Golf in Spain

[woody69]

Myself and 7 mates (kind of like an unofficial society) are looking to book a trip to Spain next year at the end of April ideally to play 3 rounds of golf, staying 2 nights. So fly out early Friday morning and play Fri afternoon, then Saturday before playing early Sunday morning to fly back late on the Sunday.

I've had a brief look at Flights + accommodation and we could get something for around £230 each. We'd then need to add on the costs for car hire + green fees.

I have also contacted the usual Golf Travel Operators and been given a few quotes around the £300 mark for the golf and 2 nights accommodation, but we'd need to pay the £200 for the flights, so about £500 all in.

Can anyone that has done a similar trip either recommend some areas and/or course (we're completely open to suggestions) and advise if we'd actually get better value sorting travel and accommodation ourselves and just paying the green fees? Looking at some courses the green fees seem to be in the 60 - 120 euro range with buggies so I'm guessing going through a golf travel company makes more sense because there are little savings to be had and in theory they will deal with the courses and tee times won't be lost in translation or misunderstood etc. but interested to hear from anyone that has done it in the past.

Cheers

 

[IanM]

Bit of both!

I have regularly failed to beat the prices the well know golf operators can get as they get discounted fees and accommodation. There have been exceptions. but not many.

The main exception is booking your own flights as far in advance as you can. I get the Easyjet emails and book the day the flights open. Often makes a massive difference! But you still get a decent deal off them for accommodation and green fees. You are then left with the own clubs/rent clubs conversation!

 

[nickjdavis]

About 16 of us from my club went off to LaCala about 4 years ago. Think we went for 5 days and played 4 rounds and the cost was around £670 including all golf, accommodation and flights/transfers. Food was extra so we ate in the hotel a couple of times and caught a taxi into the local town for a couple of nights. Booked via a golf travel company but don't ask which one!!

All the accommodation and three courses are part of a single complex, so once you are there you wont have to worry about any travelling between hotel and courses, which might be easier if you plan to play the same day as you arrive and leave.

The courses are generally interesting but certainly not on a par with those you might get in Portugal or Turkey....they do tend to swallow golf balls as well....we had a sweep to guess the number of balls lost across the entire group (mid single figure golfers up to low 20 'cappers) and the winning total was somewhere around 150 balls lost across three and a half rounds (we got badly rained off on the last day!!).

I'm sure other folks here have been to LaCala so will pipe up with their own opinions.

https://www.lacala.com/

 

[IanM]

La Cala? Great facility, but courses are a built on terrain normally used for training the SAS. As you drive up the road you see lots of locals selling golf balls by the roadside. It is a clue.

 

[nickjdavis]

La Cala? Great facility, but courses are a built on terrain normally used for training the SAS. As you drive up the road you see lots of locals selling golf balls by the roadside. It is a clue.

That's true....I'd forgotten about the ball sellers....real professional operation, balls all in nice pyramids, sorted by ball brand/model.

 

[Hobbit]

The local courses around where we live in southeast Almeria range from (currently) €30 each inc buggy to €55 each inc buggy. April time is almost peak time, although most of the Scandinavians will have gone by then.

Local hotels, e.g. the Marina Playa in Mojacar are around €70 a room/night, €35 each BB&EM. Its 4 star and very comfortable. That's almost top end price. You can get a decent room elsewhere between €40(€20 each) and €55(€27.50 each).

Hiring a couple of cars from Sol Cars or Andalus Cars (Dave Baxter) should be around €60 each car - €15/ person 4 sharing. DON'T USE GOLDCAR.


So that's €70 for the hotel. €15 for the car share. €150 max for the golf. About £210-£220GBP.

The London Gatwick to Almeria will get you in before 10am, and if you're playing Alboran as a first choice(we paid €30 inc buggy on Wed) you could be on the tee by 10:30. There is a Manchester flight but not sure when it gets in - think its an afternoon flight. Jet2 and the tour companies start their flights from other airports around that time of year.

If you're looking to stay around Almeria you'd have Alboran, La Envia and a course at Roquetas De Mar all within 30 mins. La Envia does very good packages.

If you travelled 40 mins north, say Valle Del Este, you have there + Marina(Mojacar), Desert Springs and Aguillon(stunning and about €35 inc buggy) and Lorca all within 30 mins travelling. Valle Del Este do very good packages, especially last min. When we first came out we paid €35 each for a room + €40 each for the golf inc buggy.

 

[IanM]

Really enjoyed Val del Este... plenty of variety....not been in ages. Must do a return

 

[Hobbit]

Really enjoyed Val del Este... plenty of variety....not been in ages. Must do a return

Get yourself out here Ian. VDE is about 10 mins from us. Depending when/how many come over I can get you in with a couple of societies - cheaper. And if you need someone to take you around the good bars/restaurants....

 

[timd77]

Another shout for la Cala. Our society has been twice in the last 3 years. Great set up there with the 3 courses and complex, everything you need in 1 place. We generally ate down in the town (recommend the seafood restaurant on the sea front and the grill/steakhouse next to the Irish bar, excellent food at both).

The courses are tough and if you’re wayward your ball is either in some deep rough or down the bottom of a cliff! Saying that, I took 3 dozen with me last time and lost around 8 over the 3 rounds.

3 nights and 3 rounds, Sunday to Wednesday, b&b, everything including golf, buggies, flights, baggage and transfers is around £500, that’s in May so probably a bit cheaper in April. Booked through your golf travel.

 

[backwoodsman]

The local courses around where we live in southeast Almeria range from (currently) €30 each inc buggy to €55 each inc buggy. April time is almost peak time, although most of the Scandinavians will have gone by then.

Local hotels, e.g. the Marina Playa in Mojacar are around €70 a room/night, €35 each BB&EM. Its 4 star and very comfortable. That's almost top end price. You can get a decent room elsewhere between €40(€20 each) and €55(€27.50 each).

Hiring a couple of cars from Sol Cars or Andalus Cars (Dave Baxter) should be around €60 each car - €15/ person 4 sharing. DON'T USE GOLDCAR.


So that's €70 for the hotel. €15 for the car share. €150 max for the golf. About £210-£220GBP.

The London Gatwick to Almeria will get you in before 10am, and if you're playing Alboran as a first choice(we paid €30 inc buggy on Wed) you could be on the tee by 10:30. There is a Manchester flight but not sure when it gets in - think its an afternoon flight. Jet2 and the tour companies start their flights from other airports around that time of year.

If you're looking to stay around Almeria you'd have Alboran, La Envia and a course at Roquetas De Mar all within 30 mins. La Envia does very good packages.

If you travelled 40 mins north, say Valle Del Este, you have there + Marina(Mojacar), Desert Springs and Aguillon(stunning and about €35 inc buggy) and Lorca all within 30 mins travelling. Valle Del Este do very good packages, especially last min. When we first came out we paid €35 each for a room + €40 each for the golf inc buggy.

Which reminds me about my Christmas trip. I'll send you a PM...

 

[sunshine]

Another shout for la Cala. Our society has been twice in the last 3 years. Great set up there with the 3 courses and complex, everything you need in 1 place. We generally ate down in the town (recommend the seafood restaurant on the sea front and the grill/steakhouse next to the Irish bar, excellent food at both).

The courses are tough and if you’re wayward your ball is either in some deep rough or down the bottom of a cliff! Saying that, I took 3 dozen with me last time and lost around 8 over the 3 rounds.

3 nights and 3 rounds, Sunday to Wednesday, b&b, everything including golf, buggies, flights, baggage and transfers is around £500, that’s in May so probably a bit cheaper in April. Booked through your golf travel.

You took 3 dozen golf balls for 3 rounds of golf?

How much did you have to pay in excess baggage?

 

[timd77]

You took 3 dozen golf balls for 3 rounds of golf?

How much did you have to pay in excess baggage?

Yep, have you seen their prices! 😂 No excess baggage, stuck as much as possible in my golf bag!

 

[Gollerben]

We were going to book a trip to Spain this year, but now we are not sure about it. We prepared all needed documents, and made translations of them with the help of https://thewordpoint.com/services/translation-service/business I hope the situation with pandemic will improve, and we will take a trip to Spain!

 

[Gowferdee]

looking at la cala or algarve next year for 6 of us. maybe 2 rounds and 3 nights from scotland.
probably book airbnb apartment which is about 300 quid between us - flights maybe 150pp
add golf/buggy/clubs so maybe about 300 all in