Destination Golf Spain 2026 | Page 67

DESTINATIONGOLF. TRAVEL
MADRID & CENTRAL
a short course with nine par 3 holes and a long course comprising seven par 3s and two par 4s, which can be combined to give 18 holes. In addition, Golf Negralejo has a golf school with a Toptracer range.
The Real Automovil Club de Espana( RACE)
Created in 2005 for employees of the banking giant and visiting golfers, Golf Santander’ s spectacular course 16km from Madrid is one of Europe’ s longest and serves up a tough test for high and low handicappers alike. Water is ever present, flowing in a closed circuit through a series of lakes and rivers that cross much of the course.
The course was designed by Rees Jones and is supplemented by some of Europe’ s best golf training facilities. They include the first Jim McLean golf school in Europe, one of just six TaylorMade Performance Labs in Europe and a five-hole short game area designed by Seve Ballesteros.
The Real Automovil Club de Espana( RACE) is a motoring club formed in 1903 that owns the famous Jarama racing circuit. In 1967, the RACE sports complex was inaugurated on the outskirts of Madrid in the foothills of the Sierra Norte mountains with an 18-hole golf course by Javier Arana.
The complex has continued to expand since then. Among golf facilities are a nine-hole pitch and putt course, a golf school that uses the latest technology and a driving range, while other sport and leisure amenities include tennis and paddle-tennis courts, football pitches, an equestrian centre, a swimming pool and a gym.
The historic Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro is one of Spain’ s oldest and most traditional golf clubs, dating back to 1904, besides being one of its most exclusive.
Enjoying possibly Spain’ s most magnificent and certainly most historic setting, Real Club de Golf la Herreria has long been associated with royalty and was called“ the club of kings and the king of clubs” by US President Gerald Ford. It lies surrounded by oak trees and at the foot of a mountain within the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the monumental 16th century monastery alongside the club which was long the residence of Spain’ s royal family and where most of its sovereigns were buried.
The club’ s 18-hole golf course opened in 1966 and was remodelled in 2000 by Jose Gancedo. It is complemented by a golf school, driving range and short game zone besides other sport and leisure facilities.
Club de Golf Aranjuez is a scenic 9-hole course nestled along the banks of the Tagus River in southern Madrid. Established in 1992, it features seven par 4s and two par 3s, offering a flat yet technically demanding experience. Natural challenges like water hazards, small greens, and out-of-bounds areas require strategic play and precision. Facilities include a driving range, putting green, pro shop, clubhouse and restaurant.
Real Sociedad Hipica Espanola Club de Campo
Although the Real Sociedad Hipica Espanola Club de Campo has only been on its existing site since the 1990s, its beginnings date right back to 1901 when it was established as the Real Sociedad Hipica( Royal Horse Society), merging in 1942 with the Sociedad Deportiva Club de Campo( Country Club Sports Society) to form the RSHECC as it is today.
Its first 18 holes on the current site opened in 1997, with a second course again designed by Robert von Hagge, added later. They are augmented by a par 3 course, a driving range and approach area and practice putting greens, while the club also has an equestrian centre, croquet, tennis and paddletennis, a gym and swimming pools.
Real Club de Golf la Herreria
The club has hosted the Madrid Open on numerous occasions as well as the Spanish Open and has two 18-hole courses. The Arriba, or Upper course, is a 2000 renovation by Robert Trent Jones Jr and Kyle Phillips of the original course that featured the handiwork of Harry Colt and Tom Simpson.
The Abajo( Lower) course opened in 1966 with a design by Robert Trent Jones Sr and John Harris before being remodelled by RTJ II in 1998.
The Real Club de Golf Las Rozas de Madrid, renamed after being conferred the Real title on reaching its 50th anniversary in May 2022, has an 18-hole, par 70 golf course set on a 76-hectare estate in the municipal district of Las Rozas northwest of Madrid’ s centre. The club has a golf academy and driving range, and recently added a fleet of electric buggies. There are also tennis and paddle-tennis courts.
Golfers can hone their games in multiple ways at Golf de Negralejo, also one of the best restaurants in Madrid capable of hosting up to 4.000 guests for a cocktail party. It has the only 18-hole pitch and putt course in Madrid as well as
Four Jack Nicklaus course, two of them signature designs, make Real Club la Moraleja Madrid’ s largest golf venue and one of Spain’ s top private clubs. The first course opened in 1976, followed in 1990 by the second course, the other two opening on a nearby site in 2012.
The quartet have seen some of the world’ s top golfers compete in prestigious events including the Spanish Open, Madrid Open and the World Cup of Golf over the years.
The club was a pioneer of paddle-tennis in Spain and has 12 courts, five of them covered, along with eight tennis courts, squash courts, a gym and indoor and outdoor pools.
Designed by Stirling and Martin, La Finca Golf offers a prestigious golf course in the heart of the capital, built with sustainability in mind, and just 15 minutes from downtown Madrid. This par-72 course ranges from 4569 meters to 6490 meters off the back tees and is characterized by its variety of distances from the tee box, wide fairways, and greens that offer numerous flag positions, providing players with a wide range of playing options. It offers a premier golfing experience in the heart of Spain’ s capital.
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