rio Real Golf. American Robert Trent Jones has also added his signature to the game and even Severiano Ballesteros had a hand in designing one of the area’s top courses.
Costa del Sol golf fact 5
Of all the resorts on the Costa del Sol, Marbella boasts the most golf courses. You can choose from a total of 21 to play on.
Costa del Sol golf fact 6
Top Spanish player Miguel Angel Jimenez was born and brought up on the Costa del Sol.
Costa del Sol golf fact 7
Valderrama Golf is widely recognised as the one of the best courses in the world and was the first to host the Ryder Cup outside the UK. The epic competition took place in 1997 and the course received royal status in 2014.
Costa del Sol golf fact 8
As well as playing golf on the Costa del Sol, you can learn it or perfect your technique. Several golf courses have academies where pro staff can help you make your first shots or take your golf to the next level.
Costa del Sol golf fact 9
You can see all the golf courses on the Costa del Sol in 360-degrees here. Every single course has its own bird’s-eye view so you can appreciate the beauty of each one. Don’t miss Rio Real Golf & Hotel in the Marbella section!
Costa del Sol golf fact 10
Only one course offers dynamic prices allowing you total control of how much you pay for green fees on the Costa del Sol. Check out the deals available at Rio Real Golf now.
CORONAVIRUS. A GUIDE FOR GOLFERS ON THE COSTA DEL SOL
As we are well aware, the coronavirus has now spread worldwide with all but a handful of countries affected. Obviously, many people are worried, particularly those with travel plans. At Rio Real we fully understand your concerns and in this article, Coronavirus - a guide for golfers on the Costa del Sol, we'd like to offer some facts and suggest that golf is one of the best activities in the current situation.
RACE TO COSTA DEL SOL BEGINS
The road to one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments for women golfers began in mid-February with the first leg of the Race to Costa del Sol in Australia. The year of events on the Ladies European Tour (LET) travels through Oceania, Asia, Africa and Europe before it reaches its final on the Costa del Sol at the end of November.
RIO REAL GOLF CLIMBS RANKING IN TOP 100 GOLF COURSES IN SPAIN
Every two years, Top 100 Golf Courses reveals the best around the world. Earlier this year, it was time to take a look at those in Europe and rate the best golf courses in Spain. Yet again, Rio Real Golf climbs the rankings and sits in 37th place for 2020. In the list of the best golf courses in southern Spain, Rio Real takes 16th position.