It’s well known by now just how stunning the Balearic Islands are, with their crystal-clear waters, sun-kissed beaches, and laid-back vibe. It’s no wonder the destination is so popular with international visitors, especially Mallorca.
Mallorca is the largest of the five populated islands, with Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and the much smaller Cabrera scattered nearby. Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, framed by dramatic mountain backdrops, and rich with traditional and historical architecture dating back to the 13th century, it’s impossible not to feel that holiday buzz just thinking about it.
For most people, Mallorca brings to mind sun-soaked beaches or a week of partying in Magaluf. But the island’s golf offering is just as impressive, with 24 courses in total, 21 open to visitors. During my trip, I was lucky enough to play two of the best: Alcanada and Pula.
Club de Golf Alcanada
On Mallorca’s northern coast sits Alcanada Golf, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that’s as visually stunning as it is challenging. Opened in 2003 and owned by Hans Peter Porsche (of the Porsche family), the par-72 course (stretching 7,173 yards off the tips) utilises the natural lay of the land magnificently, with sweeping views over Alcudia Bay and its iconic lighthouse; once a beacon for weary sailors, now a beacon for golfers chasing something special. With its thoughtful design and picture-perfect conditioning, it’s no surprise Alcanada is ranked the number one course in the Balearic Islands by Top 100, a verdict I can fully get behind.
The moment you arrive, you can tell it’s a special place. Everything is prim, proper, and pristine. From the villa-esque clubhouse, perched perfectly for the best view in the house and serving fantastic traditional Mallorcan and international dishes, to the immaculate putting green beside the first tee, every detail impresses. It’s the kind of course that would have you excited to play weeks in advance.
After a quick warm-up on the range and a swift attempt to read the greens, I stepped onto the first. A 500-yard par 5, it demands an accurately placed tee shot; avoid the tight danger on the left, which also blocks the approach, and the cleverly positioned fairway bunker on the right. The second shot requires a decision, depending on where your tee shot ends up. You can go for the green, protected by a dead zone to the left and a stream cutting across the fairway about 100 yards short, or play it safe to the layup zone just beyond the stream, setting up a short pitch.
For me, it’s the perfect opening hole. It’s gettable in two, but only if you position yourself well off the tee. Right and long-right is the natural miss, which usually forces a layup and a more demanding birdie attempt. But if you go left, end up in the sand, hit a poor second, or any combination of these, you could easily start the round with a double. The hole sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the course: smart play is rewarded, with plenty of risk-and-reward opportunities, but get it wrong, and you’ll be focused on damage limitation to keep your score respectable.
Alcanada’s signature hole, without a doubt, is the 7th. Starting from an elevated tee box, looking down towards Alcudia Bay and its signature lighthouse, the 7th is a golfer’s dream. Measuring 633 yards from the tips, this beast of a par-5 requires every ounce of thought and ability you might have. A large bunker sits in the middle of the fairway, on the number for most golfers’ carry yardages, while the contours of the fairway slope both right and left, leaving only a narrow corridor on either side to hold it. However, if you fly the bunker, you’re rewarded with a downhill landing zone that can add 30–40 yards to your drive before settling on a flat(ish) lie.
Even then, after a drive many would brag about for the rest of the holiday, you’re left with 250–300 yards into the green. Remarkably, on my first time playing it, I pulled off two wonder shots and ended up through the back. However, and this is the beauty of the hole, on my second time, I went right off the tee, had to chip out, and still faced 300 yards for my third. It’s not a course that purposely wants to beat you up, but it will most certainly punish you, and the 7th exemplifies that. It really is a terrific hole, and one I could happily play time and time again.
Aside from the clever design, the conditioning was superb. Fairways were spongy, the rough was tricky but fair, and the greens rolled true and fast; what else could a golfer want?
All in all, it’s a must-play if you’re visiting Mallorca. If you’re weighing up destinations for a golf trip, it should be enough to confidently tip the scales in favour of this wonderful island.
HotelPlanner Tour: Rolex Grand Final
It’s no surprise Alcanada is no stranger to the spotlight, and this autumn it will once again play host to the Rolex Grand Final of the HotelPlanner Tour, welcoming Europe’s rising stars for the fifth time from 30 October to 2 November. Alcanada first staged the finale in 2019 and has since become its spiritual home, returning in 2022, 2023, and 2024. It provides the season-ending showpiece of the ‘Road to Mallorca’, which features 29 events across 19 countries, all leading to this coastal gem in the Balearics.
Inmood Hotel
Our base while playing Alcanada was the unassuming yet sleek and stylish Inmood Hotel. Tucked away on a quiet road, less than half a minute’s stroll to its own private beach and only a four-minute drive from the course (with a free shuttle if you prefer), it’s perfectly placed for both switching off completely and teeing it up at Club de Golf Alcanada.
The facilities are second to none, too. Four pools (three outdoor, one indoor), a gym, spa, wellness area, three restaurants (serving delectably cooked dishes), a café, and a bar all tick the right boxes. Down by the glistening water, you’ve got a sports centre with everything from catamaran hire and windsurfing to paddleboards, kayaks, water bikes, and guided excursions if you fancy exploring further afield.
As for the rooms, they hit the sweet spot, modern without being flashy, light and airy, and above all, comfortable. The whole place feels in tune with its setting: tranquil and relaxed, but with more than enough to keep you busy. If you’re playing Alcanada, Inmood is a no-brainer.
Pula Golf Resort
Tucked away on the outskirts of Son Servera, Pula Golf Resort blends tradition and modern luxury, with a 16th-century manor house, sleek new suites, and the island’s impeccable beaches just minutes away. Founded in 1995 and later redesigned by the legendary José María Olazábal between 2004 and 2006, the course has been cleverly shaped into a scenic yet challenging 6,831-yard par 72 (par 70 for professional play), with every hole just as enjoyable as the last.
The practice facilities are ideal, too, with a two-level driving range (one covered), two putting greens, and a short-game area. Pula has also hosted some big names over the years, including The Mallorca Classic, which was a dual-ranking event on the Challenge Tour (now the HotelPlanner Tour) and the Euro“pean Tour (now the DP World Tour) in 2003. It then became a full European Tour event from 2004 to 2007, and today it remains a favourite with celebrities and sports stars, Rafa Nadal among them. Even during our visit, a celebrity pro-am was getting underway the following day, and the likes of Pepe Reina were out practising in preparation.
What I like most about the resort (I’ll get onto the course shortly) is that everything really is just a stone’s throw away. In fact, if you were to actually throw a stone, you’d probably land it on one of the facilities. Pula is compact, but it never feels small. The space is used brilliantly, making it incredibly easy to get from one spot to another. From my bedroom door, nothing was more than a three-minute walk away, the first tee being the furthest.
I’d often find myself having a quick putt before or after dinner, with the practice facilities sitting right at the heart of everything, almost like a golfer’s dream courtyard: the 16th-century manor house on one side, the driving range opposite, the gym, spa, and restaurant on another side, and the first tee completing the square. It’s a superb set-up.
The food is also second to none. From the clubhouse restaurant overlooking the 18th, we were served a spread of tapas I could easily have finished on my own, never mind sharing with the rest of the group. Pair it with an ice-cold beer, a crisp white, or a hearty red, and it’s the perfect way to round off a day at Pula, whether you’ve been relaxing in the spa, practising on the facilities, or playing 18.
Pula Golf
Anyhow, onto the course. I touched on it briefly above for a quick overview, but that barely scratches the surface. The first three holes, along with the 18th, sit on the resort side of the road, while the rest open up on the other side. The opening stretch, especially the first, feels quite different from the rest in terms of layout and surroundings, likely a case of making the most of the space. But once you cross over, the course really takes hold.
With more room to play with, you can sense Olazábal had fun with the design. The layout almost falls into three sections: the resort side (1, 2, 3, and 18), the lakes and streams (4 through 9), and the tighter, more tactical back nine (10 through 17). It makes for an enjoyable round, constantly asking you to be at your best to manoeuvre the shifting hazards and changing fairways. The elevation changes were another highlight. While not dramatic, they were frequent enough to keep things interesting, tee shots both up and down hills, approaches into raised greens, and sloped fairways to contend with. It all added a subtle but important layer of difficulty, demanding extra thought on every shot.
The lakes and streams stretch was, for me, the standout section, offering some of the best holes both in technical quality and sheer enjoyment. Water comes into play on 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, testing you from both the tee and on approaches. Out of those five (and the whole course), the 9th was my favourite. Stroke Index 2, measuring 492 yards off the tips, with a lake running the length of the fairway on the right, it’s in play for everyone, no matter how far you hit it. The approach is uphill, played over a stream cutting across the fairway about 90 yards short of the green, while trees and thick vegetation creep in from the left, adding an extra element of jeopardy if you’re bold enough to go for it in two.
And even when you’re safely up there, the work isn’t done. The green is large, with two tiers, the upper being a small section tucked top left, and from there, everything slopes gradually away. It’s a hole that screams eagle chances, but there’s more than enough lurking danger to punish complacency.
Other standouts include the 16th, a tough 435-yard dog-leg left par 4 played from an elevated tee, with water running tight down the left and well within range of a driver. And, the 17th (Stroke Index 1 at 443 yards), which climbs the incline you’ve just come down, with a sharp dog-leg right. Out of bounds sits tight to the right, three pot bunkers guard the fairway’s edge, and three larger bunkers lurk to the left, all six perfectly placed between 258 and 334 yards. If you’re taking the tiger line, there’s very little margin for error.
If you’ve got a good score going, those two will quickly humble you. They demand not just smart course management, but absolute focus and accuracy, a real test as the round draws to a close.
It’s not just amateurs like me who’ve been tested here, either. Former European Tour player Sam Little finished runner-up in the Mallorca Classic in 2007, falling just two shots shy of Gregory Bourdy in a stacked field that included the likes of Francesco Molinari, Graeme McDowell, Alex Norén, Thomas Bjørn, Sergio García, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang.
“Those memories are still pretty fond,” Little said.
“I went to the Mallorca Classic at Pula Golf in 2007 after the birth of my twin girls, who were still in the ICU as they were born at 31 weeks. They’re now 18! I needed, I believe, a top-seven finish to keep my card. I played really well and had a great chance to win coming down the stretch, but unfortunately, Greg Bourdy just pipped me. Still, it was a fantastic week, and it catapulted me up the Order of Merit. Some very fond memories of Pula Golf that will last a lifetime.”
Little’s second-place finish not only secured him a career-high position on the money list but also earned him his European Tour card for the following season.
All in all, Pula is a beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable course. You can tell it was created by someone who loves the game, with a design that rewards those who share that love. The conditioning was superb: lush fairways, rough that was tough but fair, and greens that rolled true and smooth. Paired with the stylish, quaint resort, conveniently laid out and well equipped, it’s a top-drawer destination for golfers of all ages and abilities, and one that’s very hard to leave disappointed.
Verdict
Overall, it’s hard to find any negatives for golf in Mallorca. Naturally, I can only speak for Alcanada and Pula, but if they’re anything to go by, you’re in for an absolute treat. Both courses offer a brilliant layout and thoughtful designs that will test golfers of all abilities. Combine that with the immaculate conditioning and A-1 views, and you’ve got yourself the ideal golf trip.
It also goes without saying that the island of Mallorca is a wonderful location, offering countless activities to fill your days between rounds, mouth-watering Mallorcan tapas dishes, and the idyllic backdrop of the glistening Mediterranean Sea. Where else would you want to sit back, relax, and enjoy an ice-cold beverage as the sun sets?
As far as recommendations go, I can confidently vouch for Alcanada and Pula. Between the exceptional course quality and the hospitality and amenities of Inmood Hotel and Pula Resort, it’s nigh on impossible not to enjoy yourself.
