Mijas Golf Los Olivos

The verdict

Los Olivos is the thinking golfer's half of Mijas Golf. Robert Trent Jones Sr. came back to the site eight years after Los Lagos and built something quite different on the higher, rolling ground: a shorter, tighter course where the olive groves that give it its name press in on the fairways and the greens are smaller and better protected. It is the prettier and more characterful of the two, and the one that asks more precise questions.

It plays as a par 70 of about 5,840 metres, so the card looks gentle until the round starts. Length is rarely the issue here. The challenge is hitting fairways framed by trees, controlling the ball into raised greens, and managing the elevation changes that make club selection a guess on the wrong day. For accurate strikers it is a delight, and paired with the longer Los Lagos it completes one of the best value two course stops on the Costa del Sol.

The holes worth the trip

Los Olivos plays over more dramatic ground than its flat sister, climbing and falling across the lower slopes of the Mijas hills. The olive trees that line the holes are not just decoration: they tighten the driving lines and punish the wayward, so the tee shot is about position rather than distance, and the smart play is often less than driver.

The greens are the real defence. Trent Jones raised many of them and tucked the pins behind shaping and bunkering, so a missed approach leaves an awkward short game from a slope or a sandy lie. Reading the run of the land matters here, both off the tee and around the greens, and a player who controls trajectory and spin will score far better than one who simply hits it far.

Because it is short and walkable, Los Olivos is an enjoyable round for a mixed ability group, and it makes the natural complement to Los Lagos on a two course day at Mijas. The pair sit minutes from Fuengirola and the airport, an easy and rewarding centerpiece for a central Costa del Sol golf trip.

Where to stay nearby

Most golfers base themselves in Fuengirola, Mijas or along the central Costa del Sol, where beach hotels, resorts and apartments suit every budget and the airport is close. Mijas Golf has its own hotel on the property, so a two course break here means rolling out of bed and onto the first tee.

From a base at Mijas the whole coast is within reach, with the Marbella courses to the west and the airport courses to the east all a short drive away. With two contrasting Trent Jones layouts on site and reliable winter sun, it is one of the most convenient and best value golf bases in southern Spain.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Mijas and Fuengirola.