Photo: Jose Luis Filpo Cabana · CC BY 3.0
Costa del Sol, Spain
La Hacienda Links Golf Resort
One of the few genuine links-style courses in southern Spain, with fairways running along the Mediterranean shore near Sotogrande.
Course overview
La Hacienda Links Golf Resort — formerly known as Alcaidesa Golf — opened its Links Course in 1992, originally designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark. The course underwent a major renovation by architect Kurtis Bowman, reopening in 2021, and was named Best Golf Course in Spain at the 2023 World Golf Awards. Set on the coast near San Roque and Sotogrande, it is one of the few true links layouts in southern Europe, with uninterrupted views across the Strait of Gibraltar. Visitors are welcome daily with a valid handicap certificate (max 28 for men, 36 for women).
The essentials
- Architect
- Peter Alliss and Clive Clark; Kurtis Bowman (redesign, reopened 2021)
- Established
- 1992
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72
- Location
- San Roque, Cádiz, Spain
Character & atmosphere
A genuine seaside links, unusual for southern Spain, with rolling fairways running along the Mediterranean shore and views towards Gibraltar and the Moroccan coast on clear days. Firm, coastal conditions reward a links-style ground game over target golf.
Highlights
Why play here
- Designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark; Kurtis Bowman (redesign, reopened 2021), opened in 1992.
- Sea views feature throughout the round.
- Part of a full golf resort, with facilities on site.
Practical guidance
Plan your visit
How to get there
Gibraltar Airport (GIB) is the closest, approximately 6–8 miles away — around 15–20 minutes by car, crossing the Spanish border. Málaga Airport (AGP) offers a much broader international network and is roughly 90 minutes to the northeast. Visitors need a valid handicap certificate (max 28 men, 36 women) and are welcome daily.
Where to stay
Sotogrande is Spain's most exclusive private resort community and the address of Valderrama. Staying here puts you closest to the region's most prestigious courses, in a setting that favours privacy and discretion over nightlife.
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Spain
Explore Costa del Sol
Southern Spain's golf coast, anchored by Sotogrande and the Málaga coastline.