Golf travel throughout Spain is booming. There are courses throughout the country, but the majority of golf resorts in Spain are situated in Costa del Sol in Southern Spain, each offering its own unique scenery. If you're looking to play golf in Spain, travel guides recommend these courses as some of the best.

Almenara
Located in Sotogrande, Spain overlooking the Mediterranean, the Dave Thomas designed Almenara Golf Course was built over very hilly terrain with narrow fairways and typical high-lipped bunkers. It's also home to the renowned Almenara School of Excellence, which boasts the most modern golf practice facilities in Southern Spain. With a simultaneous practice capacity of 90 players, three normal size practice holes, separate approach and putting areas, and a video studio for swing analysis, Spain travel guides admit this is a highly sought-after golf center. The Almenara Golf-Hotel & Spa is equally impressive. It has 148 rooms (including 12 suites), two restaurants and a piano bar, four function rooms, business center, laundry and dry cleaning service, gymnasium, fitness center, spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and manicured gardens.

Sotogrande, Spain
A master of clubs on the coast, Sotogrande opened in 1964 is still often voted as one of the top 10 courses in Europe. Known as Sotogrande "Old" to distinguish itself from the newer, Valderrama, the Robert Trent Jones course is a private club, but the public is welcome if they book in advance. The water hazards are important to this course, especially on holes 12, 13,14,16, 17 and 18. Sotogrande also has a nine hole, par three course for golfers who don't want to play a full 18.

La Quinta Resort & Club
Another of the premier Costa del Sol resorts is the La Quinta Resort & Club. Opened in 1926, La Quinta Resort & Club features 72 holes of some of the country's best golf, including the famous TPC Stadium Golf Course at PGA WEST and the picturesque Mountain Course at La Quinta Resort. The Marbella Club Hotel Golf Resort and Spa is another golf lover's dream. It's a beachfront property with a golf course that boasts spectacular views of Gibraltar, the African coast and the Mediterranean—truly ideal for a golf and spa vacation.