Every group golf trip to Barcelona runs into this question at some point during the planning stage: which courses will each player enjoy? A game between two eight-handicappers and two golfers who have only picked up a golf club 4 times before demands a different course of action than a group of golfing regulars looking for a proper challenge.
Barcelona Golf’s group golf breaks are built around exactly that mix, matching each day’s round to the players in it rather than putting everyone on the same course.
This article sorts the best golf courses in Barcelona and the standout golf courses near Barcelona along the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada by the skill-level they serve best.
Three groups are enough to cover most skill levels: low-level & forgiving courses for beginners and higher handicappers, balanced courses for a solid mid-handicap game, and demanding championship layouts for low handicappers and golfing purists.
Pick two or three courses that fit your own game, or one from each group if your travelling party’s abilities are spread across all three.
Catalonia already sits among Europe’s best golf destinations, as it is home to some of the best golf courses in Spain. Buggy-friendly, forgiving layouts sit within an hour of venues that have hosted the Spanish Open ten times over, so a mixed-ability group never has to choose between convenience and a proper challenge.
Why matching the course to the golfer matters
The course that excites an experienced golfer can ruin a beginner’s day. Meanwhile, a gentle resort-style course will bore a dedicated golfer after a few holes.
You don’t usually need to prove a handicap to book a tee time in Catalonia, though it’s worth knowing whether you need a handicap to play golf in Spain before you travel, since a few of the more demanding clubs below do set a maximum. Matching ability to course first avoids that problem altogether.
Forgiving and welcoming: courses for beginners and high handicappers
These three golf courses are suited for those beginners in Catalonia who are still building confidence, as well as higher handicappers, or anyone who would rather enjoy the scenery, fresh air and a relaxed game.
Club de Golf Llavaneras
On the Maresme coast, only half an hour from Barcelona, Club de Golf Llavaneras is an 18-hole, par 70 course that asks for precision rather power. The shorter layout means you don’t need to bomb it down the fairway to succeed, but the challenge is found in navigating narrow corridors, bunkers and slopes.
A maximum handicap of 36 is accepted for both men and women, and the on-site golf school and practice area make it a great first stop for anyone still getting to grips with their clubs.
Views across the sea from nearly every hole, a restaurant for a meal after, a pro shop, and buggy hire round out the course. We love it, since it is built for a proper round without eating up the whole day.
Club de Golf La Roca
Around 30 minutes from the city, Club de Golf La Roca is a flat, 18-hole course designed by Alfonso Vidaor and built for accessibility rather than a technical test. The layout is designed to keep golfers of every ability engaged, rather than punishing shorter hitters or a mishit the way a tighter course would.
A golf school, pro shop, restaurant, and one of the larger practice complexes in Catalonia suit a relaxed day out, and it stays an accessible round for golfers of all abilities who don’t want to travel far from Barcelona.
Campo de Golf Peralada
Between the Pyrenees and the sea. and located on the Costa Brava, Campo de Golf Peralada combines its 18-hole course with a separate 9-hole par-3 layout as well as a golf school, so nervous players or anyone lacking confidence can get some proper training and warm-up in before tackling the longer holes.
The main course still carries some championship teeth off the back tees, but we would say the club is generally pretty relaxing and suited to players of every level, and the par-3 nine is exactly why.
A five-star hotel, the Peralada castle and casino and even a wine spa are all on site, making it easy to build a relaxed day for a mixed group with abilities of all levels.
Balanced challenges: courses for mid-handicappers
This trio suits golfers who have the fundamentals down and want a course that asks real questions without punishing every off-line shot.
Club de Golf Costa Brava
A 27-hole complex designed in part by Hamilton Stutt & Co and founded in 1962, Club de Golf Costa Brava is built in two parts: a technical first nine holes with tighter fairways that tests an accurate swing, followed by a more relaxed set of 9 more holes. The Red and Green course combinations let a group choose their own mix on any given day.
Mid-handicappers tend to get the most out of the contrast between the two nines, and it is a course that keeps a round interesting without ever feeling unfair.
Club de Golf d’Aro–Mas Nou
Set high in the hills above Platja d’Aro, Club de Golf d’Aro–Mas Nou is an 18-hole, par 72 course with impressive mountain cliffs shaping the fairways. The higher holes allow for incredible views of the Mediterranean.
The 4th hole is a fairly technical one with a stunning sea view, and the 13th brings 200 metres of lake down the left side of the fairway. It is also known for punishing the greedy golfer that is hoping to cut a few corners, as the bunkers can slow you down significantly.
Holes 14 and 15, in the highest part of the course, are worth the round on their own for the views.
Infinitum Golf
On the Costa Dorada near PortAventura, Infinitum Golf spans three courses and 45 holes: Hills, an 18-hole layout by Alfonso Vidaor’s Green Project with Mediterranean views from nearly every fairway.
Then there are the Ruins and Lakes courses, both designed by Greg Norman. The latter is a links-style layout wrapped around the Séquia Major, a protected natural area with gorgeous views.
Norman himself has said the resort is aimed at inspiring golfers of all levels, and the Ruins course is the proof of that claim, laid out around archaeological remains dating back to the second century BC.
Out of the courses on the list, this one has the most distinct and different look and feel to it. Mid-handicappers get the most out of switching between the three courses over a few days.
Demanding tests: championship courses for low handicappers and purists
With the next three on the list, we leave the welcoming courses behind us while the golfers chasing a genuine championship challenge will not be disappointed. For a trip built entirely around this level of golf, these courses are some region’s toughest courses, but combined with five-star stays and fine dining they make for a very distinct experience.
Real Club de Golf El Prat
Designed by Greg Norman in Terrassa, Real Club de Golf El Prat stretches 45 holes across five courses. However, for those after the finer things in life, it is the Pink and Yellow layouts that are the cream of the crop. This is the championship pairing, consisting of tight fairways and immaculate greens that punish anything even slight off centre.
The club has hosted the Abierto de España ten times, and the on-site golf academy and expansive driving range are evidence that the club is built for serious golfers who want to feel what it is like to play at the highest standard.
It sits around 25 to 35 minutes from central Barcelona, so it does not cost a group a whole day to get there and back.
Club de Golf Pals
Designed by Sir F. W. Hawtree and opened in phases from 1966, Club de Golf Pals is carved through dune-backed pine forest on the Costa Brava. It has a somewhat unusual par of 73 with a maximum handicap of 36 across four tee options.
The club hosted the 1972 Spanish Open, the first European PGA Tour event ever played in Spain, and its designers famously refused to fell a single pine tree unless it had been marked in advance. This means the course follows the flow of the natural landscape quite closely. This gives the course a very wild and untamed feeling, which is quite different from a heavily manicured resort course.
A golf school and paddle courts are on hand for anyone travelling with a mixed group that needs somewhere to send non-golfers for an afternoon.
Camiral
A Quinta do Lago Resort in Girona, Camiral is home to not one, but two championship courses. However, it is the Stadium Course that has the most eyes on it at the moment, and for good reason: it was confirmed as the venue for the Copa Ryder 2031, Spain’s first time hosting the event since Valderrama in 1997. Many serious golfers want to play these championship courses before the event kicks off in 2031, so if you want to join them, you’ll need to ensure you book in advance.
The 540-hectare estate includes Europe’s largest Trackman-equipped driving range for those who are hungry for the data behind their swings. It also has largest short game area, so there is some serious room for practice outside of the course itself.
It is currently ranked Spain’s number one golf and wellness resort, but the golf here is seriously unforgiving. Beginners, you have been warned.
Which course fits your group?
A group with a mixed bag of skills and abilities does require some compromise, but with the right planning, you can make it work. Pairing a forgiving course like Llavaneras or La Roca with a genuine test like El Prat or Pals gives everyone a day they will enjoy, rather than forcing the whole group onto one course that only suits half of them.
Barcelona Golf can build that mix for you, matching courses to the handicaps in your group rather than sending over a generic itinerary. Whether it is a couples golf break with one relaxed round and one proper test, or a full week split across all three levels above, the recommendation will be based on your group’s actual game.
Get in touch with us today and let us help you build a bespoke golfing itinerary that suits every player in your group.
