Golf in the Murcia Region
The Costa Calida is one of Europe's most concentrated golf destinations, built around the legendary La Manga Club and its three championship courses and a string of six Jack Nicklaus designs that make up the Nicklaus Golf Trail. With more than 300 days of sun a year, warm winters and short distances between resorts, the Murcia region is a golf trip you can take in any month.
Photo: La Manga Club via Google.
Why golf in the Murcia region
Murcia, marketed as the Costa Calida, the warm coast, is one of the great value golf regions of Spain. Its reputation was built on La Manga Club, the vast resort near Cartagena that has been a fixture of European golf for half a century, with three full eighteen hole courses, a five star Grand Hyatt hotel and one of the best practice and training set ups on the continent. It has been named European Golf Resort of the Year many times, and for a group that wants everything in one place, it is hard to beat.
Around it, the region added an extraordinary cluster of modern resort golf in the 2000s, six courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and his firm under the banner of the Nicklaus Golf Trail, from Mar Menor and La Torre to the signature course at Condado de Alhama. Add the big resort layouts at Hacienda del Alamo and the gentle, year round climate and you have a destination that suits buddies trips, society golf and winter sun breaks alike. Distances are short, the golf is plentiful and the sun does the rest.
The courses that matter
La Manga Club, South · Putman 1971, Palmer 2005
The flagship of the region, originally designed by Robert Dean Putman in 1971 and remodelled by Arnold Palmer in 2005. A long, demanding championship course that has hosted professional events for decades and remains the headline round on any Murcia trip. Open to resort and visiting golfers.
La Manga Club, West · Dave Thomas
The most striking of La Manga's three, a Dave Thomas design set against a dense pine forest at the foot of the Calblanque Natural Park. Tighter and more demanding than its siblings, it asks for the best of every shot. A favourite of better players at the resort.
La Manga Club, North
The most forgiving of the La Manga trio, with generous, gently rolling fairways where trouble is harder to find off the tee. A relaxed, enjoyable round that makes a perfect opening day or a course for the wider group. Part of the same resort complex.
Condado de Alhama Signature · Jack Nicklaus
The flagship of the Nicklaus Golf Trail, a Jack Nicklaus signature course in the hills near Alhama de Murcia with bold bunkering and strong par 3s. The most complete of the six trail courses and a genuine test in a quiet, scenic inland setting. Resort and visitor golf.
Mar Menor Golf Resort · Nicklaus Design
The original course on the Nicklaus Golf Trail, near Torre-Pacheco close to the Mar Menor lagoon. Wide, gently undulating fairways and well placed bunkers reward thoughtful play, and an on site hotel makes it a popular, easy base. Open to visitors.
La Torre Golf Resort · Jack Nicklaus
A Jack Nicklaus design at Roldan and the most complete of the trail resorts, with a lively town centre, a five star hotel and over 2,600 properties around the course. A buzzing, all in one base for a golf and sun week. Open to resort and visiting golfers.
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort · Nicklaus Design
A par 72 Nicklaus Design course at Sucina, set among olive and citrus groves with the Sierra on the horizon. Mature, walkable and well kept, it is one of the most pleasant of the trail courses and a regular for visiting societies. Open to visitors.
El Valle Golf Resort · Nicklaus Design
A Nicklaus Design course in a natural valley northeast of Murcia city, the tournament course of the original trail, with rolling terrain and water in play. A scenic, enjoyable round that pairs well with the other Nicklaus resorts nearby. Open to visitors.
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort · Fuente Alamo
One of the longest and most expansive resort courses in the region, set on a big inland site near Fuente Alamo with a hotel, spa and wide, generous fairways. A relaxed, sunny base away from the coast that suits a group looking for space and value. Open to visitors.
Designers and resort details verified June 2026 from the clubs, the Nicklaus Golf Trail and recognized course databases. La Manga's South was originally a Robert Dean Putman design remodelled by Arnold Palmer in 2005 and the West is by Dave Thomas; Mar Menor, La Torre, Hacienda Riquelme, El Valle and Condado de Alhama form part of the Jack Nicklaus designed trail. Access, conditioning and fees change, so confirm tee times directly before booking.
When to go: the Murcia golf season
| Window | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Oct to Apr | The prime golf season: warm, sunny days, mild for play and a popular escape from the northern winter; book the best resorts and tee times ahead |
| May and Sep | Excellent shoulder months with hot, settled weather, longer days and slightly better value before and after the winter peak |
| Jun to Aug | High summer is very hot inland; play early or late, when green fees ease and the resorts are quieter, and use the afternoons for the coast and the pool |
| All year | With more than 300 days of sun a year, golf is possible in every month, which is the region's signature appeal for a winter sun trip |
October to April is the peak golf season, though the region plays year round. Green fees and package prices change by season and year; always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there, costs and where to stay
The Murcia region is served by the Region de Murcia International Airport (RMU) at Corvera, just 30 minutes from most of the golf, with Alicante Airport about an hour and a half north a busy alternative with more flights. The courses cluster tightly inland and along the coast around the Mar Menor, with short drives between resorts, so a hire car makes a multi course trip straightforward. The region is easy to get around and rarely busy on the roads.
Value is the headline. Green fees and packages here run well below the Costa del Sol and far below the marquee golf of Britain or Ireland, and the all in one resorts make budgeting simple. Most golfers base at one of the big resorts such as La Manga Club, La Torre or Hacienda del Alamo to keep golf, hotel and dining together, or stay near the Mar Menor for a mix of golf and the coast. We can match the right base to your group and arrange the tee times and transfers as one package.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts in the Murcia region, or read the wider Spain golf hub.
Plan a Murcia golf trip
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and who is in the group, and a concierge will build a Costa Calida itinerary around La Manga and the Nicklaus Golf Trail, costed to the head, with no obligation.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Resort designers and the regional season verified June 2026; green fees and packages indicative for the 2026 season. Last reviewed June 2026.