DAY 3
The following morning at 9.00 am , I join local guide Gloria Lomas and three other travellers , for a two-hour walking tour of Girona - the capital of both Costa Brava and the eastern Pyrenees . We cross the winding Rio Onyar , admiring the dozens of brightly-painted terraced houses that line its banks and into the old quarter – a tight huddle of squares and climbing cobbled streets which make up one of the world ’ s most intact medieval cities .
Gloria walks and talks us through a thousand years of Girona ’ s history as we visit some key sites including the Santa Maria Cathedral ( with its beautiful Romanesque cloister , the Tapestry of Creation and the widest vaulted Gothic interior in the world at 23 metres ), the 13th-century Arab Baths ( one of the best-preserved medieval bath houses in Spain ), Girona ’ s medieval walls ( also known as the Passeig de le Muralla ) and the extensive Jewish quarter .
We wind our way up the maze of alleyways through tranquil pockets of lush garden to arrive at the highest point of the walls . “ This is one of my favourite parts of the tour . I love Girona and I like people to love it too , so I try to discover for them places like this ,“ says Gloria as we enjoy excellent views over Girona and the Pyrenees .
After enjoying my walking tour of Girona it ’ s time to return to the persuit of the little white ball – and situated 24km away is the final and best course of my Costa Brava golf break . Right from the approach roundabout with its own green and bunker , to the superb practice facilities , excellent clubhouse and the two immaculately presented 18-hole courses ( Stadium and Tour ), everything about the PGA Catalunya Resort exudes quality and class .
PGA Catalunya offers the best possible combination for golfers- the Stadium Course is specially designed for major competition and the most demanding amateurs , and the Tour Course with its spectacular holes and challenges will meet the expectations of all types of players . Ranked by experts as ‘ number 1 in Spain ’, ‘ number five in Europe ’ and a ‘ world top 100 course ’, it has also hosted the European Tour ’ s Spanish Open .
I feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun on my back as I hit a soaring drive from the elevated tee of the Stadium Course ’ s opening par-4 – and I know I ’ m in for a treat . It ’ s a big scale , bold parkland design and there ’ s arguably no better example in Europe than this modern classic designed by Ángel Gallardo and Neil Coles . The plentiful changes in elevation afford views of the mountains and marvellous downhill tee shots where you can really open up your shoulders . Featuring manicured tree-lined fairways and water features on eight of the holes , the Stadium Course is certainly a genuine test of golf , and it ’ s easy to 3 or 4 putt the fast undulating greens unless you are on the correct side or level of the putting surface .
After my round , I enjoy a cold 19th hole beer on the clubhouse decking and run through my scorecard . I reflect on a thoroughly enjoyable golf trip and think about the other excellent courses in the area that you can play , such as Golf de Pals , Golf d ’ Aro , Club de Golf Costa Brava , Empordà Golf Resort and Golf Girona . Here ’ s to a return golf trip one day to the Costa Brava ...
DestinationGolf . travel 19