Costa Daurada vs Costa Brava: Which Golf Trip Wins?
Barcelona sits between two golf coasts that play very differently. North of the city the Costa Brava holds PGA Catalunya, ranked the number one course in Spain, with Emporda and the old links at Pals around it. South lies the Costa Daurada, where Greg Norman built the 45 hole Lumine complex and a Robert Trent Jones Jr course climbs the hills at Bonmont, all wrapped around Salou, the beaches and PortAventura. One is about the best golf in Spain; the other is about value and the family week. Here is how they compare at 2026 rates.
Photograph: PGA Catalunya, via Google
The verdict
If the trip is about the golf, go north to the Costa Brava. It has the one course in Catalonia that ranks with the best in Europe: the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya, now run as the Camiral resort, an Angel Gallardo and Neil Coles design from 1999 that is regularly named the number one course in Spain and has hosted the Spanish Open. Add the two Robert von Hagge courses at Emporda, the wine country round at Peralada and the wonderful old F.W. Hawtree links at Platja de Pals, and you have a week of genuinely serious golf within 40 minutes of Girona, in a part of Spain whose coast, food and Costa Brava villages are a holiday in their own right.
If the trip carries non golfers, younger families or a tighter budget, the Costa Daurada south of Barcelona is the smarter buy. Greg Norman's Lumine, now branded Infinitum, packs 45 holes across the Lakes, Hills and Ruins courses into one resort near Tarragona, and Robert Trent Jones Jr's Bonmont climbs the foothills behind it with ravines, lakes and big mountain views. The golf is good rather than world beating, but it is cheaper, it is all in one place, and it sits beside Salou's beaches and the PortAventura theme park, which makes the Costa Daurada the easiest sell to a mixed group. The honest verdict: Costa Brava for the best golf in Catalonia, Costa Daurada for the best value family week, and Barcelona in the middle means you can sample both.
Head to head
| What matters | Costa Brava (Girona) | Costa Daurada (Tarragona) |
|---|---|---|
| The flagship | PGA Catalunya Stadium Course, ranked number one in Spain | Lumine, Greg Norman's 45 hole Lakes, Hills and Ruins complex |
| Design pedigree | Gallardo and Coles at PGA Catalunya; von Hagge at Emporda; Hawtree links at Pals | Greg Norman at Lumine; Robert Trent Jones Jr at Bonmont |
| Course count | Five strong 18s within 40 minutes, plus the Tour Course at Camiral | Lumine's 45 holes plus Bonmont, concentrated in two resorts |
| 2026 green fee | PGA Catalunya Stadium around 120 to 230 euro; Emporda and Pals around 80 to 120 | Lumine and Bonmont around 70 to 110 euro |
| Getting there | Girona airport 30 to 40 minutes; Barcelona around 90 minutes | Reus airport 20 minutes; Barcelona around 90 minutes |
| Beyond golf | Costa Brava coast, Girona, Dali country, Empordan wine and food | Salou and Cambrils beaches, PortAventura, Roman Tarragona |
| Best for | The serious golf group chasing Spain's top ranked course | Families, value seekers and mixed ability groups |
Fees verified June 2026 from club and operator listings; PGA Catalunya rates swing widely by season and tee time. Always confirm directly before booking. Check tee times · Check hotel rates.
Who should pick which
Pick the Costa Brava if...
The course list is what you have come for. PGA Catalunya's Stadium Course is the round serious golfers fly to Catalonia to play, a tight, strategic, tree framed examination that earns its Spain number one ranking, and it does not stand alone: the Tour Course on the same resort, the Links and Forest courses at Emporda, Peralada among the olive groves and the venerable Platja de Pals links give you four or five days of real golf without a weak round. Base near Girona or on the Costa Brava coast itself, eat extraordinarily well, and treat the Dali triangle and the medieval villages as the rest day. This is the trip for the group that ranks courses, not the one that needs a kids' club.
Pick the Costa Daurada if...
Value and the family come first. The Costa Daurada concentrates its golf into two resorts: Lumine, where Greg Norman's 45 holes mean you can play three different 18s without changing hotel, and Bonmont, climbing the hills behind with Robert Trent Jones Jr's bunkering and the best views on the coast. The golf is enjoyable and fairly priced rather than world ranked, but the real advantage is everything around it, with Salou and Cambrils on the beach, the PortAventura theme park on the doorstep and Roman Tarragona to explore, which makes this the obvious choice when half the party does not play. Our best courses in Spain ranking shows where each coast sits nationally, and the Spain green fee guide prices the wider card.
Or refuse the choice and base in Barcelona: the Costa Brava courses are a day out to the north, the Costa Daurada a day out to the south, and the city itself is one of the great non golf evenings in Europe. See our Spain golf holidays page for how a concierge stitches both coasts into one week.
Plan your Catalonia golf trip
Spain's number one course on one coast, Greg Norman's 45 holes and PortAventura on the other, and Barcelona in between: tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge prices it to the head, with no obligation.
Costa Daurada vs Costa Brava questions
Is the Costa Daurada or the Costa Brava better for golf?
For pure golf quality the Costa Brava wins, because it is home to PGA Catalunya, whose Stadium Course is consistently ranked the number one course in Spain, alongside Emporda and the classic links at Platja de Pals. The Costa Daurada answers with Greg Norman's 45 hole Lumine complex and Robert Trent Jones Jr's Bonmont, more value and a stronger family offer around PortAventura. Best golf: Costa Brava. Best all round value trip: Costa Daurada.
How much do green fees cost on the Costa Brava and Costa Daurada in 2026?
Indicative 2026 rates: PGA Catalunya's Stadium Course runs around 120 to 230 euro depending on season, with the Tour Course lower; Emporda and Platja de Pals sit around 80 to 120 euro. On the Costa Daurada, Lumine and Bonmont run around 70 to 110 euro. All are indicative; always confirm directly before booking.
Which has the best golf course, the Costa Brava or Costa Daurada?
PGA Catalunya's Stadium Course on the Costa Brava, designed by Angel Gallardo and Neil Coles and opened in 1999, is the standout. It is regularly ranked the best course in Spain and among the top handful in continental Europe, a tree lined, water guarded examination that has hosted the Spanish Open. Nothing on the Costa Daurada reaches it, though Lumine's variety is the wider draw.
Can you combine both on one golf trip?
Yes. The two coasts sit on either side of Barcelona, about 90 minutes to two hours apart, both within easy reach of Barcelona airport, with Girona airport closer to the Costa Brava and Reus closer to the Costa Daurada. A strong week plays PGA Catalunya, Emporda and Pals in the north, then drives south for Lumine and Bonmont, or simply bases in Barcelona and treats each as a day out.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Fees verified June 2026 against club and operator listings. Last reviewed June 2026.