Spain is known for its culture, its food, and of course, its friendly atmosphere! And when it comes to sports, Spanish football is the big thing. If you’ve recently moved here, you may be surprised to learn that there are plenty of excellent opportunities to play a great round of golf in Spain. One of the top spots, and a course you should definitely play if you’re in Barcelona, is the Real Club de Golf El Prat.

This impressive golf club has hosted the Spanish Open 10 times since its establishment in 1954. Although it’s of championship standard, golfers of all abilities can look forward to an exciting round here. If you’re already in the area, round up your gear and get ready to play! If you live elsewhere, it’s well worth packing your best travel bag and making the trip. Here’s what you need to know about this beautiful course.

Quick Overview

Holes: 45

Course Type: Traditional

Designer: Greg Norman, Alfonso Viador

For who? Member’s Club open to the public

Dress Code: Traditional golfing attire

Driving Range? Yes

Chipping/Pitching? Yes

Putting Green? Yes

Golf Academy: Yes

Resident Pro: Yes

Club Rental? Yes

Golf Cart Rental: Yes

Pull-Cart Rental: Yes

Metal Spikes Allowed? No

Course Conditions

The golf course has been constructed on quite a flat piece of land, so golfers don’t need to worry about drastic undulations or elevation changes. However, this shouldn’t lull golfers into a false sense of security, for the course is still a challenge.

The fairways consist of Agrostis Stolonifera Pennway (bent grass), which looks and feels good all year round. On the greens you’ll find Agrostis Stolonifera A-4, a slightly different bent grass variation, which makes them fast and smooth.

Golfers will find the front nine to be fairly flat, but the back nine to be quite hilly and challenging to walk on the Pink Course.

Layout & Game Play

The course layout may be slightly confusing. The 36 course holes are laid out in four loops of 9 holes each, and these can be played in a variety of different combinations to form a full 18-hole round. But, in a daily basis, you will find the Pink course ( Championship Course) or the yellow course.

From the back tees, the course stretches to more than 7,300 yards. Various tee boxes offer equal opportunities for golfers of all skill levels.

Many holes are lined by beautiful trees, and soft sand bunkers are scattered strategically throughout the course. The fairways are long and favor straight-shooters, and the fast, true greens require patience.

Although the course is open to the public, you need a federation card if you want to swing your clubs on these fairways. The only course that doesn’t require it is the 9-hole pitch-and-putt practice course.

Signature Hole

Because of the unique layout of this course, there’s no specific signature hole. However, some holes do stand out more than others.

On the Yellow course, hole number 6 is a tricky par-3 that has a dogleg and a slightly raised green protected by bunkers on each side. The most difficult hole is the last one, which is a long, uphill par-4.

On the Pink course, the par-3 6th hole features an extremely large protective bunker and a raised, sloping green. A par is an achievement on this hole.

Final Notes

Interestingly, the Real Golf Club de El Prat has been awarded ISO 14001 status, because of its continued efforts to be a sustainable golf course. It’s located on a 220-hectare piece of ground, of which almost 150 hectares consists of forest and cereal crops.

Because of this environment, the golf resort is rife with wildlife and wonderful flora as well. The golf course has been built around the natural landscape to preserve as much of it as possible. Not only will golfers enjoy the challenge of the courses and the natural beauty of the surroundings, but there’s a chance of spotting local animals too!

If you’ve recently moved to the area, Real Club de Golf El Prat is a very worthwhile place to spend a few hours with your golf clubs. The versatility of the courses means that you’ll never get bored of this unique golf club!

 

 

About the Author

Jordan Fuller is a golfer and coach and has played on many golf courses in his home country, the USA, as well as multiple international courses. When he’s not on the fairways or coaching others, he writes informative content for his website, Golf Influence.