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Golf in Spain: the numbers, the regions, the seasons
Morris is Spanish, by Badgie Golf, and this is the one country he can describe from the inside: where the courses are, when each coast is at its best, what the federation asks of a visitor and how to get a real price. Figures from the federation's own returns, not from brochures.
By Morris, by Badgie Golf · Updated
The country in numbers (RFEG return to the EGA, 2024)
| What | How many |
|---|---|
| Golf courses, all types | 496 |
| 18-hole courses open to the public | 210 |
| 18-hole private courses | 170 |
| 9-hole courses (public / private) | 50 / 24 |
| Other private layouts | 42 |
| Short courses (pitch & putt, par 3) | 74 |
| Stand-alone driving ranges | 33 |
| Affiliated golfers | 299,400 (192,386 men, 70,554 women, 36,460 juniors) |
Spain’s oldest club is Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, in Gran Canaria, founded in 1891. The modern game’s weight is on the coasts and around Madrid; the official tourism site presents the country as Europe’s leading golf destination, which the course count supports.
The regions, by season
| Region | What it is | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Costa del Sol (Málaga, Cádiz end) | The densest cluster of courses in continental Europe; Marbella, Benahavís and Estepona are the core. Resort golf, many courses within an hour. | October to May; summer is hot and cheaper, play early |
| Costa Brava and Girona | Inland parkland among pines and vines; PGA Catalunya, Empordà, Costa Brava. Barcelona an hour away. | March to June, September to November |
| Canary Islands | Year-round golf on volcanic islands; Tenerife and Gran Canaria have the most courses. Wind is part of the game. | All year; winter is peak |
| Madrid and the centre | Classic clubs and the federation's national centre; dry, cold winters, hot summers. | April to June, September to November |
| Valencia, Murcia, Alicante | Resort courses along the Mediterranean, flatter and open, good value. | October to May |
| The north (Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia) | Green, hilly, Atlantic: the Spain that looks like Ireland, with mild summers. | May to October |
| Balearic Islands | Mallorca has most of the courses; mountains behind the fairways. | March to June, September to November |
What the course will ask of you
- 1
A handicap certificate, often
Many Spanish courses ask for a federation licence or a handicap certificate, sometimes with a maximum. Each course states it on its website; take your home certificate or a federation app screenshot.
- 2
The green fee, with its conditions
18 or 9 holes, weekday or weekend, high or low season, federated or not, buggy included or separate. The same course has several prices; the honest one is on its own site for your date.
- 3
Dress and pace
Collared shirts and no denim at many clubs; soft spikes. Pace is policed at the busy resort courses: four hours is the expectation for a four-ball.
- 4
Booking
By the course's own site or phone for the real price and the cancellation terms; intermediaries can be cheaper or dearer and the price can differ on the day. Morris gives you the course's link; he does not book or take payment.
How Morris helps with a Spanish trip
On WhatsApp he reads the course’s own website for the green fee in your dates and gives you the price with its conditions, the source and the date he read it, and the booking link or phone; if the course publishes nothing, he says so. For a trip with several courses he researches the area and sends a report with the courses, the prices and a suggested order. For your group, the trip planner lays out the days and the checklist; the green fees page explains what you are paying for; and golf in Portugal is the other half of the Iberian trip.
Sources
- European Golf Association — Real Federación Española de Golf, member profile (data submitted 2024) — 496 courses by type, 299,400 affiliated golfers, 74 short courses, 33 driving ranges. Read 9 October 2026.
- spain.info — Play golf in Spain (official tourism site) — The regions and courses the official site highlights: Marbella–Benahavís–Estepona, Girona and the Costa Brava, the Canary Islands. Read 9 October 2026.
- Real Federación Española de Golf — Licences, handicaps and the national course directory; the 1891 Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas. Read 9 October 2026.
- Golf News Net — What is a green fee? — What the fee covers and what it usually does not (cart, rentals). 5 November 2020; read 9 October 2026.
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Spain questions
How many golf courses are there in Spain?
496, according to the Spanish federation's 2024 return to the European Golf Association: 210 public and 170 private 18-hole courses, 50 public and 24 private 9-hole courses and 42 other private layouts, plus 74 short courses and 33 stand-alone driving ranges. Spain had 299,400 affiliated golfers in the same return.
Where is the best golf in Spain?
Depends on the month. The Costa del Sol (Málaga and the Cádiz end) has Europe's densest cluster of courses and plays all year; the Costa Brava and Girona have inland parkland and PGA Catalunya; the Canary Islands play 365 days; Madrid and the centre are cold in January and ideal in spring and autumn; the Basque and Cantabrian coasts are green and mild in summer.
Do I need a handicap to play golf in Spain?
Many courses ask for a handicap certificate or a federation licence, especially the better-known ones; others do not. Each course says so on its website, which is where Morris reads it. Spanish residents need an RFEG licence to be federated; visitors play with their home certificate where one is asked for.
When is the best time to play golf in Spain?
October to May on the Mediterranean and Atlantic south coasts, when northern Europe is cold and the courses are full and priced accordingly; summer there is hot, cheaper and best early in the morning. The Canary Islands play all year. The north coast and the centre are at their best from April to October.
What is the oldest golf club in Spain?
Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, in Gran Canaria, founded in 1891.
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