Higueron Marbella Golf Course

The tighter front nine at Higuerón Marbella Golf Resort asks for thought from the first tee. This is the shorter half of Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s par 72, where placement matters more than simply opening the shoulders. Rolling ground, raised greens and well positioned bunkers keep approach play interesting, while lakes come into view often enough to make club selection count. The back nine gives you more room and greater length, encouraging the fuller swing, yet the quick putting surfaces remain the course’s constant defence. Olive groves frame much of the round and the Mediterranean provides a distant backdrop, giving the layout a properly Andalusian feel without taking attention away from the shot in hand. Trent Jones Sr.’s original work was overseen locally by Cabell Robinson before the course opened in 1994, and the result still rewards the confident player who can control distance into elevated targets.

There is useful scope to work on your game before playing. Four multilingual professionals offer individual lessons and group coaching for golfers at different stages, with an introductory four hour session combining range tuition, lunch and time on the course. For a shorter round, shared buggies are available for nine holes, with two players per buggy and routes kept clear of the greens. Between rounds, El Olivo Restaurant serves breakfast and lunch from indoor tables or broad sunny terraces looking across the hills, olive trees, fairways and sea. Warm baguettes and cold drinks also arrive on the course via the Buggy Bar. Marbella Old Town is only five miles away by car, so evenings can be spent among its old streets and restaurants, while Málaga Airport is around 30 minutes from the resort.