Madrid Golf Course Showcase
Being the capital of Spain, as well as the country's largest city, modern Madrid is a bustling metropolis of contrasting styles, home to a whole range of museums and endless attractions. Along with the many quality golf courses in the region, Madrid offers up endless possibilities for the discerning golf traveller.
No other European capital has more golf courses within a 25km radius, making it easy for both visitors and locals alike to find the perfect location to play golf - as many golf clubs in Madrid are open to guest golfers.
The quality of the courses in Madrid is truly superb, with many devised by some of the most famous designers in golf, and each steeped in its own rich history. The impressive list includes golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus (La Moraleja) Von Hagge (Real Sociedad Hipica and El Encin), Olazabal (Retamares), Rees Jones (Golf Santander) and Javier Arana (Club de Campo Villa de Madrid).
Other courses such as Club de Campo, El Encin, RACE, Real Sociedad, Centro Nacional, Real Club de Golf La Herrería, have all hosted numerous European Tour events
Here we list the amazing golf courses you can find around Madrid, all of them being members of the Madrid Golf Courses Association.
1. Club de Golf Retamares
Thirty minutes north of Madrid near the A1 Madrid – Burgos motorway, lies + 18-hole course stretches over 720,000 m² of land with spectacular views of the mountains and the capital.
Club de Golf Retamares provides a multisport and social offer for the whole family: a racquets club with 6 paddle courts, one tennis court, one squash court and a racquets school for all ages and standards, cafeteria, restaurant, two large pools, one for children and another for adults, nursery, summer camps, gymnasium and, of course, the Golf School for all comers.
2. Club de Golf Lomas-Bosque
Inaugurated in 1972 and designed by Robert Dean Puttman, the Club de Golf Lomas-Bosque is easily accessible from the roads to La Coruña, Extremadura or Castilla. It boasts an 18 hole par 72 course as well as a smaller 9 hole par 3 course. The former offers an uneven terrain with tree-lined fairways on the first few holes, while the latter is flat, although it does have a large lake, which can often make things a little tougher.
3. Golf Negralejo
Golf Negralejo is located next to the Vega del Jarama, and it is an ideal place to learn to play golf since it has one of the best Golf Schools in Madrid and excellent facilities to practice
The first and only golf course of the Community of Madrid with 18 holes Pitch & Putt, all of them being par 3 - ideal for beginners and experienced golfers alike. It also has a practice area covered and illuminated with capacity for 80 people, two short game areas and two putting greens, and a great restaurant of traditional Spanish food for after the round.
4. Club de Golf La Dehesa
Inaugurated in 1992, this family golf club, designed by the renowned golfer Manuel Piñero, is located in Villanueva de la Cañada, 28 kilometres from the centre of Madrid. It is an 18-hole course, with a par of 72 and 6,037 metres of course.
The first part of the course, parallel to a river, combines the elements that every golfer wants during his game: environmental beauty, with multiple ornamental shrubs, poplars, oaks, olive trees or pines, silence and a quality challenge. The second part is considered more technical, with difficulties but accessible to all players.
5. Golf Santander
Created by the Santander Group and designed by Rees Jones (also known as The Open Doctor as he has renovated many courses that have hosted the U.S. Open), this spectacular 18-hole golf course was opened in 2005. It is considered to be one of the best courses in Europe.
Its facilities include a shop, a cafeteria-restaurant, changing rooms, a multi-purpose hall, a TaylorMade Performance Lab (where professional and full guidance through the golf bag is provided to players), and the Jim Mc Lean golf school, considered to be the number one golf school in the world by the specialised press.
6. Real Club de Golf La Herrería
Founded in 1966, the Real Club de Golf La Herrería is located just 400 metres from the El Escorial Monastery - a national monument that received more than half a million visitors last year - in the Bosque de La Herrería, 45 kilometres northwest of Madrid.
The 18-hole, par 71 golf course covers 75 hectares. The first half of the route was transformed in 2000 by the prestigious Malaga designer José Gancedo after the original design by Antonio Lucena. The remodelling respected the oak grove and the native ash and holm oak forest.
7. Escuela de Golf de la Federación de Madrid
The Escuela de Golf de la Federación de Madrid (CTG) - formerly known as Centro de Tecnificación de la Federación de Golf de Madrid - was inaugurated in September 2004 and is located in the current Puerta de Hierro Sports Park (former Trade Union Park). The Centre is equipped with a 300 m practice range with capacity for 56 simultaneous positions, a 9-hole par 3 course and a large approach and putting green area, as well as offices and a training room.
The facility offers golf courses at all levels, from introductory courses to high-level training and is open to all locals.
8. Centro Nacional de Golf
The National Centre of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation stands on publicly owned land made available by the Madrid City Council and bordered by the walls of the Monte del Pardo park, the M-40 ring road and the Mirasierra neighbourhood.
Fully integrated into the city of Madrid, the National Golf Centre is an urban, public, popular 18-hole course with a nearby metro station and bus stops (lines 67 and 82), which make it one of a kind in Europe.
9. Club de Golf El Robledal
Club de Golf El Robledal - literally translated as oak grove - is located in Villalbilla, on a beautiful estate of 65 hectares of holm oaks, gall oaks, and several lakes. It has 18 holes open to the public, par 71.
The current Club House, which has all the necessary services, will be remodelled to become the Social Chalet for children when the construction of the new and spectacular Club House is completed. The current course will also undergo a remodelling, which together with the new facilities, will make Golf El Robledal one of the best clubs in Madrid without a doubt.
10. Club de Golf Somosaguas
Somosaugas is located in a privileged place, surrounded by a large green area within the luxury urbanisation "La Finca". The club has a 9-hole course, which allows variable playing conditions, increasing and decreasing its difficulty in its different modalities. The fairway length of the course is 6,054m from the white tees, 5,683m from the yellow tees and 5,022m from the red tees. It has six par 4s, two par 3s and a par 5.
11. El Encin Golf Hotel
El Encin Golf Hotel opened in 2011 and is considered by most golfers as one of the best golf courses in Madrid. The 18-hole course, Par 72, was designed by the prestigious firm Mr.Von Hagge Smelek & Baril. The course has wide fairways, very well situated bunkers and a few large and unique greens.
12. Club de Golf Olivar de la Hinojosa
This golf club, situated in Campo de las Naciones and designed and erected by José “Pepín” Rivero and José F. Marín, was inaugurated and approved by the Real Federación Española de Golf in 1996. The Club de Golf Olivar de la Hinojosa boasts a 6,300-metre long 18-hole, par 72 course, and a 9-hole, par 29 course which is 1,386 metres long. It also offers other services and facilities such as tennis, Padel (sport similar to platform tennis), bar and restaurant, gym and sauna.
For female golfers, we have good news as this golf club offers a 30% discount on green fees for the ladies.
13. Nuevo Club de Golf de Madrid
Nuevo Club De Golf, better known as Las Matas Golf Club, was created in March 1968 and is located in the municipality of Las Rozas in the Community of Madrid, on a 76-hectare estate, owned by the Romanones family.
Currently, Nuevo Club De Golf has an 18 hole, par 70 course, driving range, swimming pool, comfortable social house with a very well-regarded restaurant and six clay tennis courts, two fast courts and five padel courts. Nuevo Golf course has several slopes throughout the round.
14. Club de Campo Villa de Madrid
On the outskirts of Madrid lies the famous Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. Covering nearly 200 hectares, it is one of the biggest sports complexes in Europe and possibly the world.
There’s everything going on here for the sports fanatic, from an equestrian centre right the way through to hockey and tennis. The Club boasts a long record of major competitions, including the Joy Cup, eight Madrid Opens, six Spain Professional Championships, a Professionals' World Cup, a European Clubs Cup and seven Spanish Opens.
The Club currently has two courses of 18-holes each, designed by Javier Arana and Severiano Ballesteros respectively, as well a 9 hole course of par-3 holes.
15. Real Automóvil Club de España RACE
The Real Automóvil Club de España sports club (RACE) is situated on the outskirts of Madrid, in the foothills of Sierra Norte, where a large campus boasts an 18-hole golf course and a 9-hole practice layout, twenty-four tennis courts, four swimming pools, twelve padel courts, a football pitch, a basketball court, a hockey field and one of Europe’s best horse riding rings.
The Jarama motor racing circuit sits to the south of the property, first opening for business in 1967, which was the same year that the Javier Arana-designed 18-hole course debuted. As the former home of the Spanish Grand Prix, with the race held here on nine occasions between 1968 and 1981, the Jarama track remains an iconic motor racing venue.
16. Golf Park
Golf Park is a public facility for both golf and padel lovers with no membership needed. It offers a well-equipped driving range and a 9-hole par 3 course, great for short iron play, chipping and putting practice. This complex is ideal for golf beginners or for experienced golfers who want to improve their short game.
17.Real Sociedad Hípica Española Club de Campo
Located in the northeast outskirts of Madrid, the RSHE Club de Campo can trace their roots as far back as 1901 – attaining royal status in 1908 – and it was one of the founder members of the Spanish Golf Federation in 1932.
The RSHECC has two 18-hole golf courses, designed by Robert Von Hagge, a driving range and a short course. The North Course is a track to play strategically. It could be defined as a course with a technical, friendly layout that is always rewarding. The South Course requires precision and a more aggressive game. The course is gentle on local players and hard on guests. The layout is more abrupt, with longer distances from tee to green and with steep slopes.
18. Real Club La Moraleja
Situated in the urbanisation of La Moraleja (Alcobendas, Madrid), Real Club La Moraleja is not only one of Spain’s most widely respected clubs, given its number of holes, it is also the largest golf club in the country and the largest inner-city club in Europe.
Founded in 1973, La Moraleja currently has four 18-hole golf courses, all of them designed by Jack Nicklaus. Nevertheless, their layout varies, Moraleja 1 being a short, narrow and very technical course whereas the longer Moraleja 2 is designed to house spectators with wider and less lavishly planted holes. Course 3 is configured as a long, classical, parkland-type course dominated by enormous lakes while course 4 thrives from its inventive design across undulated terrain, with isles of vegetation and even more water hazards.