The Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Resort is a luxuriously appointed 5-star golf and hotel facility in the heart of the Costa del Sol. From rooms at the stunning old-fashioned Palace hotel are wonderful views across the Mediterranean Sea of the African continent, as well as the Antonio Garcia Garrido–designed Flamingos Course.

Given its views and proximity to the hotel, the Flamingos course is the primary golfing attraction at Villa Padierna and best noted for the early and late holes closest to the palace. The terrain is less severe than on the Alferini Course, but still with plenty of direct elevation change within individual holes. The short, straight par four 7th, for example, plays so steeply downhill that you can’t really see the putting surface from the tee. The hotel backdrop here is very attractive, as is the case on holes like the 15th and 18th as well. The approach into the 18th green is perhaps the most enjoyable on the course, while other highlights include the small, push-up green at the par three 12th and earlier short holes at the 2nd and 4th, with their views and challenging green sites.

Though there are some unfortunate pinch-point areas on the course, such as on the anorexic par four 10th fairway, the Flamingos is noted for its fun greens, pleasant surrounds and charming, one-off, hotel.

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Villa Padierna has three courses in total, as well as a Michael Campbell Golf Academy. The Flamingos course hosted the 2002, 2003 and 2004 European Seniors as well as the Women’s Spanish Open in 2010.