Valderrama played host to the 1997 Ryder Cup matches between the USA and Europe. Team Captains were Tom Kite (US) and Seve Ballesteros (Europe). The first Ryder Cup to be hosted on mainland Europe was a tale of Europe’s five rookies who produced an impressive performance in the pairs during the first two days, giving Europe a five-point lead going into the singles. The US rallied during the final day, winning the singles 8-4, but it came down to the last match between Colin Montgomerie and Scott Hoch which ended in a halve after Monty sportingly conceded Hoch’s 15-footer on the final green. Europe 14 ½ - USA 13 ½. The Ryder Cup was played at Oak Hill in 1995 and at the Country Club, Brookline in 1999.

Everybody has heard about Valderrama “the Augusta of Europe” but its success is really down to Jaime Ortiz-Patino and a few of his golfing mates. In 1985, the industrialist billionaire bought what was then a fairly average course. He then spent an absolute fortune on it and now it’s one of the best courses in the world.

It is very rare to find a golf course on the Spanish Costa del Sol that was constructed more than 50 years ago and even rarer, that after five decades, it still provides a stern test to even the best golfers. Both are true of the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

Back in 1964, Sotogrande was a largely uninhabited area just north of Gibraltar, with only a few pockets of population located in a few country estates. An American citizen, Joseph McMicking, who lived in the Philippines, visited the area and could see the land's great potential, with its excellent weather, wonderful mix of countryside and proximity to the stunning coastline. In that same year he initiated what is now regarded as one of the best developed residential and tourism areas in Europe and its first golf course: Real Club de Golf Sotogrande.

There are many golf courses in the Malaga area of Spain’s Costa del Sol, but there is no doubt that Las Brisas is one of the best and it’s also one of the eldest. It’s a 1968 RTJ masterpiece and Robert Trent Jones was obviously freshly inspired having just completed Sotogrande. His creation at Las Brisas is just as good, especially following its facelift in 2014 by former Robert Trent Jones Jr. associate, Kyle Phillips.

Las Brisas was one of the first courses in Europe to use bent grass and the brave decision was quickly rewarded by being chosen as the host venue of the 1973 World Cup of Golf, which saw the USA (Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller) as the winners just ahead of South Africa (Gary Player and Hugh Baiocchi). More recently in 1987, England’s Nick Faldo won the Spanish Open here at Las Brisas.

With more than 50 golf courses on the Spanish Costa del Sol any additional layouts need to be very special to succeed in this market. The course at Finca Cortesin Golf Club opened for play in early 2007 and has already received promising accolades attracting the serious golfing aficionado.

Finca Cortesin is set a short distance inland from the Mediterranean Sea and is routed through a dramatic valley. Cabell Robinson designed the course, which is one of Europe’s longest layouts measuring almost 7,000 metres from the tips. Robinson’s vision was to create a golf course where “no hole has less than championship quality”. This vision is rapidly turning into a reality.

The absence of property development around the course provides a welcome change and with so many great holes at Finca it’s really difficult to pick out the best. However, a few holes deserve special mention and the 3rd is a delightful par five with an approach over water. The 10th, a long down-hill par three, has far-reaching views of the Estepona Mountains and then straight after is the 11th, a long double doglegged par five which is a great test and thrilling to play.

Real Club La Moraleja was established in 1973 and the club’s original No.1 course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, was unveiled three years after its formation. The No.2 course followed in 1990, designed by Ron Kirby of Nicklaus Design.

La Moralaja’s ambitious expansion plans were financed by the sale of an 82-acre plot of land, allowing the club to develop another two courses (No. 3 and No. 4) in the nearby municipality of Algete, around 20 kilometers from its main sports complex near Madrid airport.

Moraleja (3) is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course and it’s tucked away in a secluded setting, with sand-capped fairways routed around four large lakes. A lot of soil was shifted during construction to create a little movement in a rather flat landscape and newly planted trees will add definition to the holes as they mature.

Strategy is more important than length off the tee on this course, with the Golden Bear forcing golfers to think carefully about each and every shot in order to give the player a better option for the shot that follows next.

Established in 1895 in Madrid, Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro is one of the oldest, most traditional and most exclusive golf clubs in Spain. Six years after the club's formation, nine holes were ready for play at the Hippodrome la Castellana.

In 1907, fuelled by golf's growing popularity, a new course was laid out at Cuarenta Fanegasone, one kilometre from the Hippodrome, but the city's expansion forced the club to relocate in 1912 to a much larger site in the neighbourhood of Puerta de Hierro a few kilometres north west of Madrid city centre.

Situado entre las montañas de Benahavís en el corazón de la Costa del Sol, encontramos el campo de golf de Marbella Club Golf Resort. Este campo de 18 hoyos, con notables vistas a la montaña y a la costa mediterránea, lo diseñó Dave Thomas e inauguró en 1999. Con un recorrido de 6.247 metros y unas calles muy bien delineadas, encontramos en el campo cascadas y bunkers colocados de forma estratégica. Además, cabe destacar sus instalaciones como su casa club o su restaurante