Golf d'Aro

The 13th is the hole that stays with you at Club Golf d'Aro Mas Nou. Its fairway follows the edge of a lake for around 220 yards before making a pronounced turn to the right, demanding a tee shot placed for the corner rather than simply hit as far as possible. Water appears even earlier at the second, while the sixth drops away on a left turning dogleg. This par 72 is split into two par 36 nines and uses its elevated ground above Platja d'Aro to make changes of level part of the round. Mountain cliffs frame sections of the course, with Les Gavarres Natural Park beyond the fairways.

The par three 14th occupies the highest ground on the layout, where the fairways briefly flatten and the outlook widens across the surrounding countryside and coast. Ramón Espinosa designed the course in 1990, and his routing rewards patient club selection on a course where the lies and angles can change from hole to hole.

Forat 19 sits beside the 18th, making it a natural place to settle after a round with tapas, market fish or meat from Girona. Its cellar concentrates on wines from Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain, and the restaurant serves from 8.30am to 6pm. The sea is about 15 minutes from the course, with the Costa Brava shoreline offering a choice of beach time around Platja d'Aro, S'Agaró and Sa Conca, or farther along towards Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guíxols.