Golf in shorts all year round, tee off at nine in winter without gloves, and have lunch overlooking the sea afterwards. For many of our clients, golf is not just a hobby — it is one of the reasons to buy a home right here. And with some eighteen courses within a 45-minute drive, including the most decorated course in Spain, the region around the Mar Menor has quietly grown into one of the country's finest golf destinations. In this guide we line up the courses and resorts for you — with the honest view of your buyer's agent.
Why golfers choose the Costa Cálida
The Costa del Sol may call itself the "Costa del Golf", but the region around the Mar Menor has two trump cards that are luring more and more golfers away: the driest and mildest winter climate on the Spanish mainland — golfing in January is the rule rather than the exception here — and property prices that on some resorts are half those of comparable addresses near Marbella.
The Mar Menor golf region in numbers
Everything within easy reach
Las Colinas: the award-winning star
Let's start with the course everyone is talking about. Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, just across the regional border near Campoamor, has been named "Spain's Best Golf Course" no fewer than five times at the World Golf Awards and ranks in continental Europe's top 100. The par-71 championship course by architect Cabell B. Robinson lies in a secluded valley surrounded by protected nature, and is managed by Troon Golf — the world leader in course management.
The resort around it is every bit as impressive: a gated community with 24-hour security, low building density, its own beach club on La Glea beach and villas that rank among the finest on the southern Costa Blanca. Our honest note: that quality comes at a price. Las Colinas is the most expensive address in this guide — but those who buy here buy proven value retention.
La Manga Club: the legendary resort
On the other side of the Mar Menor lies the resort that put the region on the golfing map: La Manga Club, with three championship courses (North, South and West), an academy and decades of tournament history. The 560-hectare resort is a village in itself — hotels, restaurants, a tennis academy — with an established international community. Homes range from apartments to estate villas; the offering is diverse, but quality differences between older and newer sections are considerable. This is exactly where a critical eye pays off when buying.
The Nicklaus resorts: living right on the course
Around Torre-Pacheco and Murcia lies a unique series of six resorts with Nicklaus Design courses, once developed as a single golf circuit: Mar Menor Golf, La Torre, Saurines de la Torre (spectacular desert style with dunes), El Valle, Hacienda Riquelme and Alhama Signature. For buyers this is the most accessible segment: here you literally live on the course, with apartments from around €120,000 and villas far below Costa del Sol prices.
Our honest view: the resorts differ considerably in liveliness. Mar Menor Golf Resort (walking distance from Los Alcázares) and La Torre are inhabited year-round with plenty of amenities; quieter resorts like Hacienda Riquelme are calm out of season and you will depend on the car. Which one suits you depends on how you want to live there — exactly the conversation we like to have with you.
Would you like golf nearby but prefer to live outside a resort? In our guide to Roldán we compare village life with the surrounding residential areas and point you to the current listings.
Close to the sea: Roda, La Serena & more
Want to combine golf and beach? Roda Golf & Beach Resort (9 km from our office in San Pedro del Pinatar) scores 8.1 on Leading Courses, making it one of Murcia's best-rated courses, five minutes from the Mar Menor beaches. La Serena Golf in Los Alcázares is the region's only links-style course, woven with water features right behind the promenade. And just across the border lie classics such as Las Ramblas (stunning among the pines), Campoamor, Villamartín and La Finca — all within half an hour.
Eighteen courses within forty-five minutes — nowhere in Spain is the choice this wide at these property prices.
Living on a golf course: what we look at
Buying a home on a golf resort is different from buying in a village. As your buyer's agent we look, among other things, at the community fees (which vary widely per resort and significantly affect the return calculation), the financial health of the resort and the course — a course that closes directly hits property values — the position within the resort (front line on the fairway is beautiful, but watch for stray balls and privacy), the rental potential (golf resorts actually rent well in winter, complementary to beach rentals) and how the resort looks in the low season.
Can't come and view quickly yourself? With CasaScout we visit the property and the resort for you — including honest footage of the surroundings. And with our buyer's guidance you can be sure the legal and financial side is right too. Want to know more about the area? Also read our guide to the beaches of the Mar Menor & La Manga.
Frequently asked questions
How many golf courses are there around the Mar Menor and the Costa Cálida?
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From an apartment on a Nicklaus resort to a villa on Las Colinas: we know every resort inside and out — including the things the sales brochure doesn't tell you. And we represent your interests as a buyer, exclusively.