Golf in Gran Canaria
A continent in miniature, where the oldest golf club in Spain sits above a volcanic crater an hour from desert valleys and dune side resort courses. Warm all year, four hours from northern Europe, and built for a winter sun golf week. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, via Google
Why golf in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the round, mountainous heart of the Canary Islands, and its golf trades on two things northern Europe cannot offer in winter: reliable warmth and astonishing variety in a small space. You can play the rim of an extinct volcano in the morning and a course laid through a desert canyon in the afternoon, with the drive between them barely an hour. The island has been called a continent in miniature for good reason, and the golf follows the landscape, from historic parkland in the cooler north to dramatic, engineered courses in the sunny south.
It is also a destination with real golfing history. The Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, founded in 1891, is the oldest golf club in Spain, and the island carries that heritage lightly alongside a modern resort scene built for the package golfer. Most visitors base themselves in the south around Maspalomas and Meloneras, where the big hotels, the dunes and the warmest weather cluster, and drive out to the courses, with a day trip north to Bandama the round every keen golfer should make.
The regions
Las Palmas and the north
The greener, cooler north around the capital, home to the historic Real Las Palmas at Bandama on the crater rim and the parkland El Cortijo near the airport, the island's golfing heartland.
The south and Maspalomas
The sunny resort coast around Maspalomas and Meloneras, where the big hotels meet the famous dunes and the dune side Maspalomas and Meloneras courses and the 36 hole Salobre sit minutes apart.
Mogan and the west
The dramatic west of the island, where the Arizona style Anfi Tauro is carved through a desert valley near Puerto Rico and Anfi del Mar, the most spectacular modern golf on Gran Canaria.
The courses that matter
Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas
The oldest golf club in Spain, founded in 1891 and laid out in its present form by Mackenzie Ross in the 1950s, set on the rim of the Bandama caldera. A historic, hilly parkland with huge views into the crater and out to the sea, the island's must play round.
Anfi Tauro Golf
An Arizona style course threaded through a dramatic desert canyon near Puerto Rico, with bold contouring, lakes and palm framed fairways. The most spectacular modern course on the island and a genuine test, with a nine hole short course alongside.
Salobre Golf, New Course
The longer of the two Salobre layouts and the centrepiece of the only 36 hole club in the Canaries, a modern resort course winding through rocky terrain above the southern coast with good conditioning and wide appeal.
Salobre Golf, Old Course
The shorter, tighter sister course at Salobre, a fun and scenic test set into the hillside with dramatic elevation and desert framing, paired with the New Course for an easy two round day in the south.
Maspalomas Golf
A flat, walkable course laid out beside the famous Maspalomas dunes and opened in 1968, the southern island's original golf and still its most convenient, a relaxed links style round on the doorstep of the resort hotels.
Meloneras Golf
A links influenced course right on the southern coast by the Lopesan resorts, with sea views, exposed wind and a links feel rare on the island, the most accessible marquee round for visitors staying in the south.
El Cortijo Club de Campo
A mature, well conditioned parkland near the airport between the capital and the south, long enough to test the better player and an easy first or last round of a trip, with a fine clubhouse and academy.
Designers, openings and pars verified June 2026. Salobre is the only 36 hole club in the Canary Islands. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| November to April | Warm and mild while northern Europe is cold, low twenties Celsius | Peak winter sun season, the prime time, book hotels and tee times ahead |
| May to June and September to October | Warm and settled, quieter than mid winter | Shoulder season, just as warm with better value and emptier courses |
| July to August | Hot in the south, tempered by the trade winds | Low season for golf, fine early or late, the cheapest rates |
Gran Canaria has no closed season, only busier and cheaper windows. The famous winter climate is the whole point, with the peak running from November to April when the rest of Europe is in the cold.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Older club green fee | Around 48 to 80 euros | Maspalomas, El Cortijo and weekday rates |
| Marquee course green fee | Around 90 to 120 euros, high season | Real Las Palmas, Anfi Tauro and Salobre, with multi round vouchers cheaper |
| A week, all in | Around 1,500 to 3,000 US dollars per person | Hotel, a hire car and daily golf, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Gran Canaria sits about four hours from most of northern Europe, with frequent flights into Las Palmas airport on the east coast, midway between the capital in the north and the resorts in the south. The island is compact, so a hire car is the natural way to travel, with the southern courses clustered within twenty minutes of the Maspalomas hotels and the drive north to Bandama taking around an hour on good motorways. A local operator can arrange the car, the tee times and the multi round vouchers that make the resort golf better value.
Where to stay
Most golfers base themselves in the south around Maspalomas, Meloneras and Playa del Ingles, where the largest hotels, the warmest weather and the famous dunes all come together within minutes of the southern courses. The Lopesan resorts at Meloneras put you next to the golf and the sea, while the capital at Las Palmas suits travellers who want a city break paired with the historic round at Bandama. Book the winter peak well ahead, and let one planner line up the hotel, the car and the tee times as one.
Plan your Gran Canaria golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Gran Canaria golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in Gran Canaria?
Gran Canaria plays year round in a famously mild climate, which is why it is one of Europe's prime winter sun golf destinations. The peak season runs from November to April, when northern Europe is cold and the island sits in the low twenties Celsius. Spring and autumn are quieter and just as warm, while high summer is hot in the south but tempered by the trade winds. There is no closed season, only busier and cheaper windows.
What is the best golf course in Gran Canaria?
Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas at Bandama, the oldest golf club in Spain, founded in 1891 and laid out in its current form by Philip Mackenzie Ross, is the most storied round on the island, set on the rim of the Bandama caldera. For pure drama, the Arizona style Anfi Tauro by von Hagge, Smelek and Baril in the Mogan valley is the standout modern course, while Salobre and Maspalomas anchor the resort golf in the south.
How much does a golf trip to Gran Canaria cost in 2026?
Gran Canaria is good value for a winter sun trip. Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 48 euros at the older clubs to 90 to 120 euros at the marquee resort courses in high season, with multi round vouchers shared across the Lopesan courses offering savings. A week with a good hotel, a hire car and daily golf typically lands between 1,500 and 3,000 US dollars per head, excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Winter sun value, course openings and the trips worth taking. One considered email every other week.