If there is one sport that is closely linked to tourism it is golf, and if there is one region that has attached special importance to golf it is the Costa del Sol. For years, it has been known as the Costa del Golf, and this is not just a promotional ploy but a reference to a verifiable fact as at the present time its golf offer is the best in Europe, with more than 40 golf courses in immaculate condition.

There is such a great concentration of golf courses on the Costa del Sol that this area ranks among the top international golf tourism destinations. Reasons are its extraordinary climate that allows this sport to be played at any time of the year and topographic conditions that are an ideal challenge to the designers of these facilities to put their imagination and experience to the test in taking advantage of the natural terrain. These features have produced technical, sporting and landscaping results that are as original as they are surprising.

Most golf courses on the Costa del Sol, in fact, add a unique natural landscape to an impeccable sport-specific design, whether the facility lies next to the sea or farther inland. The practice of transforming some valleys and streambeds into spectacular green carpets dotted with water hazards and native vegetation has been characterised as exemplary by some specialists in this field.

This recognition has not been by chance but rather the result of a firm commitment to this sport, a commitment that has benefited from supervision by the most distinguished golfers in the world and the best designers of these types of facilities. The work of urban planning experts, who have merged the purely recreational zones with complementing infrastructure to form a seamless whole, has likewise served as a model for other regions that are currently in the process of promoting this sport, with all that it implies for its surroundings.

One of the characteristics that make the Costa del Sol a sort of golf Mecca is the variety to be found in its courses, especially in their design and location and not just in the number of holes. Thus, professionals or amateurs can practice this sport in facilities that differ greatly from one another, ranging from those that are classified as links (the ones next to the sea) to the Scottish style, with extremely uneven grounds, or the American type, characterised by level spaces and an abundance of water. In addition to these types there are those courses that, in a sort of calculated syncretism, combine two or more of these styles.

The Costa del Sol’s vast golf offer could not have gone unnoticed by the organisers of the most prestigious national and international competitions, and, for a number of years now, several courses in this region have hosted world famous competitions (Spanish Open, The World Championship, Volvo Master and even the Ryder Cup) that have led to the province of Málaga becoming the official winter headquarters of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) in Europe.

The Málaga golf sector has been very conscious of the fact that in the last few years this sport has attracted the attention of different social classes and that now, while it does retain something of that image, it is not considered exclusively a sport of the elite. In this respect, the competitive fees of the Málaga courses should be pointed out. At a number of them, well-known professionals also give practice and beginners’ classes. Other clubs have specialised academies that are devoted more to perfecting the golfer’s game, and which combine practical instruction with the most advanced training techniques.

The Western Costa del Sol, with the municipalities of Marbella and Mijas at the forefront, is the part of the province of Málaga with the most golf courses, but the fact is that not only are they proliferating along the rest of the Málaga coast (Eastern Costa del Sol), but also the interior regions (Antequera and the Guadalhorce valley) have energetically entered the golfing world. Therefore, it can be truly said that there is a golf course close at hand in any part of the province.