Golfing with wine accompaniment
If you have to choose between the Costa Brava and Costa Daurada, you'll have a hard time.
If you want Spain's No.1 golf course - the PGA Golf de Catalunya, Barcelona as a city hotspot and DO Alella wineries, the Costa Brava is the place to be. But the Costa Daurada is no longer an insider tip either. Here, the Lumine GC scores with 27 holes, Tarragona as a city of artists, PortAventura as one of the largest theme parks in Europe and, for wine lovers, the unique diversity of the DO Penedès. But decide for yourself - on a golf pleasure trip from Barcelona to Sitges.
Golfer's pleasure destination - Costa Brava
It starts around 65 km north-east of Barcelona and runs along a rocky coastline covered in pine trees, where some of Spain's most famous vacation resorts are located. Long before the word "tourism" was even invented, the Costa Brava was already attracting artists and creative people. These included Salvador Dali, who lived here for decades in his studio on the coast of Cadaqués. But it wasn't just Dali, painters such as Picasso, Chagall and Klein also found profound inspiration here. A few decades later, Hollywood stars such as Ava Gardner and Orson Welles also discovered the Costa Brava. They were followed by Elisabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne and Sean Connery. We come here mainly for the good food, accompanied by equally excellent wines and, of course, for the ideal combination of golf and the city - in and around Barcelona. Did you know that there are 25 Michelin-starred restaurants in Barcelona and that gastronomy is now one of the city's many attractions? We put it to the test in the stylish "Vinoteca Torres", where Chef Merces presented a fantastic menu of seasonal, Spanish and international dishes, accompanied by wines from the famous Penedès wine region.
Royal golf in Barcelona
It is one of the most prestigious and oldest clubs in Spain, the Real Club de Golf El Prat, which was founded in 1912 and was given the "real" badge by the visiting monarch Don Alfonso XIII. Originally a city square, the expansion of Barcelona Airport in 1997 forced a further change of location. Today it is located 26 km from Barcelona, between Terrassa and Sabadell. An idyllic landscape in which Greg Norman has designed 45 holes with five very different layouts - the Open, Blue, Yeallow, Pink and Green. What they all have in common are the legendary bunker landscapes, undulating fairways, dotted with ponds (Blue), pine trees (Green) and flowering bushes (Pink). Golf legends such as Severiano Ballesteros, José-Maria Olazábal, Sergio Garcia and eight-time major winner Tom Watson have swung a club here and - what an honor - now we have too! After all, this award-winning club is one of the 125 platinum clubs in the world.
Out of Barcelona, the next highlight awaits - the PGA Catalunya Golf Resort, which with its 36 holes is by far the most difficult course in Spain. The Stadium Course was built for the 1997 Ryder Cup, which was then held in Valderrama. Forget your handicap - that's the motto here. With large trees growing close to the fairway and bunkers and lakes strategically placed on seven of the most difficult holes, it's the experience rather than the score that counts. But the smaller brother, the "Tour Course", has nothing to hide either. Slightly shorter than the "Stadium", it definitely looks just as beautiful with its pine trees and water features, but is somewhat easier to play thanks to its more generous fairways. It goes without saying that these 36 holes are in demand internationally. Just like the first-class hotels "Camiral" and "Caddy Rooms", a newly opened hotel with a purist, modern ambience in addition to the private villas on around 300 hectares that are indispensable in Spain.
Golf & wine - that's a must!
And you really don't have to look far. After a round of golf at the Club de Golf Llavaneras, which was founded in 1945 and is the fourth oldest course in Spain, we taste wine from the Alta Alella wine-growing region. Especially the sea view from the elevated clubhouse with its vintage charm. "Wine is my life project and that of my whole family," says Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets Camps, owner of Alta Alella. It all began more than twenty years ago with the purchase of the nineteenth-century Can Genis estate between the towns of Alella and Tiana . It is the closest cellar to Barcelona and its organic wines can be found on the menus of some of the best restaurants in the world. In the middle of the vineyards, the family invites you to taste their best wines and cavas in DO Alella and DO Cava with delicious finger food and authentic Spanish delicacies.
Wine tourism on the Costa Daurada
The Costa Daurada, the "Golden Coast", owes its name to the fine sandy, shimmering golden beaches that stretch for around 100 km north and south of the city of Tarragona. It is also known as "the landscape of geniuses" (El paisatge dels genis) because it played a special role in the lives of four outstanding artists of the last century: Antoní Gaudí, Pau Casals, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró.
Wine tourism is very important in the hinterland of the Costa Daurada, as the Romans were already involved in wine-growing between the Costa Daurada and the lower reaches of the Ebro. Today, the DO Terragona comprises 7300 hectares of vineyards in various districts. Garnatxa, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir thrive on the calcareous soils with a mild Mediterranean climate, which is sometimes very hot, forming the basis for strong, aromatic red wines and cherry-red rosés. Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel.lo grapes are used to make fruity, bright white wines with moderate alcohol and acidity levels. The routes for wine lovers lead through tiny villages and again and again through vineyards and olive groves. Surrounded by vineyards, there is also a modernist-style winery here, which is now considered one of the so-called "cathedrals of wine" and is celebrating its centenary this year: "Adernats Vinícola". You can linger in the winery, which really does resemble a cathedral, while you learn more about the architecture of the building and the production of the wine and sparkling wine. There are also celebrations, plays and tastings here. We enjoy tasting white and red wines and sparkling wines from the Adernats brand accompanied by various regional products, all of which come from the village.
Perfect for family & golf
It is considered the most visited theme park in Spain - "PortAventura" with over four million visitors per year. The small town of Salou also makes a good living from this - only during the summer months, of course. That's when the park is buzzing with 100s of attractions and the biggest rollercoaster in Europe. It makes you want to be a child again. The laughter and screaming also accompanies us on our round of golf at the nearby Lumine Golf Club, whose 18-hole Hills Course offers a view of the fun park's rides. Golf icon Greg Norman has immortalized himself here with the 18-hole Lake Course, "The Hills" and the 9-hole Ruins Course. All different, as the name suggests, and set in a magnificent landscape. The best way to get from the modern clubhouse, with its inventive cuisine, is by buggy over the hilly layout of the courses. Club manager Calle Carlsson is proud of its new tournament status. This is because the Lake Course regularly hosts prestigious tournaments. And anyone who has ever played the Lake Course with its lots of water and bunkers knows what the elite European golfers can expect.
Last but not least - Sitges
We have reached the end of our gourmet journey and the newly opened "ME Sitges Terramar" hotel from the Melia Group is just what we need. Cosmopolitan and extravagant in a modern outfit with a large terrace and lounge music, it attracts a young clientele in particular. Especially as it is located directly on the "Croissette" in Sitges. The lively vacation resort of Sitges, barely 40 km south of Barcelona, is located directly by the sea and offers a Mediterranean climate, beautiful sandy beaches and plenty of cultural highlights. Worth seeing are the old city walls, the picturesque Carrer d'en Bosc with its art and quirky stores and, of course, the towering building on a rock on the beach - the Church of St. Bartholomew and St. Thekla. Golf fans will also find their favorite terrain here - at the Terramar Golf Club. 300 days a year it guarantees a game with sunshine and good weather, thanks to the microclimate of Sitges. The first and last holes are the most difficult on the course and of course water in all formations, as well as the pine trees that border the fairways and make many a shot more difficult.
General information:
www.catalunya.com www.tarragonaturisme.cat www.visitsitges.com
Information about golf:
www.realclubdegolfelprat.com www.pgacatalunya.com www.golfllavaneras.com www.lumine.com www.golfterramar.com
Infos about the wine:
www.altaalella.wine www.adernats.cat
Information about the hotels:
www.hotelmonica.com www.caddyrooms.com www.melia.com
