Sotogrande now has three courses among the top six in Golf Digest’s Spanish golf course ranking after La Reserva Club achieved its highest position to date.
The Cabell B. Robinson design has been placed sixth in Spain, joining Real Club Valderrama at No. 1 and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande at No. 3. All three courses are located within Sotogrande’s private estate in Cádiz, giving the destination half of the ranking’s first six places.
La Reserva opened in 2003 and has moved up the national standings during a period of continued investment in course conditioning and its facilities for members and visitors. The latest result places it alongside two established Spanish venues with extensive championship histories.
“This latest recognition is a proud moment for the entire Sotogrande community,” said Rita Jordao, director of marketing at Sotogrande SA.
Jordao said La Reserva’s position reflected the course’s development, while the combined rankings demonstrated the depth of golf available across the estate.
La Reserva Expands Its Golf Offering
La Reserva combines an 18-hole championship course with panoramic views towards the Mediterranean and extensive practice facilities. Its wider amenities include The Beach, an inland beach club, as well as a racquet centre, restaurants and wellness facilities.
Golfers can stay nearby at the five-star SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort, which offers restaurants, spa facilities and golf-focused fitness and recovery programmes. Its KMO restaurant centres its menu on seasonal produce from Andalusia.
The recently renovated Alto Club sits next to the hotel and adds another golf facility to the destination. It is home to the new Alto Club Golf Academy by Suzann Pettersen, which provides coaching and player-development programmes for different ability levels.
The Alto Club is the fourth course in the collection, alongside La Reserva, Real Club Valderrama and Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.
Golf Within the Estate
Founded in 1962 by businessman and philanthropist Colonel Joseph McMicking, Sotogrande covers 20 square kilometres between the Mediterranean and the foothills of the Sierra Almenara. It is located around the Guadiaro River, approximately 30 minutes west of Marbella, with access through Gibraltar and Málaga airports.
The destination has 2,500 permanent international households, rising to about 8,000 during the high season. More than 300 businesses operate there, while its sporting facilities extend beyond golf to polo, tennis and water sports.
Investment since the estate changed ownership in 2014 has included road repairs, improvements to gardens and infrastructure, and work at Sotogrande Marina. New restaurants, cafés and boutiques have also opened around the marina.
La Reserva occupies 600 hectares within the wider destination, with construction limited to 25 per cent of its land. Its rise to sixth gives visiting golfers three nationally ranked courses inside the same postcode, led by Golf Digest’s new Spanish No. 1.
For more information on La Reserva Club, visit: www.lareservaclubsotogrande.
For more information on SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort and golf escapes, visit: https://so-hotels.com/en/
For more information on Alto Club, visit: https://altogolfclub.com/
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.