Mijas Golf Club (Los Lagos)

Los Lagos does exactly what its name promises — lakes, and plenty of them, woven through a wide, generously proportioned Robert Trent Jones design from 1976. It's one of two sister courses at Mijas Golf Club (Los Olivos, its shorter, tighter neighbour, is the other), and the contrast tells you everything: Los Lagos rewards a big, confident swing, but punishes a wayward one with a proper splash. Large, well-protected greens and strategically placed trees keep even long hitters honest, and the whole layout demands real concentration rather than pure power. Just twenty minutes from Málaga Airport, it's a genuinely convenient first (or last) round of a Costa del Sol golf trip, and the on-site clubhouse has a loyal following independent of the golf itself.

Mijas Golf Club sits in the valley north of Fuengirola, about 20 minutes from Málaga Airport via the AP-7 and A-7 (exit towards Fuengirola / Mijas). The club is well signposted from the coastal road, with ample free parking at the clubhouse.