Emporda Forest

The verdict

Emporda Golf gave the Costa Brava its first genuinely destination worthy golf, and the Forest course is the side that lingers in the memory. It was conceived by Robert von Hagge, the American architect credited with the first course built in Spain, and it threads through mature stone pine in a way that feels more secluded and more technical than its sibling. Each hole sits in its own corridor of trees, so the round plays as a series of private, demanding tests.

This is not a long course by modern numbers, a par 72 of about 6,165 metres, but length was never the point. Von Hagge defended it with narrow fairways, elevated greens and the constant pressure of the pines, so position off the tee and a confident, accurate iron game matter far more than raw distance. For a group based on the Costa Brava, playing Forest and Links across a 36 hole day is one of the best value golf days in Catalonia.

The holes worth the trip

Forest opens the round into the trees and rarely lets you out of them. The fairways are framed tightly by stone pine, which removes the bail out and turns the tee shot into a question of nerve and shape. Find the short grass and the course is fair and beautiful; leak it into the woods and the recovery is a chip back to the fairway, no more.

The greens are the second line of defence. Many sit raised above their surrounds, so an approach pushed long or short trickles away into trouble and the up and down is anything but routine. Water appears in measured doses, most memorably around the middle of the round, adding a flash of risk to holes that already demand precision. The par 3s are picturesque and exacting, asking for a committed strike to a guarded target.

Because the layout is more about angles than yardage, it rewards the player who plots a conservative route and trusts the wedge game. The closing holes ease back toward the clubhouse through the pines, a calm, scenic finish to a round that has quietly examined every club in the bag. It is golf for the head as much as the swing, and all the more satisfying for it.

Where to stay nearby

Many groups stay on site at Emporda Golf, which keeps both courses on the doorstep and makes the 36 hole day effortless. The wider Baix Emporda is one of Catalonia's most appealing corners, so it is easy to combine golf with the medieval villages of Pals and Peratallada and the coves of the Costa Brava.

For a beach base, the resorts around L'Estartit and Platja de Pals are close, while Girona's old town gives you a city stay with first rate restaurants and a short hop to the airport. It is a region that pairs golf with food, coast and culture as well as anywhere in Spain.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Emporda Golf.