Las Colinas Golf & Country Club Residences

Set in 200,000 square metres of natural hillside at Dehesa de Campoamor, south of Alicante on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, Las Colinas Golf & Country Club suits golfers who want space around the round rather than a busy resort setting. The residential stay centres on a par 71, 18-hole championship course, with apartments offering two or three bedrooms and self-catering facilities, alongside three and four-bedroom villas for larger parties. Between rounds, there are three restaurants, including il Palco, plus the WOW Beach club. A Sports & Health Club, racquet club, tennis and padel academy, scenic trail, golf shop and minimarket give the resort plenty of use beyond the fairways.

Cabell B. Robinson’s course works through Mediterranean woodland, with long views opening across the surrounding landscape as the land rises and falls gently. Broad fairways offer room from the tee, but lakes and well-sited bunkers make the next shot matter, particularly when the pin position asks for a considered approach. It is a course that rewards controlling distance and choosing sensible angles rather than simply hitting driver at every opportunity. Automated irrigation and a modern drainage system help maintain conditions through the year. Practice is unusually well covered, with a natural-grass range, a large putting green and a 5,000-square-metre short-game area created by Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Toptracer adds immediate feedback and simulated-course games, while Samuel Curtis and the TPI-qualified academy team use Trackman, high-speed video and iPad swing analysis. On-course coaching can be arranged over nine or 18 holes, including the green fee, Callaway hire and buggy.