Club class: the best golf resorts in Europe

Autumn might be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, but for Europe’s golfers it’s also the moment to take to the fairway. With the summer heat fading, this is the perfect time for a round, from the pristine greens of Scotland to the sunnier courses of Portugal, Spain and France.

Golf is one of the world’s favourite sports and the inspiration behind the purchase of many a holiday home. Owning a property near a prestigious golf resort, especially one that offers a multitude of leisure activities, gives you not only a protected natural setting in which to perfect your shots, but also year-round rental potential.

The 2023 European Golf Participation Report shows that player numbers have soared from 10.6 million in 2020 to 14 million in 2022 – and Europe’s recent triumph over the US in the Ryder Cup is likely to swell numbers further.

The Algarve in southern Portugal has umbrella pines, beautiful Atlantic beaches and more than 30 golf courses within a 95-mile stretch. They include blue-riband courses on prime residential resorts such as Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, where premium sports facilities and high-end restaurants serve up a luxe lifestyle for property owners. 

“The Algarve’s stunning climate and world-class courses make it a golfer’s paradise,” says Kerstin Buechner, co-owner of QP Savills. “About 80% of our clients are golfers and many non-players take up the sport after investing in a property. The natural beauty and sporting opportunities provide a golden lifestyle and return on investment.” Over the past two decades, however, the demographics have changed. “Once seen as a sport primarily for retirees, golf is attracting a noticeably younger audience,” says Buechner. “In the prime Algarve resorts, it offers the perfect healthy outdoor life.”

Across the 100-plus golf courses of Andalucía in southern Spain, the average age of players has also fallen, says James Stewart, Savills international associate in Sotogrande. This illustrious resort is a year-round home for many young families: there are 1,200 pupils at Sotogrande’s International School. Add in outstanding golfing facilities, including a superb academy with an active junior section, as well as a marina, polo pitches and stylish properties at La Reserva, Sotogrande’s newest gated community, and the appeal to the next generation of owner-players is clear. 

“Golf has always been important at Sotogrande,” says Stewart. “The first thing the owners did when they established the resort in 1962 was to ask Robert Trent Jones to design a course. Today, Sotogrande’s five courses include three of the top-10-rated examples in Spain – and Valderrama, which hosted the Ryder Cup in 1997, is also the top-ranked course in Continental Europe.”

There are 65 golf courses in Provence, in southern France, many within putting distance of the glittering Nice and Cannes. Options include Royal Mougins, Terre Blanche, Beauvallon and Golf Club Saint-Tropez. “The Riviera has stunning golfing opportunities and, after the high-summer season, many players take advantage of the tranquillity to practise their swing,” says Alex Balkin, executive director of Savills French Riviera. “In autumn, the weather is perfect for a day on the course before an evening filled with the best of French culture.”

Scotland is known as the home of golf, a deep-rooted obsession that saw the sport banned in 1457 for distracting men from their military training. Today, there are 560 golf courses, the most famous of which is the Old Course at St Andrews.

“St Andrews gets interest from golfers worldwide and the best properties overlooking the Old Course command prices five times higher per square foot than in Edinburgh,” says Jamie Macnab, country house director at Savills Edinburgh. “Prime locations include Hamilton Grand – where a two-bedroom apartment for £2.3 million went under offer as soon as it came to the market recently – Links Crescent and The Scores, on the clifftop behind the club. The variety of people you meet in the clubhouse is extraordinary, and all are united by a love of golf and a love of St Andrews.”

Pictures from top: the seventh hole at Terre Blanche in Provence; one of its prestige villas; the 13th hole at Real Club de Sotogrande; and the Old Course at St Andrews