A short drive north of the Costa del Sol, the La Manga Club opened in 1972 and is one of the most historic golf resorts and residential developments in Spain. Initially the development featured 36 holes of golf, the North and South Courses, which were designed by American Robert Dean Putman. The West Course was added in 1996 and designed by English professional Dave Thomas.

For many years La Manga has offered much more than just golf, with the Davis Cup and Fed Cup Tennis tournaments hosted at the resort in the 1990s and custom built football pitches attracting some of Europe’s biggest clubs for practice and relaxation. Adding to the celebrity of the La Manga Club facility was the fact that in its early years the resort employed legends like Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros as its touring professionals, and was able to attract Arnold Palmer to play one of the many Spanish Opens hosted on the South Course.

Undoubtedly the star attraction at La Manga, the South Course is a modest, attractive golf course set largely above the resort and with views across La Manga toward the Murcia coastline. Many of the early holes play toward, or are arranged beneath, large hills dotted with upmarket Spanish villas. Other holes weave between these some pop-up hills, and bend around a series of ponds and lakes.

Though there are greater elevation changes than the North Course next door, the South is noted for its fairly flat fairways and charming, old school style of golf course architecture. There isn’t necessarily anything new or innovative here, but the traditional features work well. The use of large greens with flanking traps and steep tilts one way or the other is effective at challenging the approaching golfer, while the lakes and streams seem to be used more strategically, and more believably, than elsewhere along the Spanish Coast.

Waterside par threes, like the 5th, 12th and 17th, for example, are all fine holes that appear similar on a superficial level but offer a differing shot shape and recovery test. The well-bunkered par four 8th and short, heroic par five finishing hole, with its green set beyond a creek and in the shadows of the 5-star Principe Felipe Hotel, are the other highlights.

For its vintage, the entire La Manga Club development has held up remarkably well and aside from being a fine place to relax and unwind on a Spanish holiday, is a charming venue for a few days golf.

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Three times the size of Monaco, the La Manga Club is an exclusive tourist, sport, and leisure resort, located north of Cartagena on the Costa Calida. Beyond the three 18-hole golf courses are a 28 Court Tennis centre, Cricket centre, Gym, Wellness centre and 8-Pitch Football facility. The premium golf hotel on the Costa Calida is the 5-Star Hotel Príncipe Felipe at La Manga Club, which we recommend as the base for any golf tour to the region.