Las Colinas Golf and Country Club

The verdict

Las Colinas Golf and Country Club is the standout of the southern Costa Blanca, a Cabell Robinson design opened in 2010 in a gated valley near Dehesa de Campoamor, a short drive inland from the beaches of Orihuela Costa. Robinson, who trained under Robert Trent Jones Senior and laid out Finca Cortesin and La Reserva, used the natural folds of the land so that each hole sits in its own corridor of umbrella pine and native scrub, with no two fairways running side by side. The result is a calm, private feeling round that has been repeatedly ranked among the finest in continental Europe.

It is a par 71 of around 6,033 metres from the everyday tees, never overlong but always thoughtful, with generous landing areas giving way to firm, cleverly tilted greens. The conditioning is reliably excellent, the academy and practice ground are first rate, and the clubhouse and on site accommodation make it an easy base as well as a marquee round. For the visiting golfer it is the Costa Blanca's most complete course, and the obvious anchor for a week that mixes golf with the quieter end of the Spanish coast.

The holes worth the trip

Las Colinas opens gently before the valley tightens around you. Robinson's fairways are wide enough to encourage a confident driver, but the smart play is to find the correct side, because the greens are angled and the run offs punish anything leaked toward the wrong flank. Water is used sparingly and intelligently rather than for show, and the bunkering is classic Robinson, deep enough to cost a stroke yet never arbitrary.

The stretch through the middle of the round is where the course earns its ranking. Holes climb and fall through pine and rock, each one framed in its own pocket of the valley, with the par 3s in particular asking for precise, committed iron play to hold firm putting surfaces. The closing holes return toward the clubhouse with genuine risk and reward decisions on the par 5s for those who back their game.

What sets Las Colinas apart from the busier resort courses of the Costa Blanca is the sense of seclusion and the integrity of the design. There is no manufactured drama, just well routed, immaculately presented golf that rewards strategy over strength. Golfers who care about architecture leave rating it the most satisfying test for many miles, and the clear pick of the area for a single marquee round.

Where to stay nearby

Las Colinas has its own on site villas and apartments dotted through the valley, which make the simplest base of all, steps from the first tee and the academy. Beyond the gates, the beach towns of Orihuela Costa and Cabo Roig offer a quieter, more Spanish feel than the busier resorts further north, with good seafood and easy access to the coast.

The southern Costa Blanca and the Mar Menor pack a remarkable number of courses into a short drive, so most visitors build a multi course week around Las Colinas. Alicante airport is under an hour with flights from across Europe, and Murcia Corvera is closer still, making this one of the easiest premium golf trips to reach on the continent.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Las Colinas and Orihuela Costa.