Costa Brava Golf Guide
The Costa Brava is one of the most concentrated stretches of quality golf in continental Europe, with seven courses within an hour of Girona ranging from a Ryder Cup venue to pine-forest clubs with decades of history behind them.
What the region does particularly well is variety. You can play a modern resort with 36 holes and a thermal spa, then drive twenty minutes and find a small members' club where the greenkeeper knows every regular by name. The backdrop changes too: Mediterranean forest, the Empordà plain, the foothills of the Pyrenees, a 14th-century castle. The golf is good enough on its own. The setting makes it something else.
This guide covers every course worth the journey, plus the practical information you need to plan the trip properly.
The courses
Camiral Golf and Wellness
The 13th hole, Stadium Course. One of Europe's most-photographed par 3s.
Location: Caldes de Malavella, Girona | Holes: 36 (Stadium + Tour) | Par: 72 (both) | Designers: Neil Coles MBE & Ángel Gallardo | Opened: 1999 (Stadium), 2005 (Tour)
Camiral is the reference point for Costa Brava golf and, in 2031, it will be the reference point for European golf. The Ryder Cup announcement confirmed what visitors to the region already knew: this is the finest golf resort in Spain and one of the best in Europe.
The Stadium Course is what most people come for. Neil Coles MBE and Ángel Gallardo built it from the outset to Ryder Cup standards, with spectator banking designed for 30,000 and a routing that uses the natural amphitheatre of the terrain to give clear sightlines from the galleries. The course plays through 540 hectares of Mediterranean cork oak and pine, with fairways that look open from the tee and tighten considerably as you approach the greens. The par-3 13th, a short iron across water to a peninsula green, appears on every list of Europe's Top 100 holes.
The Tour Course, opened in 2005, is shorter and rewards a different kind of play. Wide fairways make the card look straightforward; the greens complex and the positioning of the water hazards make it harder to score than the card suggests. It has co-hosted the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage seven times since 2008. Most visitors over two or three days play both.
Camiral has hosted the Open de España three times: 2000 (Brian Davis), 2009 (Thomas Levet), and 2014, when Miguel Ángel Jiménez lifted the trophy at 50 years old, the oldest winner in the tournament's history. The DP World Tour Catalunya Championship followed in 2022.
Beyond the golf: the five-star hotel, wellness centre with thermal pools, and golf academy make Camiral a complete destination. It is not a hotel attached to a course. The courses, the hotel, and the grounds form something coherent.
Book early. Camiral takes tee times well in advance, particularly for the Stadium Course at weekends and for the period leading up to the Ryder Cup.
Empordà Golf Club
Empordà Golf Club, Gualta. The Forest Course.
Location: Gualta, Girona | Holes: 36 (Forest + Dunes) | Par: 72 (both) | Designers: Robert von Hagge & Rick Baril | Opened: 1989
Empordà is the other pillar of Costa Brava golf and the place most visitors put alongside Camiral on a two-course shortlist. What distinguishes it is the contrast between its two layouts, which play nothing like each other despite sharing a clubhouse.
The Forest Course is Costa Brava golf as most people picture it: tree-lined fairways, accurate driving required, natural contours that make club selection on approach shots more interesting than the yardages suggest. Robert von Hagge and Rick Baril were among the more intelligent architects of their generation, and the Forest Course shows why. Each hole has a distinct character; the routing does not repeat itself.
The Dunes Course is flatter and more exposed. It is not links golf in any strict sense, but the design thinking draws on similar principles: broader fairways, wind as a variable, and a different kind of challenge from the Forest. Playing both in a single day gives you two very different tests from one base. Most serious visitors do exactly that.
An on-site hotel and spa complete the picture. Empordà sits about 15 minutes inland from the coast, which means those combining golf with beach time will be driving between the two. As a pure golf destination, it is self-contained and very good.
Golf de Pals
Golf de Pals, Pals. The oldest course on the Costa Brava and site of the first European Tour event in Spain.
Location: Pals, Girona | Holes: 18 | Par: 73 | Designer: Sir F.W. Hawtree | Opened: 1966
Golf de Pals opened in 1966 and hosted the first European Tour event ever played in Spain, in 1972. That history matters, not as nostalgia, but because it shaped the course's reputation and character. The tournament circuit that became the DP World Tour planted its Spanish roots here, in the pines north of the old walled town of Pals on the Costa Brava.
Sir Frederick Hawtree's routing threads through mature Mediterranean pines with waste areas of natural sand and, on clear days, glimpses of the Medes Islands. At 6,263 metres from the whites it is not long by modern standards, but the narrow corridors demand accurate placement off the tee, and the greens have enough movement to punish careless putting. It plays as a proper test, not a forgiving one.
The green fee is notably more accessible than Camiral or Empordà, which makes Pals excellent value within a multi-course itinerary. It sits ten minutes from Empordà Golf, which makes the two a natural pairing on the same trip.
Peralada Golf
Peralada Golf, with the 14th-century castle that gives the course its most distinctive backdrop.
Location: Peralada, Alt Empordà, Girona | Holes: 18 | Par: 71 | Designer: Jordi Soler Peix | Opened: 1993
No other course on the Costa Brava offers the same setting. Peralada's fairways wind through parkland in the shadow of a 14th-century castle. The five-star Hotel Peralada sits beside the course. The estate produces its own wines from D.O. Empordà vineyards. There is a casino in the castle and a wine spa in the hotel. Each summer, the Festival Internacional de Música de Peralada fills the castle gardens with one of Spain's most distinguished classical music programmes.
The golf is par 71, with a mix of open and tree-lined holes, several water features, and a set of par-3s that are the most interesting holes on the card. It is not the most technically demanding course on this list, which means it suits groups of mixed ability well. For golfers who want one round that combines serious golf with somewhere genuinely worth spending a night or two, Peralada is the answer.
Peralada sits in the Alt Empordà, the area of the region that produces the best local wine and some of the most interesting cuisine in northern Spain. It is 25 minutes from the French border and 45 minutes from Girona. Worth combining with a visit to Cadaqués, the whitewashed coastal village that is one of the most beautiful places on the Mediterranean.
Book accommodation early for July and August, when the music festival and summer tourism fill the hotel.
Torremirona Golf and Spa Resort
Torremirona Golf and Spa Resort, Navata, with the Pyrenees on the northern horizon.
Location: Navata, Girona | Holes: 18 | Par: 72 | Designers: Eugenio Aguado & Jordi Soler | Opened: 1993
Torremirona sits in the Empordà plain between Figueres and the Pyrenean foothills, 30 minutes from the coast and 20 minutes from the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres. The course was designed by Eugenio Aguado and Jordi Soler, with strategic water hazards and a layout that plays through rolling countryside. The four-star hotel, spa, padel courts, and equestrian facilities make it one of the most complete sports resorts in the region.
The course is accessible for golfers of different levels, which makes Torremirona a strong choice for mixed groups or for those who want a relaxed pace between more demanding rounds at Camiral or Empordà. The Pyrenees are visible from several tees on clear days, and the grounds have a quieter, more rural character than the larger coastal resorts.
It works particularly well as a base for a multi-course trip: from Torremirona you can reach Empordà Golf, Golf de Pals, and Peralada within 30 minutes, and Camiral within 45.
Club de Golf Costa Brava
Club de Golf Costa Brava, Santa Cristina d'Aro. A members' club with a proper pine-forest character.
Location: Santa Cristina d'Aro, Girona | Holes: 18 (Green + Red loops) | Par: 70 | Designer: Folco Nardi | Opened: 1968
Costa Brava Golf sits in the pine-covered hills between Girona city and the coast, a ten-minute drive from Platja d'Aro and Sant Feliu de Guixols. Designed by Folco Nardi and opened in 1968, it is a member club at heart, with an atmosphere quite different from the resort courses further north.
The course plays across hillier terrain than Pals, with narrower corridors and shorter holes. Par 70 means it plays quickly, and golfers looking to complete two rounds in a day often pair it with an early morning elsewhere. The Green and Red nine-hole loops offer some variation, and the pine-forest setting gives every round a distinctive smell and sound.
For visitors based near Platja d'Aro or Sant Feliu, this is the local course. Green fees are reasonable by Costa Brava standards, and the club does not pursue resort visitors with aggressive marketing. That is part of the appeal.
Club de Golf d'Aro (Mas Nou)
Club de Golf d'Aro, Mas Nou, above Platja d'Aro. On a clear morning the sea views from the back nine are something.
Location: Platja d'Aro, Girona | Holes: 18 | Par: 73 | Designer: Folco Nardi | Opened: 1969
Mas Nou sits on high ground above Platja d'Aro, with views along the Costa Brava coastline that, on a clear day, extend towards the Medes Islands and the Cap de Creus peninsula. Also designed by Folco Nardi, it opened a year after Costa Brava Golf and shares that course's pine-forest character, though the elevated terrain creates a different feel and some memorable long views from the back nine.
For golfers staying in Platja d'Aro or Sant Feliu de Guixols, Mas Nou is the obvious local round. Early morning tee times offer the best light and the quietest conditions. The green fee is accessible and the pace of play is typically unhurried.
When to go
April to June and September to November are the best months. Spring brings the courses into peak condition after winter, temperatures are comfortable from the first tee, and the region is not yet crowded. September and October offer warm afternoons, cooler mornings, and a quality of light on the courses that photographers and golfers both tend to notice.
July and August are the busiest months on the coast. The courses themselves are well maintained, but accommodation fills quickly, green fees at the premium venues are at their highest, and early morning tee times are worth booking weeks in advance. If you are visiting in summer, Camiral and Empordà are at altitude enough that midday rounds remain manageable. The coastal courses at Platja d'Aro can be warm by 11am.
Winter golf is possible. December to February brings the occasional cold spell and some course closures for maintenance, but most of the year rounds are available. Green fees drop significantly at several clubs, and the region has almost none of the summer tourist traffic.
Getting there
By air: Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) is the most convenient gateway. Ryanair operates direct routes from London Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Dublin, and most major Northern European cities. The airport is 25 minutes from Camiral and 40 minutes from Empordà Golf.
Barcelona El Prat (BCN) gives you far more flight options, including connections from North America and long-haul destinations. The drive from Barcelona to Camiral is around an hour; to the northern Costa Brava courses closer to 90 minutes.
By car: A hire car is the practical choice for any trip involving more than one course. The courses are spread across a 60km stretch of coast and hinterland, and public transport does not serve most of them adequately. Driving between venues takes 20 to 40 minutes in most cases.
From the French border at La Jonquera, Peralada is 20 minutes and Empordà Golf is 35 minutes. The AP-7 motorway runs the length of the region and connects all the main golfing areas.
Where to stay
Hotel Peralada, the most atmospheric on-course stay on the Costa Brava.
On course: Camiral's five-star hotel is the first choice for those who want everything in one place. Empordà Golf and Torremirona both have on-site hotels. Hotel Peralada at the Peralada Golf estate is the most atmospheric option if the Alt Empordà suits your itinerary.
Girona city is the best base for those who want a proper town rather than a resort. The medieval old city, the cathedral, the Jewish quarter, and the river are worth spending time in. Every course in this guide is within 45 minutes. Girona has a strong range of boutique hotels and excellent restaurants.
The coast: Platja d'Aro, Palamós, S'Agaró, and Sant Feliu de Guixols are the main coastal bases, all within 20 to 40 minutes of the central belt of courses. S'Agaró and the Hostal de la Gavina are the most refined options on the coast. Platja d'Aro has the widest range of accommodation at different price points.
Inland: The villages of the Baix Empordà, Pals, Peratallada, and Begur among them, offer a quieter base with character. Begur in particular is one of the best small towns in the region: a hilltop village with a castle, excellent restaurants, and access to some of the most dramatic coves on the Costa Brava, 20 minutes from the golf courses.
Beyond golf
The medieval village of Pals, a short walk from Golf de Pals.
The Costa Brava does not need golf to justify a trip. The combination is what makes it worth a full week rather than a long weekend.
The coast: The stretch from Palamós to Cap de Creus is one of the most dramatic coastlines in the Mediterranean. The water is clear, the coves are accessible on foot or by kayak, and the fishing villages, Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc, Tamariu, are largely unspoiled. Cadaqués, at the northern end near the Cap de Creus national park, is the most distinctive town on the coast and worth a night.
Food and wine: The Empordà is one of the most serious food regions in Spain. The Alt Empordà wine appellation produces underrated whites and reds. The Dalí connection runs through the region, from the Theatre-Museum in Figueres to the house at Port Lligat (the most affecting of the three Dalí sites, accessible only on small guided tours). Michelin-starred restaurants are within easy reach, and the local market food, anchovies from L'Escala, butifarra from the inland farms, is just as good.
Girona: The medieval old city is one of the best-preserved in Europe. The cathedral, the Arab baths, the Jewish quarter (El Call), and the Onyar riverfront give you several hours of proper sightseeing within a compact area. The city also has one of the better restaurant scenes in provincial Spain, led by El Celler de Can Roca, three Michelin stars, consistently ranked among the best restaurants in the world.
Frequently asked questions
How many golf courses are on the Costa Brava? The Costa Brava and surrounding Girona province has around 20 golf courses. The seven reviewed in this guide cover the main options for visiting golfers, from championship resort golf at Camiral and Empordà to local club golf at Costa Brava Golf and Mas Nou.
What is the best golf course on the Costa Brava? Camiral Golf and Wellness is consistently ranked among the top courses in Europe and will host the Ryder Cup in 2031. For sheer quality of a single course, nothing else in the region compares. Empordà Golf Club is the next most significant destination, particularly for golfers who want two contrasting 18-hole courses from one base.
When is the best time to play golf on the Costa Brava? April to June and September to November. The weather is reliable, the courses are in good condition, and the region is less crowded than in summer. October is particularly good: warm afternoons, cooler mornings, and excellent autumn light. Winter golf is possible at most courses, with significantly lower green fees.
How far is the Costa Brava from Barcelona? Camiral is around an hour by car from Barcelona. The northern Costa Brava courses, Empordà, Pals, Peralada, are 90 minutes to two hours depending on traffic. Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) is 25 minutes from Camiral and a more convenient gateway for most European visitors.
Do I need a hire car to play golf on the Costa Brava? Yes, for any trip involving more than one course. Public transport does not serve the courses adequately. A hire car from Girona Airport or Barcelona gives you full flexibility and driving times between courses are short, typically 20 to 40 minutes.
Can I play Camiral before the Ryder Cup 2031? Yes. Both the Stadium Course and the Tour Course at Camiral are open for public play year-round. Playing before 2031 gives you something television cannot replicate: a feel for the ground. Green fees are at the premium end for Spain, but the experience is worth the investment. Contact us to arrange tee times as part of a wider Costa Brava trip.
Is the Costa Brava good for a golf holiday? It is one of the best golf destinations in continental Europe. Seven courses within 60 kilometres, a well-connected airport, excellent accommodation at all price points, a remarkable stretch of coastline, and some of the best food and wine in Spain. The Ryder Cup coming to Camiral in 2031 has confirmed what visitors to the region have known for twenty years.
Plan your Costa Brava golf trip
A week on the Costa Brava is the right amount of time to play four or five courses, spend a morning in Girona, eat well, and see some of the coast. Two weeks lets you go further, into the Pyrenean valley courses and down towards Barcelona.
Catalan Golf is a small agency based in the region. We plan trips across the Costa Brava year-round and know the courses, the hotels, and the timing well. Whether you want to focus on Camiral and Empordà or build a full circuit of the region, get in touch and we will put something together that fits.
Plan your Costa Brava golf trip