The Basque Country in northern Spain beckons with 11 highly varied golf courses. In the same way, the La Rioja area just to the south casts its spell over golfers. This makes it altogether a fascinating destination that combines golfing, wine, and gourmet food.
The best way to do a golfing trip is to go on a road trip (check out our review here) through Spanish Basque Country and tack on a side-trip to the Rioja wine growing region.
Lovers of wine and gourmet cuisine (more from our gourmet tour) will get their money’s worth here.
Not least because Basque Country also rates as a gourmet paradise. Golf, wine & gourmandise, it doesn’t get any better than this ;-)
Bilbao (here is my review) and San Sebastián (click here for Katja’s pintxos review) are ideal base locations from which to explore Basque Country.
Both offer an infinite variety of pintxos, the legendary Basque version of Spanish tapas.
And, not to forget: they also feature the following attractive golf courses:
Meaztegi Golf Club above Bilbao
The Meaztegi golf course is one of Basque Country’s oldest courses.
Although designed by the legendary Severiano Ballesteros, the tee-offs are of “normal” length and not, as they are on other of his courses, “brutally” long.
Hugging a former ore mine, the fairways follow the topography in highly varied fashion.
When teeing off on the upper fairways, it’s easy to get distracted by the view of Bilbao’s port around Portugalete and Getxo.
Address:
Meaztegi Golf Club
Ctra. Triano – La Arboleda, s/n
48530 Ortuella, nähe Bilbao
Tel.: +34 946 36 43 70
E-Mail: meaztegigolf@globalgolfnorte.com
Website: meaztegigolf.com
Real Nuevo Club de Golf in San Sebastián Basozábal
The Basozábal golf course is laid out above San Sebastián in a mountainous area.
We get caught here in the txirimiri (chirimiri) drizzle. It falls so often in this region that it gets its own name…
If you nevertheless get lucky with the view, you’ll enjoy the 360-degree panorama of the best-known mountains in the vicinity, the Peñas de Aya, Jaizkibel, Adarra and more.
But, ok, better not let the view distract you, because some of the fairways are very narrow…
From the yellow tee, you are asked to drive some 170 meters across a ravine. Depending on your lie after that, it’s another 170 meters past a thick stand of trees to the green.
Not entirely trivial, and therefore this is the third most challenging hole on the course with a 3 handicap.
Immediately after teeing off on 13, be sure to manage a lie to the right of the trees. Otherwise, it gets “complicated”….
Address:
Real Nuevo Club de Golf de San Sebastián Basozábal
Camino de Goyaz Txiki 41
20014 San Sebastian
Phone: +34 943 46 76 42
E-Mail: secretaria@golfbasozabal.com
Website: golfbasozabal.com
For staying nearby, the Arima design hotel offers suitable accommodations.
The hotel is outside San Sebastián, but it operates a shuttle to the town.
A rental car will do just as well, the local traffic presenting no problems whatsoever.
Izki Golf in Alava
The Izki Golf course is located in Basque Country’s Álava province close by the famous La Rioja wine growing region.
The 18-hole Campo Urturi facility was also designed by the renowned Severiano Ballesteros and therefore is fairly demanding.
As it turns out, I’d just as soon forget about my round…
Address:
Izki Golf
01119 Urturi, Alava
Tel.: +34 945 37 82 62
E-Mail: izkigolf@izkigolf.com
Website: izkigolf.com
Golf Logroño – La Rioja
Logroño is located farther south, in the heart of the La Rioja wine region in northern Spain. We found it to be considerably warmer and sunnier here:
The golf course lies just outside town, surrounded by the 1,100 acres of La Grajera Nature Reserve.
At 619 meters, the 4th hole is Spain’s longest – actually one of the longest in the world!
The Logroño Golf course was awarded IAGTO’s prestigious “Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year 2019” award at this year’s International Golf Travel Market (IGTM).
And, indeed, the place has the aura of the undiscovered: it may be very beautiful but somehow it avoids being touristic.
The club house is also highly popular with the locals. It appears to be a favorite meeting place for the Basques. Or are they already Spaniards here? ;-)
In any event, the region, rimmed by vineyards, is ideal for a combined wine and golf trip.
Address:
El Campo de Logroño
Parque de la Grajera s/n
Carretera de Burgos km 2
26008 Logroño, Spanien
Tel.: +34 941 51 13 60
E-Mail: golflogrono@fcc.es
Website: golflogrono.es
Additional Basque 18-hole courses are
- Club de Campo Laukariz, Laukariz-Munguia, Bizkaia
- Real Sociedad de Golf de Neguri, Getxo, Bizkaia
- Club de Golf de Larrabea, Legutiano, Alava
- Uraburu Golf, Galdakao, Bizkaia
