Bendinat Golf Course

If you’ve already decided to stay in the south of the island then you may have already chosen to play at Santa Ponsa, the course favoured by American presidents. But if you like to go one step better than everyone else, then Bendinat, the course favoured by Kings has to be the one for you.
In the hillsides beneath the fortress of Castillo de Bendinat and close to the marina of Puerto Portals lies Real Golf de Bendinat.

This is no ordinary golf club. Open air concerts with orchestras playing classical music are regular events on the social calendar for the 950-plus members, while the president of the club is none other than the King of Spain, Don Juan Carlos.

Visitors are welcomed with open arms at Real Golf de Bendinat – it’s an excellent place to enjoy holiday golf. And do take time to relax in the 19th hole, where according to Jorge Pando, director of Real Golf de Bendinat, there is deliberately no golf memorabilia or decoration, but a contemporary light airy clubhouse, perfect for drinking and dining.

The course is wonderfully manicured and a fun test. It was originally a 9 hole course, built in 1985, but was extended to a full 18 holes in 1995.

No two holes play the same way, and English architect Martin Hawtree has created a course in two distinct styles. The front 9 winds through a residential area, bordering private villas and exclusive hotels, while parts of the back nine are played in blissful isolation, in a natural and environmentally protected area in the hills. It is here that you will encounter the clubs mascots, the mountain goats that roam the surrounding hills and are soon to be celebrated with a life-size sculpture by the 14th green.

The goats are golfer friendly, and merely graze while you tackle the clubs signature 12th hole. A downhill par 3, you play from an elevated tee looking down on the bay of Palma Nova, to a green guarded by a lake. It’s a stunning sight, and later complemented by holes backed towards the castle, such as the 14th where a 15th-century viaduct flanks the green.

Taking a buggy is sensible as the course winds up and down through hilly terrain, and in the Mallorcan sun, you’ll want to save your legs for a stroll along the nearby marina of Portals Nous.

You may be required to present a handicap certificate at this course;

Key Information:
Handicap Gentlemen: 36
Handicap Ladies: 36

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Andratx Golf Course

David Kidd almost carved the holes out of the Andratx hills when designing this course. Perceived as being one of the more challenging courses on the island, the opening hole is a testing Par 4. A good straight drive is needed in order to give the best line into the green for the second shot, with the raised green being protected by a typical Mallorquin stone wall at the front. This 18 hole course is praised for its originality with several raised tees offering stunning views of the Mallorquin coastline. The back nine holes are ensconced in the countryside, surrounded by pine trees and Mediterranean flora. An eye catching feature of this course is the contrast in colours between the three different grass types that are used. Even the novice will have no difficulty in recognising whether their ball is on the fairway on in the rough.

Seven ponds and lakes divided between six holes, and sixty snow white quartz filled sand bunkers ensure that even the most experience players rarely return to the clubhouse with the same ball that they started with.

The course is irrigated with recycled water and rainwater collected in tanks. The Andratx Club de Golf also has its own desalination plant ensuring, the long term protection of the environment.
You may be required to present a handicap certificate at this course;

Key Information:
Handicap Gentlemen: 28
Handicap Ladies: 35
Price: Approx £65

www.simplymallorcagolf.com

Alcanada Golf Course

Two essential requirement for the creation of a top category golf course are: a privileged setting and a first rate architect. Both exist in Alcanada, Alcudia. A virgin terrain gently sloping down towards the shoreline, with its pine, olive and oak trees and the mountains of the Sierra de Levante in the background.

Robert Trent Jones Sen & Jnr, designed the beautiful Alcanada golf course, which opened in October 2003. Typical Trent Jones features, like 58 well placed green side fairway bunkers, challenging greens with hidden breaks, and difficult but fair tee shots, already make this golf course a must for all experienced golfers travelling to Mallorca.

Almost as spectacular as the design of the course is the view across the bay of Alcudia. Club de Golf Alcanada is the only course in Mallorca that is right by the sea. The lighthouse on the island of Alcanada, just 150m into the sea, forms part of the clubs logo.

The golf course is located in an environmentally important area, and you will frequently find a variety of wild life and rare birds on the course, particularly in the early morning.

The restaurant overlooks both the course, and Alcudia bay, and is as inviting as the staff who will cater to your every need.

You may be required to present a handicap certificate at this course;

Key Information:
Handicap Gentlemen: 33
Handicap Ladies: 35
Price: Approx £53

www.simplymallorcagolf.com