Just fifty minutes' drive from Perpignan in the province of Girona, the Peralada golf course has as its backdrop the majestic peaks of the Pyrenees and the natural setting of the Empordà. A grandiose landscape, which undoubtedly inspired Salvador Dali, the master who lived not far from there (a museum pays homage to him in Figueres). However, this is not a reason to play like a painter on this charming par 71 of 6 meters with wide fairways and numerous water features. Slightly hilly, the course is surrounded by olive trees, cork oaks and pines, a natural barrier totally permeable to the Tramontana, which often acts up in the region. On this golf course where you very rarely see the flags of the starting tees (except for the par 000 obviously), special mention for the left dogleg of hole n°3 and its huge oak tree which looks down on you full fairway, as well as the par 5 of hole n°3 whose green is embraced by a large lake.

https://www.golfperalada.com/fr/parcours-de-golf

25 kilometers further south, the course of Torremirona is a beautiful golf walk that puts you on the entry leg with the very steep hole n°1, all uphill. Don't worry, it's the only steep part of the "watching tower", the literal translation of the above-named course. The first leg of this par 72 is undoubtedly the most delicate, with narrow fairways surrounded by trees and various water obstacles that leave little room for error. The passage of 5 and 6, a par 3 on the island followed by a hole protected upstream by a small pond offers a first thrill, both aesthetic and technical. The return is much quieter, with wide green avenues, but slopes that are still just as difficult to read, like those of the double green shared by 12 and 14.^e hole. The last challenge, a par 5 in double dogleg spiced up by a threatening water hazard to starboard, provokes an ultimate thrill. Petit cocorico: the course record has been held since 2004 by Frenchman Grégory Bourdy, who returned a card of 63 during the Segura Viudas Challenge.

https://golftorremirona.com/?lang=fr

Direction the Costa Brava, the “steep coast” in Catalan and not that of the brave. About forty minutes southeast of Torremirona, theEmporda Golf Resort houses two 18-hole courses designed by the American architect Robert von Hagge, originally in France from the Bordes and the Albatros, to the National Golf. Fearsome in high winds, the Links crosses large dunes and exudes a scent of Scotland on the edge of the Mediterranean, even if its six lakes also give it a little US touch. Less technical – a politically correct term to sometimes avoid writing “difficult” in golf – the other course, the Forest, winds through the heart of a pine forest adorned with large lakes.

https://www.empordagolf.com/en/

Barely ten minutes away, the oldest course on the Costa Brava has made its way into the heart of a century-old pine forest that hides the view of the Mediterranean, despite being only a few hundred meters away. Carved out of the dunes at the end of the 60s by the English architect Fred Hawtree, who had to preserve the estate's pines as much as possible, the magnificent course of Pals is distinguished by the narrowness of its fairways and the depth of its bunkers. Five par 5s on the menu of this par 73, host of the 1972 Spanish Open, which ends with three tough holes including two long par 5s. The 8-9 sequence crossed by two lakes will not leave aesthetes indifferent .

https://golfdepals.com/fr/inici.html

We go down 35 kilometers further south, along the coast. "Coming back down" is a way of speaking since the Aro golf course is nestled more than 300 meters above sea level and is a sight to behold. This scenic course drawn along the cliffs of the Gavarres natural park offers many breathtaking panoramas with the sea as a backdrop. The elevation and the raised tees are an opportunity to throw a few slaps visually, like holes 4, 13 and 15. Only the (vast) greens are finally relatively flat, which facilitates the game of this par 72 of 6 meters where the (strong) wind regularly invites itself to the game. A very nice surprise.

https://www.golfdaro.com/fr/

It's hard not to end this golf trip in the north of Catalonia in style without going on a pilgrimage to PGA Catalonia (half an hour drive from Aro and 50 minutes from Barcelona). Let's not be afraid of words, any self-respecting golfer enters it a bit like a sanctuary and cannot remain insensitive to the magic of the place. Originally designed to host the Ryder Cup in 1997 (it was ultimately Valderrama in the south of the country that won the day), the Stadium Course is regularly ranked number 1 in Spain and among the very first in Europe. Well Named. From the start, the gentle vertigo that invades you when it's time to hit your first drive, overlooking an immense pine forest, is a foretaste of the emotional and physical slide that we are about to experience. Here, every shot is different, every fairway is different, every hole is different. The course is unique. The postcard of hole n°13, with the Montseny massif on the horizon and this green which trickles furiously towards a huge lake is its emblematic cachet. Don't expect to turn in the best card of your career, especially if you start from the back tees, on this (very long) championship par 72 pampered all year round by an army of greenkeepers. Even the big hits have to show a minimum of tact on ultra-rolling greens with devilish slopes. Not picking up a pitch on the Stadium Course would almost fall under the International Criminal Court. To prolong the adventure, the PGA Catalunya has a second course (the Tour Course) which is shorter, less difficult, but as well groomed as its big brother.

https://www.pgacatalunya.com/

Frank Crudo

* The golf courses of the Costa Brava are easily accessible by plane, thanks to the many daily flights to Barcelona, ​​or more rarely to Girona (via Ryanair). A pass allows you to play the different courses on the Costa Brava at preferential rates.

http://golfincostabrava.org/fr/golf-pass.html

FOR FUN

Near the Emporda golf course, the Par3 Gualta is a fun 18-hole course made up of only par 3, as its name suggests. A nice place to have a good time with the family, train or enjoy some tapas in a warm setting.

https://gualta.com/fr/restaurant

OR SLEEP ?

Most Catalan golf courses are backed bys to 4 or 5 star hotels, like the Torremirona Golf & Spa Rout, whose spacious rooms adjoin (closely) the course and which offers packsages in half board, green fees included at very attractive rates. To the south of golf course from Pals and Emporda, Alga hotel is a 4* nestled by the sea which sert a kitchen particularly tasty. It is also the strong point of N.M. Suites in Plaja d'Aro, not far from Golf d'Aro and half an hour's drive from the PGA Catalunya.

https://www.hoteltorremirona.com/

https://www.algahotel.com/fr

https://www.nm-suites.com/fr/