Sotogrande Golf Review: Is It Worth The Trip?

Women & Golf’s Angie Huddart heads to Sotogrande for three days of championship golf, five-star hospitality and a first look at a refreshingly different approach to getting more people into the game.

I’ve travelled extensively throughout Andalucía over the years and played many of the golf courses stretching along the Costa del Sol. Somehow, though, Sotogrande had always escaped me.

After three days there, I found myself wondering why.

I was invited to stay at the five-star SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort and experience two very different championship courses – La Reserva Club and The Alto Club – as well as the newly remodelled Alto Club Golf Academy and its new nine-hole Par 3 course.

What struck me almost immediately was how different Sotogrande feels from some of the better-known destinations along this stretch of Spanish coast. It’s quieter and more understated, with golf very much at its heart.

But would I recommend it for a women’s golf trip? And, as a 22.5 handicapper, how would I actually get on with the golf?

Playing La Reserva Club

Of the courses on my itinerary, La Reserva was the one that looked as though it might provide the biggest test.

It’s a par-72 championship course and certainly looks the part, with elevation changes, water, beautifully shaped holes and some rather spectacular villas providing the backdrop.

But I was pleasantly surprised by how playable I found it.

There are multiple tee options and, from the right tees, the generous fairways gave me enough room to enjoy myself without removing the challenge.

I particularly enjoyed having decisions to make from the tee. There are opportunities to take on carries over water if you’re feeling brave, but you don’t have to play every hole that way.

The greens demand attention too. They’re large, subtly contoured and put plenty of emphasis on getting your approach shot into the right area.

The condition of the course was exceptional. Andalucía can be extremely dry, yet La Reserva was beautifully green and presented to a very high standard.

This is a proper championship golf course, but I never felt I had no business being there as a 22.5 handicapper. For me, that’s important. A famous golf course isn’t much fun if you spend four hours feeling beaten up by it.

Choose the right tees and La Reserva gives you the championship experience while still allowing an average golfer to enjoy the day.

Alto Club – a completely different test

The Alto Club provided a very different round.

The par-71 course winds through the landscape of Los Alcornocales Natural Park, with pine-lined fairways, water hazards and rolling terrain. It feels tighter than La Reserva and made me think much more carefully about where I wanted to put the ball.

This wasn’t a case of automatically reaching for the driver.

I found myself thinking about position and the next shot far more, which I enjoyed. You need to manage your way around Alto rather than simply try to overpower it.

I also liked the club’s more contemporary approach. Even the traditional coloured tee markers have been replaced by animal-themed tees, one of several small touches designed to make the golf environment feel less formal.

Playing La Reserva and Alto on the same trip works particularly well because the two courses don’t feel alike. If I were staying for several days, I’d happily play both again rather than feeling I needed to search for somewhere different.

The Alto Academy – golf without the intimidation

The part of the trip that interested me most from a Women & Golf perspective was the newly remodelled Alto Club Golf Academy.

I’ve played golf for many years, but I can understand why walking into a traditional golf environment for the first time can be intimidating.

There are rules you don’t know, terminology you don’t understand and sometimes the uncomfortable feeling that everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing.

Alto is trying to strip some of that away.

The Academy is led by Ryder Cup legend Suzann Pettersen and there is a clear emphasis on making golf more welcoming, particularly to women, families and juniors.

The philosophy is more relaxed, right down to the approach to what you wear. The message is essentially to wear something that allows you to swing comfortably while still looking appropriate for golf.

That may sound like a small thing, but I think it matters.

The practice bays feature Toptracer technology, so you can work seriously on your game or make practice more entertaining with interactive challenges and games. Coaching is available, but golfers can also use the facilities independently.

What I particularly liked was seeing young golfers enjoying themselves. It didn’t feel as though they were being introduced to golf by first being handed a long list of things they weren’t allowed to do.

The new Par 3 course

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Par 3s, so I wasn’t necessarily expecting the new nine-hole course to be one of my highlights.

The holes ask questions about distance control, accuracy and your short game, so there is enough there to keep an experienced golfer interested.

But I could also immediately see its value for somebody learning.

Going from a driving range to a full 18-hole championship course can be quite a leap. A nine-hole Par 3 course provides somewhere to learn how to play golf – choosing clubs, putting, dealing with different lies and getting used to being on a course – without the scale of a full 18 holes.

For couples or families where one person already plays and another would like to try the game, I think the combination of the Academy and Par 3 course is one of Sotogrande’s real strengths.

Staying at SO/ Sotogrande

SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort was my base for the three days and, with The Alto Club and Academy on site, it makes everything very easy.

The hotel has 152 rooms, including 36 suites, so although it is a five-star resort, it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large.

My room was spacious, with a king-sized bed, lounge area and private terrace. The bathroom had both a rainfall shower and deep soaking bath, and there were Illy coffee and tea-making facilities.

One detail I particularly appreciated was a handheld clothes steamer.

It sounds trivial until you’ve pulled a golf dress or evening outfit out of a suitcase and need to wear it 20 minutes later. I wish more hotels thought about practical touches like that.

There are several pools, including a family pool in the gardens and an adults-focused infinity pool overlooking the surrounding landscape towards the Mediterranean.

Overall, I found the atmosphere relaxed rather than overly formal. It feels luxurious, certainly, but I never felt I had to dress up simply to walk through the hotel.

Food, spa and a rather surprising beach

There are several places to eat without leaving the resort.

The Society Clubhouse is the easy all-day option, from breakfast through to dinner, while IXO Tapas Bar is good for a more relaxed evening over Spanish small plates, wine and cocktails.

For something special, Cortijo Santa María 1962 is set in the original farmhouse and offers a much more gastronomic experience.

After several rounds of golf, I was also very happy to discover the resort’s 3,500-square-metre spa. Alongside the more traditional treatments there is hydrotherapy, yoga, flotation therapy and cryotherapy, as well as a fully equipped gym.

But one of the biggest surprises of the trip was around 10 kilometres away.

La Reserva’s Beach Club has a large freshwater lagoon surrounded by white sand, with a restaurant, pool and water sports. It is quite an unexpected sight when you’ve spent the previous part of the trip thinking almost entirely about golf.

Lunch at Ancala was excellent – the salt-baked sea bass was a particular highlight – and it made me realise that Sotogrande works best when you don’t try to cram golf into every available hour.

I would definitely leave some space in the itinerary for an afternoon here.

My verdict: who would I recommend Sotogrande to?

I came away thinking that Sotogrande would work particularly well for a group of women who want very good golf but don’t necessarily want their entire holiday to revolve around playing 18 holes every day.

La Reserva gives you that memorable championship-course experience, while Alto provides a very different and more strategic test. As a 22.5 handicapper, I enjoyed both – and I would happily play both again.

For me, though, the Academy and Par 3 course add something important.

If you’re travelling with golfers of mixed abilities, somebody returning to golf or perhaps a partner or friend who would like to start playing, there is somewhere for them to do that without immediately being thrown onto a championship course.

Add a genuinely good hotel, spa, restaurants and the Beach Club and there is enough going on to justify staying longer than a couple of nights.

Would I go back? Absolutely.

Next time, though, I wouldn’t try to squeeze everything into three days.

Sotogrande at a glance

Stay: SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort
Play: La Reserva Club and The Alto Club
Practise & learn: Alto Club Golf Academy and nine-hole Par 3 course
From: Málaga Airport – around one hour by road
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn are ideal for golf, avoiding the hottest summer temperatures.
Ideal stay: Four nights or more if you want to play both championship courses and still have time for the Academy, spa and Beach Club.
Best for: Women’s golf trips, couples and mixed-ability groups, particularly where not everyone wants to play 18 holes every day.