The difficulties in arranging golf holidays for groups. Spain or Portugal or somewhere else. Everyone has different opinions on the golf courses...

[carled]

To be fair, I live and breath for organising trips. Done it for a UK based society of up to 20 people for 25 years, but the trip abroad is a tougher nut to crack. We had a trip to America a year ago and did Island and Copperhead at Innisbrook, TPC Sawgrass and Southern Dunes, Bay Hill and Hawk's landing. TPC stood out head and shoulders above the others. Some were tatty (Copperhead wasn't in great condition) but nice layouts. So sometimes what are supposed to be premium courses end up being underwhelming in reality. Possibly just off-season (went in November).

So, Europe this time, and it'll be September or October 2026, so some time yet and it's for a group of 12. The ideal will be a big villa with a pool, BUT... it has to be walking distance to local bars & restaurants. Why a villa and not a hotel? Well, because at hotels, you have to do twin rooms to get decent prices and not everyone in our group wants to share, or is necessarily compatible for sharing with others! Also, once you get back to the hotel, everyone vanishes off to their room for hours and the hotel bars tend to be ridiculously priced, so... Finding villas with 12 separate beds spread over at least 7 rooms with no sofa beds, no bunk beds and in a good location is tricky, but not impossible and VRBO/AirBnB are good for identifying them and then sometimes finding it's cheaper through direct websites, if the owners have one. Probably Portugal or Spain due to requirement for warmth and (almost) guaranteed good weather.

I've been searching through old (and current) threads on here to get an idea and it's interesting to see how often there is conflicting opinion over course. One person finds Font del Llop or La Finca amazing, another thinks Roda is the best, someone else says La Manga North and then in come the other opinions that it's too near a motorway, or flat, or forgettable, or just crap. Of course, different opinions are what makes the world go around. Course maintenance, droughts, temporary financial difficulties, changes in staff all make courses vary, so a course that was amazing in 2019 can now be going to ruin. So what do we do? We look at top100golfcourses.com and take a look at their recommendations and then look at golfer reviews telling the top100 team they're mad and this course should be higher than that course, etc. It's a lottery.

I was looking at the Sotogrande area due to the concentration of courses, but it's hard to find a good villa over there that's anywhere near bars or restaurants and we don't want 20 minute taxis or ubers every night. More villas around Marbella, but... it's Marbella. And the courses don't seem as good. Spoke to some local "inside knowledge people" who, of course, have their favourite courses (maybe some kickbacks for getting tourists in) so they oversell the "brit in the sun" type packages at La Cala or wherever. The green fees in the Sotogrande area seem fairly extortionate too. Don't mind paying for a decent course (see visit to Sawgrass above!) but €250-300 for a few of those courses is a bit 'ouch'. Of course the different agencies also contradict each other "oh, I don't know why they told you to go there - that's not a nice course, you should go here instead" and as I don't know what they're basing their opinions on, it's hard to know who to trust. Hence me looking to crowdsource ideas a bit.

Current considerations are the South of Alicante area, as prices seem a lot more reasonable and there are more villas. Also the Valencia area and then finally up north to get at PGA Catalunya and Emporda (we played here back in 2007 in 60km/h winds! Amazing looking course). We'll do 7 nights and 5 rounds, so something like arrive Sat, play Sun, Mon, Tue, have a day off Wed, play Thu, Fri and then go home Saturday. We may consider a 6th round if weather is good and/or flight times work out. So I'm looking at 5 rounds needed. Handicaps mostly high single figures to mid teens. One or two a bit north of 20.

Up north seems like it'll have much longer drives. Ideally 10-30 minutes drive to courses each day is fine (we're happy self-driving or getting a transfer package if needs be), but up there it seems if you stay around Lloret de Mar, it's more like 45-60 minutes to the courses and options after PGA and Emporda are not great locally, possibly Real El Prat, but it's a real drive.

Valencia seems to offer El Bosque, El Salar, Escorpion and La Galiana as decent options, but what for the 5th course? Oliva Nova?

Further South, staying somewhere around Mar Menor to Torrivieja seems to offer options like Las Ramblas, Las Colinas, El Valle, La Finca, Saurines, Lo Romero and maybe Font del Llop at a push. This seems to have a better concentration of courses not too far to drive to and is currently leading the way I think. Did consider a private villa in La Manga, but would be a fair trip to two other courses from within that location and I'm not sure we'd fancy a golf resort.

@Mel Smooth seems to have a lot of knowledge of that area. Would welcome some sanity checks on the thought process I've been through. I'll reach out to StraySodGreenFees to get an idea too, but I got a bit put off by their website touting Roda and other courses that seem to get a bit of a panning on here. Sorry for the long post, thought it best to get as much info in as possible to allow people to have sufficient ammunition to point out a whole load of mistakes I've probably made in my attempts to organise something!

 

[full_throttle]

Have you had a look at Lisbon?

 

[carled]

Have you had a look at Lisbon?

Yup. Not many Villas at all and quite a bit of travelling involved to some courses. Also looked at a 2 centre stay, a few days near West Cliff and a few in Lisbon. Just not seeing something that grabs me, but I'm open to suggestions of things I may have missed.

 

[full_throttle]

Sorry, I can't help,
I knew there are plenty of courses, but that's about all

 

[BrianM]

What about Turkey?

 

[carled]

What about Turkey?

From what I know, it's all dominated by all-inclusive hotels around Belek, isn't it?

 

[howbow88]

It seems to me that you're looking for absolute perfection... That doesn't exist. Make a decision on what is most important to you guys - the accommodation, the area, the courses, etc - and just book it. And I think this might sound like a strange thing to say, but I think that sometimes you can research a trip too much and you just end up getting confused and conflicted.

Best of luck in getting it sorted

 

[hors limite]

Might be worth revisiting your 2007 trip to the Costa Brava. I've made regular trips recently, playing. in particular, Emporda Links and Forest and Catalunya Tour and Stadium. To my mind all four are outstanding and easily bear comparison with my other Spanish favourite, Las Colinas. L'Escala is our base, a laid back very Spanish smallish resort with plenty of bars and restos with not a " kiss me quick" hat in sight.
The Garden Route courses in South Africa are superb, but it's a long way for a week!

 

[The Squirrel]

Olivia Nova was a strange mix when I went with the 7 holes on the far side of the road from the clubhouse seeming quite scruffy but the ones on the clubhouse side all in really nice order. Flat course which was really good fun. Some wind and lots of water (well, I found plenty, ). Anyway…

I often organise events within a business that has a headcount of 18. As you have found, as soon as you are in double figures, whatever sort of event you are organising it is impossible to find an option that will make everyone entirely happy about everything. People’s ability to grumble is far greater than their ability to problem solve or find viable alternatives. My advice is forget the subjective stuff - for example people will always have different opinions on which course is amazing or just OK, so don’t worry too much about finding the perfect course. People will always love playing an ultra famous course (e.g. Sawgrass!) but beyond that you won’t get 12 people to agree, so unless you are booking somewhere like Pebble Beach etc, the course isn’t going to swing the trip.

Focus on and achieve the objective measurable stuff. Here that means a villa with enough rooms that everyone who wants a single room gets one, and walkable bar-restaurants that is available on your planned dates and within your budget and with non-silly flight times available. Find one of those near anywhere with a few golf courses nearby then job done, just book it and inform people that that’s what you are doing. Obvious as it is, would Vilamoura or Quinta do Lago be the easiest answer?

 

[Mel Smooth]

Will this do you - 12 beds shared between 7 bedrooms - 5 bathrooms. La Zenia is right in the heart of a strip of land just south of Torrevieja that has some great beaches, bars and restaurants, plus the La Zenia Boulevard if you want to do a bit of shopping.

You can jump on the AP-7 motorway to get access to courses further north and south although it is a tolled section, the locals tend to avoid it, you just need to add a little bit onto your journey time.

You'd have Las Ramblas, Campomoar Golf, Villamartin Golf, and Las Colinas all within 5km. La Finca is 20 minutes heading north up the motorway, as is Vistabella Golf.
Heading south down the AP7 - you have Lo Romero - Roda and the La Manga courses are a little further.

If the prices are consistent with what they were when we lived there, Las Colinas will be top end, La Finca maybe a little cheaper, then Villamartin, Vistabella, Lo Romero and Las Ramblas all coming in further down the price range - I'd class all 4 of these courses as good value. Never played Campomoar but drove through it plenty of times as it was a little shortcut from the country road we'd use to get to that area, but it never looked particularly interesting to me.
When I moved there, having played numerous courses on the Costa Del Sol, I was more than surprised by the standard of the courses - I'd have no hesitation in booking the ones I've mentioned if I was organising a trip there.

Check out this place in Spain I found on Vrbo! https://t.vrbo.io/c0ljJqcR5Pb

Edit: Looking at the pics, the decor looks a bit dated so you might want something a little more stylish inside, but outside looks like it's been recently updated.

 

[njc1973]

What about Cyprus, paphos has some really good courses, decent nightlife and you should be able to get a suitable villa

 

[carled]

It seems to me that you're looking for absolute perfection... That doesn't exist. Make a decision on what is most important to you guys - the accommodation, the area, the courses, etc - and just book it. And I think this might sound like a strange thing to say, but I think that sometimes you can research a trip too much and you just end up getting confused and conflicted.

Best of luck in getting it sorted

Yeah, fair point. I'm always anxious I might miss something if I don't fully research things, which then leads to me agonising over little things. I'll try to look at the bigger picture, sound advice, thanks.

 

[carled]

Olivia Nova was a strange mix when I went with the 7 holes on the far side of the road from the clubhouse seeming quite scruffy but the ones on the clubhouse side all in really nice order. Flat course which was really good fun. Some wind and lots of water (well, I found plenty, ). Anyway…

I often organise events within a business that has a headcount of 18. As you have found, as soon as you are in double figures, whatever sort of event you are organising it is impossible to find an option that will make everyone entirely happy about everything. People’s ability to grumble is far greater than their ability to problem solve or find viable alternatives. My advice is forget the subjective stuff - for example people will always have different opinions on which course is amazing or just OK, so don’t worry too much about finding the perfect course. People will always love playing an ultra famous course (e.g. Sawgrass!) but beyond that you won’t get 12 people to agree, so unless you are booking somewhere like Pebble Beach etc, the course isn’t going to swing the trip.

Focus on and achieve the objective measurable stuff. Here that means a villa with enough rooms that everyone who wants a single room gets one, and walkable bar-restaurants that is available on your planned dates and within your budget and with non-silly flight times available. Find one of those near anywhere with a few golf courses nearby then job done, just book it and inform people that that’s what you are doing. Obvious as it is, would Vilamoura or Quinta do Lago be the easiest answer?

Also sound advice, thanks. Control the controllables! Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago are venues I think several people in the group have been to, so I was looking for somewhere new. But you're right, I shouldn't rule it out so I'll go and take another look. Thanks.

 

[carled]

Might be worth revisiting your 2007 trip to the Costa Brava. I've made regular trips recently, playing. in particular, Emporda Links and Forest and Catalunya Tour and Stadium. To my mind all four are outstanding and easily bear comparison with my other Spanish favourite, Las Colinas. L'Escala is our base, a laid back very Spanish smallish resort with plenty of bars and restos with not a " kiss me quick" hat in sight.
The Garden Route courses in South Africa are superb, but it's a long way for a week!

Yeah, been looking at this. 5th course could be Serres de Pals or something. L'Escala is 50 minutes drive from PGA Catalunya though, which is a big old trip for two days in the week. Doesn't have to be L'Escala as a staying point though, could go a bit down the coast to Palamós or even a bit further down, making it half an hour to PGA and 25 mins to Emporda, I guess? Will have a look in that area for accommodation. Thanks.

 

[carled]

Will this do you - 12 beds shared between 7 bedrooms - 5 bathrooms. La Zenia is right in the heart of a strip of land just south of Torrevieja that has some great beaches, bars and restaurants, plus the La Zenia Boulevard if you want to do a bit of shopping.

You can jump on the AP-7 motorway to get access to courses further north and south although it is a tolled section, the locals tend to avoid it, you just need to add a little bit onto your journey time.

You'd have Las Ramblas, Campomoar Golf, Villamartin Golf, and Las Colinas all within 5km. La Finca is 20 minutes heading north up the motorway, as is Vistabella Golf.
Heading south down the AP7 - you have Lo Romero - Roda and the La Manga courses are a little further.

If the prices are consistent with what they were when we lived there, Las Colinas will be top end, La Finca maybe a little cheaper, then Villamartin, Vistabella, Lo Romero and Las Ramblas all coming in further down the price range - I'd class all 4 of these courses as good value. Never played Campomoar but drove through it plenty of times as it was a little shortcut from the country road we'd use to get to that area, but it never looked particularly interesting to me.
When I moved there, having played numerous courses on the Costa Del Sol, I was more than surprised by the standard of the courses - I'd have no hesitation in booking the ones I've mentioned if I was organising a trip there.

Check out this place in Spain I found on Vrbo! https://t.vrbo.io/c0ljJqcR5Pb

Edit: Looking at the pics, the decor looks a bit dated so you might want something a little more stylish inside, but outside looks like it's been recently updated.

I have that La Zenia place along with a few others in my VRBO saved places list. I thought I'd found something about it that concerned me, but looking at it again, it's walking distance to lots of bars & restaurants, has the right kind of bed layout and seems pretty decent, so maybe I'm mistaken. Hadn't heard of Campoamor but will take a look. Same with Villamartin. Looking at leadingcourses.com, they both seem to be middle of the road for the area. Top courses to go for do still seem to be the ones I mentioned in the list (based purely on the reviews, of course... which as I've already said aren't always that accurate, but with leadingcourses, it does have hundreds of reviews per course to average out, so it seems like it may give a decent idea of the ones likely to be worth a visit. Las Colinas, La Finca, Las Ramblas, Lo Romero, Vistabella all near the top of the list.

That La Zenia place has about 15 golf courses within half an hours drive. It's beginning to look like a really good option, to be honest. The interior is a bit "meh" but I'm sure we could cope if it comes down to that one. Will carry on looking about. Cheers for the input.

 

[carled]

What about Cyprus, paphos has some really good courses, decent nightlife and you should be able to get a suitable villa

It's news to me, to be honest. I thought there were only three or four courses on Cyprus in total. Which Top100courses and Leadingcourses concurs with, so I don't think there's enough to be going there for, really. Thanks though.

 

[Tashyboy]

Just got back from Agadir Morocco. As me and Missis T jumped on the bus to transfer us to the plane she says “ I know him”. A guy is stood 4ft away. He is a retired nurse. Turns out the jammy sod stayed in iberostar in Agadir on the prom. All inclusive and played 4 courses with his wife in Agadir. We met up after he had played two courses and loved it. Saw him again at the airport and they had a whale of a time. Cost £1100 all in. He did mention that the course near Taghazout ( Hyatt ) is the best and thats about 30 mins from Agadir. Why pay for beers and meals when it is with the price. Still possible to get rooms for singles.

 

[Tashyboy]

Olivia Nova was a strange mix when I went with the 7 holes on the far side of the road from the clubhouse seeming quite scruffy but the ones on the clubhouse side all in really nice order. Flat course which was really good fun. Some wind and lots of water (well, I found plenty, ). Anyway…

I often organise events within a business that has a headcount of 18. As you have found, as soon as you are in double figures, whatever sort of event you are organising it is impossible to find an option that will make everyone entirely happy about everything. People’s ability to grumble is far greater than their ability to problem solve or find viable alternatives. My advice is forget the subjective stuff - for example people will always have different opinions on which course is amazing or just OK, so don’t worry too much about finding the perfect course. People will always love playing an ultra famous course (e.g. Sawgrass!) but beyond that you won’t get 12 people to agree, so unless you are booking somewhere like Pebble Beach etc, the course isn’t going to swing the trip.

Focus on and achieve the objective measurable stuff. Here that means a villa with enough rooms that everyone who wants a single room gets one, and walkable bar-restaurants that is available on your planned dates and within your budget and with non-silly flight times available. Find one of those near anywhere with a few golf courses nearby then job done, just book it and inform people that that’s what you are doing. Obvious as it is, would Vilamoura or Quinta do Lago be the easiest answer?

Having played while staying at Vilamoura and Albuferia. Vilamoura, esp the marina area ticks more boxes for me.

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

I’ve championed that Costa Blanca thread as this will be our first golf trip abroad. As chief organiser I have spent many hours researching this.

What I have noticed is that things won’t always go smooth sailing. It was a trip originally for 12 but we lost a couple on the way and now have an awkward number of 9. That won’t spoil our fun and 3 x 3 balls will work with our Ryder cup being 3 teams of 3 just for added spice/banter.

Not going to lie, I really enjoy the planning side of trips. I’ve booked countless group trips in the past (non golf related) but this trip has been a little different. Mainly due to me booking it with pals I haven’t known as long.

The trip did infact work a lot easier once the divas / time wasters were filtered out.

We now have accommodation, 3 rounds + buggies, airport transfers, course transfers, flights + luggage all booked up for 9 of us without a middle man taking a big slice of the pie.

Considering this is our first trip abroad as a group , it feels oddly satisfying to have finally accomplished and secured the above.

5 days / 3 rounds (at top courses) with literally everything thrown in bar your food / drinks has cost us around £600. Having that extra bit of flexibility to eat and drink anywhere was a massive thing for us.

Really looking forward to it

 

[carled]

Just got back from Agadir Morocco. As me and Missis T jumped on the bus to transfer us to the plane she says “ I know him”. A guy is stood 4ft away. He is a retired nurse. Turns out the jammy sod stayed in iberostar in Agadir on the prom. All inclusive and played 4 courses with his wife in Agadir. We met up after he had played two courses and loved it. Saw him again at the airport and they had a whale of a time. Cost £1100 all in. He did mention that the course near Taghazout ( Hyatt ) is the best and thats about 30 mins from Agadir. Why pay for beers and meals when it is with the price. Still possible to get rooms for singles.

We've got a few in the group who've been to Morocco. It was on the list but got dumped as its basically decent but not great. They all say that in a few more years it could be worth it though. They've been part of my extended golfing group for 25 years, so they know what our course standards are!