Going for Golf

Mallorca’s Balearic Beauties

Son Muntaner

The established favourites such as the Algarve and mainland Spain are always high on the list but in the past few years Mallorca has become increasingly popular – and it’s easy to see why.

Thousands of golfers from across Europe booked a golfing holiday in Mallorca last year, and with 20 courses to choose from, players of all standards have easy access to some spectacular facilities.

Son Muntaner Golf Club is a prime example. This 6,347-yard course is nestled in between the hills of Son Vida and Palma. Designed by Kurt Rossknecht, the course opened in 2000 and offers a real challenge for golfers in a beautiful Mediterranean setting.

After a short ride from our stunning, but pricey, five-star boutique Hotel Castillo Son Vida, we checked in for our tee-time with ease. Our clubs were cleaned and strapped on to the back of brand new buggies equipped with GPS, giving you a clear map of the hole with exact yardages to the pin and to the centre of the green.

Since 2000 the course has been updated with input from Spanish legend José María Olazábal. It was impossible not to be impressed with the condition and the well-designed holes which punish the ‘grip and rip’ approach but reward good course management.

The opening stretch tests your accuracy off the tee and from the fairway. The first hole is 413 yards off the whites which dog-legs right with bunkers in play on the left. If you find the fairway, anything left or long with the approach will give you a splash landing. The water remains in play for the next three holes so a cautious, steady start is recommended if you want to shoot low on one of the top courses the island has to offer.

After the round our clubs were taken from the buggy and cleaned once again while we enjoyed a tapas lunch on the terrace, with sweeping views of the course; our clubs were then ready for us to collect – a nice touch.