Golf on the Costa Del Sol

[leftinthehouse]

Open Letter
Just returned from a short golfing trip to La Cala, played some nice courses unfortunately El Paraiso was unplayable due to the weather. La Cala was reasonably priced but many of the others are going on blindly without recourse to the current world financial situation and with the exchange rate at approximately 1:1 it has become "rip of Spain". This situation not only effects the golf, but is evident in all the associated businesses as one shop owner told me "its very quiet and we know what the problem is 1:1". Unless the whole of the Spanish economy gets to grip with this situation then I suspect that within a very short period Spain will be very short of visitors of any kind!

 

[rgs]

Reading your article it appears the prices in Spain have not changed, it just sterling has weaken significently against the euro.

As there are 15 other countries using the Euro most holiday resorts in Europe will appear dearer to UK residents. You have also lost on the exchange rate V the Dollar which also makes the US seem dearer.

 

[level5s]

Turkey it is then for golf holidays for us using GBP

 

[SammmeBee]

it has become "rip of Spain".

Have you only just realised this? Golf in Spain has been way over priced for years, but like the usual suckers people just pay up.....

 

[andycap]

I was in Portugal over Christmas and although i had no intention of playing i did look into it.Assuming if i went for a week and played 4 times taking everything into account , carriage of clubs or club hire, buggy hire , probable need of a car, etc . it would work out very expensive. Admitedly mainly due to the terrible exchange rate and other Euro countries may not find it so dear. But i'd rather have a week off in this country with a planned golf itinery

 

[rgs]

I spent 5 nights, we had a three bedroom apartment, in the Algarve last October with 4 rounds of golf, car hire included for €440 with Oceanio==had a choce from 8 courses.
We picked Alamos, Morgado, Palmeres and Boavista.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Just back from Malaga Played 3 rounds of golf Buggies included in 2 Car hire and accomadition for 220 euro, dinner about 20 euro a night beer 1.7 a bottle seemed cheap enought to me.
Mike

 

[Parmo]

Going on Saturday and my dad has picked up a flyer for 3 courses La Finca €42 usual €67, Las Ramblas €30 usual €48 and I think the other was Villamartin €30 instead of €50.

It would seem there are some bargins for golf over there, but the cheapest time for bargins is in the summer as they know no one wants to play in 35*+. We got 3 of us on La Serena for €36 last June and in Sept me and my dad played Las Ramblas for about €43 each, at the time it was better than now, but how many UK clubs charge more?

The thing that anoys me is the airlines, we fly from Leeds/Bradford and Jet2 charge £37.50 and RyanAir charge £60!!

 

[Mawgan]

I think it is a bit rich to accuse Spain of being a 'rip-off', after all most of us would have been quite happy about things when the exchange rate was in our favour. What goes up can also come down...

Having just returned from a business trip to Murcia (unfortunately not including golf!) I do agree that prices seem pretty vicious and it will be interesting to see whether courses and in turn retailers reduce them, but there is litle chance in the short term at least of a rate change because of the minimal room for manoeuvre that the Spanish government has (just had their AAA rating withdrawn). In other words it will be a reaction to market forces rather than government action that cheers things up for us. Because, no matter what is said about the cost, where would you rather play at the moment if you had the choice, especially with this recent weather?

I almost had to call the air-sea rescue to get me off the course on Sunday...!

 

[Parmo]

I think it is a bit rich to accuse Spain of being a 'rip-off', after all most of us would have been quite happy about things when the exchange rate was in our favour. What goes up can also come down...

Having just returned from a business trip to Murcia (unfortunately not including golf!) I do agree that prices seem pretty vicious and it will be interesting to see whether courses and in turn retailers reduce them, but there is litle chance in the short term at least of a rate change because of the minimal room for manoeuvre that the Spanish government has (just had their AAA rating withdrawn). In other words it will be a reaction to market forces rather than government action that cheers things up for us. Because, no matter what is said about the cost, where would you rather play at the moment if you had the choice, especially with this recent weather?

I almost had to call the air-sea rescue to get me off the course on Sunday...!

tbh the Spanish where in love with the Germans, then the German money ran out with taxation on second homes. The Spanish moved onto the Brits & Irish and the love affair started again with a different nation, now the cash has run out the Spanish have moved onto the Russians and are welcoming them with open arms whilst at the same time making life very difficult for ex pats who remain there by either corrupt taxation and inflated prices or just plain racism, that said many Spanish I know and have met have been nice, but there is a massive element to it as experienced by expats living in Spain.

As mentioned before the best time for deals is the summer or if living there to join a society and play that way, it seems to me thats how most expats play or can afford to play.