Where are the best places for Golfing in Europe? What a question that is! If you like Links Golf, then Scotland and Ireland would probably come out on top; if you love to play in the sunshine, you will find yourself heading off to Spain, Portugal or Perhaps somewhere like Cyprus or Turkey; Europe does offer something for everyone.
With all of this in mind, we have written this article to help you to choose a destination for your next golf holiday according to a range of different factors.
Golfing in Europe: Top 5 Destinations
There is a little place called Balchik for Golfing in Europe, which many golfers have never even heard of. However, this small town in Bulgaria has three great golf courses and two excellent hotels.
The one course that you might have heard of in Balchik is called Thracian Cliffs. Venue for the Volvo World Matchplay Golf in 2013, Thracian Cliffs is an outstanding golf course with simply amazing golf holes.
But don’t take our word for it; Gary Player described this course by saying that “You will not find a golf course like this anywhere else on the planet”.
Best Value Golf Holiday Destinations
National Club Golfer has got a pretty high option of this course; they rated it as the “2nd Most Scenic Golf Course in the world!”.
However, Balchik isn’t all about the Thracian Cliffs Golf Course; there are two other great golf courses here.
The Lighthouse Course at the Lighthouse Hotel was designed by Gary Player and offered an excellent level of resort-style golf that is challenging enough to low handicap golfers but forgiving enough for the higher handicappers.
There is also the sometimes forgotten Blacksearama Course at the Thracian Cliffs Resort. Gary Player also designed this course and was named the Best New Golf Course in the World in 2009 by Golf Inc Magazine.
Due to the favourable exchange rate between the pound and the Bulgarian Lev, Thracian Cliffs offers outstanding value for money. Visitors can choose to stay in the 5* Lighthouse Hotel, the Club Residence Studio’s and Suites or one of a whole host of beautiful resort villas and apartments.
Best All-Inclusive Destination for Golfing in Europe
One of the great advantages of a golf holiday based at a hotel that offers all-inclusive accommodation is that there is nothing more to pay once you are in your resort.
However, most all-inclusive hotels are based in beach locations and far away from a range of high-quality golf courses before they built the resort of Belek in Turkey.
Belek is a purpose-built holiday and golf resort that features a huge range of high-quality, all-inclusive hotels and 14 golf courses that range in quality from very good to world-class.
All of the infrastructures in Belek is based around making all of the elements of your golf holiday flow seamlessly into each other.
When you arrive at Antalya Airport, your driver will meet you, who will take you to your chosen hotel. A shuttle is on hand at the hotel reception to take you to the golf course of the day, and at the course, they will be waiting to welcome you with open arms.
You can even play Night Golf in Belek at the Carya Golf Club. And this is no gimmick! The Carya Golf Course is just superb; the fact that you can also play it at night adds another fun element to this fantastic golf resort – the No.1 Choice for an All-Inclusive Golf Holiday.
Best Golf Holiday Destinations for Party Animals
If Ibiza had more than one golf course, we are pretty sure it would win in this category, but it doesn’t, so it hasn’t, but at least that will give you an understanding as to what we mean by a party animal.
This section is aimed at people who want to have at least one night out on the town, probably have more to drink than they should and probably be in an environment filled with loud music and dancing before returning to bed in the early hour of the morning. Sound like you? Then read on…
There are a few contenders for the Best Golf Holiday for Party animals category, Paphos in Cyprus would make a great choice, as would Puerto Banus in the Costa Del Sol. However, in our view, the island of Majorca and the regions of Magaluf and Palma Nova fit the bill perfectly!
Not only are you sure to find lots of other revellers in this part of Majorca, but you are also very close to a range of excellent golf courses. So with cheap and cheerful accommodation available, lots of nightclubs and parties all year round and some great golf courses, Majorca is, in our opinion, the best golf holiday destination for party animals.
Best Golf Holiday Destination for Foodies
At the other end of the spectrum for the party animals is the foodie. This is a huge new trend in the golf holiday sector, catering to more discerning individuals looking for quality accommodation, high-quality golf courses and beautiful food served within a lovely environment.
So, where is this fabulous destination? We hear you ask… the answer is Girona! The small Spanish town of Girona is home to an amazing 4 Michelin Starred Restaurants, including one, El Celler de Can Roca, which has repeatedly been voted as the ‘Best Restaurant in the World’.
Girona is also the location of PGA Catalunya, an excellent golf resort which features two courses, one of which – The Stadium Course – has been voted as the best golf course in Spain on numerous occasions.
With many other great restaurants and golf courses to choose from and a range of accommodation to suit all budgets, the region of Girona is Spain is the Best Golf Holiday Destination for Foodies!
5 Best Destination for Golfing in Europe
All of the above destinations are fantastic for their reasons; however, when it comes to an all-rounder and overall winner, we think it is pretty hard to beat the Algarve region in Portugal.
The ‘old classic’ destination has stood the test of time and still offers something for everyone. With a huge range of accommodation, good nightlife, restaurants, and golf courses to suit all budgets and abilities, the Algarve is a great all-rounder!