The 2031 Ryder Cup Cements Girona as the Home of Golf Holidays in Spain
Professional golfers have a secret they almost never share with the rest of us enthusiasts. A secret to do with golf holidays in Spain: in southern Europe, and specifically in Spain, there is a perfect place to train and sharpen your game during the winter season. But many of them prefer not to reveal it, for fear it will become overcrowded.
The good news is that the time has come to share it with all the enthusiasts who want to discover new golf courses where, as well as enjoying the game, they can live top-level experiences.
If you love golf breaks, this is your place.
Girona, golf’s best-kept secret
When the snow arrives and ice makes it impossible to play in comfort on many of Europe’s golf courses, in Girona there is one that is perfect for enjoying a unique experience. It is a golf complex — of PGA standard — where you can play through autumn and winter with temperatures close to 20 °C.
Many professional players know this privileged setting. And at Girona Tours we also want to share with you a magical place, one you simply must visit if you want to enjoy golf at the highest level.
Camiral Golf & Wellness — formerly known as PGA Catalunya, in Caldes de Malavella — has become the object of desire for enthusiasts all over the world. Largely because the 2031 Ryder Cup will be held there. And also because Camiral has become the benchmark destination for any golfer eager to enjoy an experience that combines a unique climate, centuries-old pine forests, the sea and blue skies practically all year round.
And all of that less than an hour from El Prat international airport in Barcelona!
Below we are going to show you what it is that makes the province of Girona (and its golf courses) so special that it has become one of the great flagships of international golf holidays.
Girona, the favourite destination for international golf holidays
Contrary to what you might think at first glance, the Costa del Sol is not the main destination for tourists who come to Spain to play golf. The great players prefer to head for Girona, since this corner of Catalonia has become the stuff of legend among international golfers.
What began as the best-kept secret of golf’s professionals has turned into one of the most coveted destinations for high-end enthusiasts. And that is because in Girona you can find two virtues that are not easy to come by elsewhere in Europe:
- Courses designed for the world’s golfing elite.
- A Mediterranean climate in a truly privileged setting.
The fusion of these two qualities has made Girona the new mecca for golf travellers. And although you may think you can find both in the south of Spain too, at Girona Tours we can assure you that the organic fusion of these two elements makes this enclave the place you have to visit at least once in your lifetime.
In fact, every day spent playing golf in Girona becomes an unrepeatable sensory experience, one that goes far beyond what happens on the green during your rounds.
A privileged microclimate beside the Costa Brava
“The first time I came here,” says Jurgen Wesel, a German professional player who visits Girona frequently, “I was drawn by the good weather. In Berlin the winter is very harsh and often you cannot even get out onto the green to play. But here everything is different, because the sun shines all year round. And on top of that, since I love wine, I can also book a wine tourism experience in Girona.”
Girona enjoys a love affair with the climate. Whether it is down to global warming or to its privileged location, the truth is that temperatures are pleasant all year round. The sea breeze from the Mediterranean softens the air, while the shelter of the nearby Pyrenees provides an optimal temperature for playing golf twelve months a year (and even for having a drink on one of the best rooftops in Girona once the golfing day is over).
If you live at other latitudes — and you are used to playing in winter on unplayable, frozen courses, in the fog, under a dull, lifeless light — here you have guaranteed sunshine all year round. With an average of 2,800 hours of sunshine, Girona comfortably exceeds the national average of 2,500 hours.
Such consistent climate conditions throughout the year mean the courses stay in enviable condition all season long. That allows you to play golf at any time of year, under a crystal-clear sky and on a green carpet where you can work on your swing in the best possible conditions. And all of it among centuries-old pine forests, while you savour the scent of the sea drifting in from the Costa Brava.
Courses designed by golf’s elite for golf’s elite
The international prestige of Girona’s golf courses is no accident. Quite the opposite: the brightest minds in international golf have been responsible for designing a setting full of dream courses, destined for the world’s golfing elite.
Complexes of the calibre of Camiral Golf & Wellness bear the stamp of mythical figures such as Ángel Gallardo and Neil Coles — true legends of the PGA — who have laid out unique courses. In Girona these designers have created a golf course that, as well as respecting the original character of the landscape, is capable of challenging the best handicaps on the planet.
Best of all, the line of every fairway, the placement of every bunker, even the strategic undulations that shape each green, have been conceived to the exacting standards of elite competition.
“I love playing here,” says Michael Pembroke, a golf teacher from Edinburgh who gives lessons at Scotland’s finest clubs, “because the infrastructure is incredible. At Camiral I find facilities of the very highest level, on a par with the best courses on the international circuit. And that is what I look for when I travel to play golf.”
This high level of technical demand and exclusivity has become the great magnet that draws golf purists and the sport’s world elite year after year.
The Ryder Cup in Girona: enjoy the greatest show on earth
Any golf fan knows that the Ryder Cup is a tournament that far surpasses the excitement of any other individual event.
There is a specific reason for this: every two years, representatives of the continent that invented golf face those who play it best on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, meeting in a thrilling, epic duel unmatched in any other sport.
The mystique of the Ryder Cup in Girona
Let us start from the fact that there is no prize money at the Ryder Cup.
That alone is a statement of intent, since both the European and the American teams compete every two years simply for the pure pleasure of winning the most legendary tournament in the world.
In general, the tournaments on the professional golf circuit tend to follow the same pattern: each player competes against the course and against the clock, in exchange for a large prize purse (if they win), as well as adding points in the rankings.
However, this is not what happens at the Ryder Cup, because the rules of the game in this tournament are different. Both its format and its philosophy are so singular that there is no competition like it anywhere in the world.
The first thing that stands out is that it is held in a different place every two years, with the aim of pitting the teams of Europe and the United States against each other (selected from the best players on both continents). And even though the winners gain no financial reward — beyond the honour of joining the Ryder Cup’s roll of honour — every professional player on both sides of the pond is desperate to make that team.
And most interesting of all: instead of the usual Stroke Play format (based on counting the total number of strokes played over the 4 days of competition), Ryder Cup scoring is based on the Match Play format (which declares the winner of each match to be the player or pair who has won the most holes).
Because of this style of play, the participants take far more risks. Instead of focusing on staying consistent throughout the tournament, they concentrate on winning as many holes as possible. Thanks to this, the atmosphere is far more electric, with spectacular shots and moments that get the crowd completely behind the action.
Girona, the world’s golf holiday hub thanks to the Ryder Cup
You can already imagine the passions this competition between two continents stirs among the fans.
That is why a whole legion of enthusiasts travels every time a new Ryder Cup is held. These are generally golf followers who love the competition and tend to travel to different parts of the world, whether to play the most striking courses in each area or to enjoy tournaments of this kind as spectators.
Therefore, being named an official Ryder Cup host venue is an event of great magnitude. In fact, Girona’s inclusion in the Ryder Cup calendar for 2031 has already seen this Catalan province join the select club of the most attractive golf destinations.
The immense media reach of this event has turned the golfing community’s spotlight onto the Camiral golf course in Girona — where the competition will be held — and, by extension, onto the rest of the golf courses in the area.
So much so that the President of Spain’s Higher Sports Council, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, declared as soon as he heard the news, “From the Government of Spain we welcome the choice of Camiral as the venue for the 2031 Ryder Cup, a sporting event of global scale that will project our country’s image to millions of viewers around the world.”
To meet the high quality standards demanded both by the PGA organisation — which runs the Ryder Cup — and by the affluent public that usually attends these events, the plans for excellence and the infrastructure that will guarantee the event is a complete success are being accelerated.
“We are already noticing a change in the type of tourist we usually welcome in Girona,” explains Miguel Fábrega, of Girona Tours. “Whereas before the norm was visitors drawn by sun and beach, we are now seeing a different, more sophisticated kind of traveller start to visit us, with high purchasing power and higher expectations. The golfer who travels to other countries to play their sport tends to be someone passionate about active tourism, someone looking for quality experiences. They have the good judgement to compare with other destinations and work out which they like best. The good news is that the work we are doing in Girona is going to meet the expectations of the most demanding golfers.”
Thanks to the Ryder Cup, Girona has stopped competing in the generalist holiday segment and now leads premium golf holidays in the north-east of Spain. Just as the 1997 Ryder Cup put Valderrama and the Cádiz coast on the international golf map, 34 years later the same thing is happening again in Catalonia.
The best golf courses near Girona, essential for any golf traveller
For a golf course to be chosen as a Ryder Cup venue, several factors are required. It is not enough simply to meet the technical specifications demanded by the PGA. Nor to be located near a major transport hub, close to international airports.
Girona meets all of that and more. But if Camiral Golf & Wellness has been designated as the stage for the Ryder Cup in 2031, it is largely because Caldes de Malavella sits in an area that lives and breathes golf.
In fact, there is an enormous level of golf in Catalonia today. Largely because it boasts some of the best golf courses in the world. And the Ryder Cup organisation values that highly. After all, however many tourists come, it is always the local fans who lead the way and warm up the atmosphere in the run-up to the tournament.
What is more, the wonderful thing about this setting — combining sun, beach and mountains with an exceptional climate — is that it seems ideal for creating unforgettable experiences for the golfers who visit the best courses in Girona and on the Costa Brava.
You would think this land was born with the sole purpose of playing golf 365 days a year.
If you are thinking of coming to Girona to enjoy the best golf courses, here are a few ideas to help you choose the right ones:
- Camiral Golf & Wellness - Caldes de Malavella: internationally renowned as the best golf course in Catalonia (and probably in Spain). Its appeal lies in the fact that it was conceived to host PGA tournaments. For that reason, this is a highly technical course, thick with trees and with holes defended by imposing water hazards.
- Club de Golf de Pals - Pals: this was the first 18-hole course on the Costa Brava. And that is a milestone in itself. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, this classic layout runs through a dense, centuries-old pine forest with the sea in the background. Because of its design, you have to be extremely precise with every shot, almost millimetre-perfect with the straight ones, since on this course mistakes are never forgiven under any circumstances.
- Empordà Golf Resort - Gualta: Robert von Hagge designed a 36-hole complex with two radically different courses. On one side there is Forest (which runs through typical Mediterranean woodland) and on the other there is Links (in the style of the Scottish courses, laid out among dunes and lakes, with the added difficulty of the tramuntana, which blows through those parts with great intensity).
- Golf Club Peralada - Peralada: if you want to combine sport, fine dining and wellbeing, this course — designed by Jordi Soler Peix — is a must on your visit to Girona. With its 18 holes, it stands out for respecting the character of the Empordà landscape, with wide fairways and greens defended by lakes placed at strategic points.
- Torremirona Golf Club - Navata: Eugenio Aguado worked with Jordi Soler Peix to design this resort with exceptional panoramic views. In fact, on your visit to Girona you must not miss its iconic 5th hole (a par 3 whose green is a floating island completely surrounded by water). And if this tricky course tests your nerves, you can relax afterwards in its spa areas.
We design your next golf trip in Girona
Planning a golf stay in this corner of north-east Spain goes far beyond arranging green fees and booking a few tee times at each course. If you want to give yourself the privilege of experiencing this sport to a new standard of quality and sophistication, you need to design your experience with the support of professional travel organisers.
The uniqueness of Girona and the Costa Brava lies in their ability to offer a trip full of perfect contrasts: on the one hand you will savour the technical demands of courses designed by PGA legends, combining this harmoniously with Mediterranean relaxation, haute cuisine and unforgettable landscapes.
And if you are coming with your partner or your children, the province has plenty of other attractions. Imagine playing golf while your family goes off on a hiking route or takes a balloon flight over Girona.
The clock is already ticking and the countdown to the Ryder Cup in Girona has begun. This means the region is unquestionably positioning itself as the definitive sanctuary of golf. And for a demanding traveller, that means managing the strictly sporting logistics impeccably, as well as coordinating matters such as transfers to the courses, the restaurants where you will eat or bookings at luxury hotels for golfers.
At Girona Tours we know that your time is your most valuable asset. That is why we want to become your travel experience manager, so that everything turns out just as you expect. We have specialised in turning our clients’ days off into exclusive experiences, completely tailored to the region.
We would be delighted for our local experts to design and coordinate every detail of your next golf break.
Get in touch and let’s start designing your next golf experience in Girona