Spain By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Published 28 June 2026 278 metres of climb. That single figure, measured off the terrain, tells you most of what you need to know before the first tee. The course sits up in the hills behind Mijas, and the land does not […]
278 metres of climb. That single figure, measured off the terrain, tells you most of what you need to know before the first tee. The course sits up in the hills behind Mijas, and the land does not stay still under your feet for long. Holes tumble downhill, then haul back up. A south-easterly tends to sit across the property through much of the season, so very little here flies dead straight. The card reads short, somewhere around par 68 by our reading of the ground, which lulls you into thinking it gentle. Your legs will tell you otherwise by the turn.
What makes it interesting is the constant negotiation. You are reading slope and crosswind on nearly every shot, and the two rarely point the same way.
Start with the sixth, the standout hole on the property. It plays as a downhill par five, and on a day when the wind is behind or quartering, it shrinks fast. The breeze crosses it, so the first job is drift. Pick your line, then allow a club or two of sideways movement and aim into the helping side of the slope so the ground does some of the work. Get the tee shot away cleanly and the green is reachable in two. This is a hole to attack. Go for it, take the half-chance, and let the downslope carry a long second home.
Then come the three that bite hardest: the eleventh, the fifteenth and the eighteenth. All three play as par fives, and all three sit across the wind, which is why they top the difficulty read.
The eleventh climbs. Uphill into a crosswind, it plays every inch of its length and then some, so treat it as a genuine three-shot hole and forget about heroics. Position over power. Put the second in the fat part of the fairway, leave a full wedge, and walk off content with a five.
The eighteenth tells a similar story. Uphill again, crossed by the same breeze, a hard hole to finish on when the legs are tired and the wind is up. Lay back to a number you trust rather than chasing a green you cannot reach in two anyway.
The fifteenth is the odd one of the trio. It runs downhill, which sounds like relief, but the crosswind and the three-shot length keep it honest. Use the slope to gain distance off the tee, then favour the safe side on the approach so the drift does not push you long or wide. Again, shape your plan around position.
A pattern runs through all four. The wind crosses, the gradient swings the yardage, and the smart money plays for the middle of the green and a two-putt.
Where our specialists would stay in Spain
| Hole | Par | Plays | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | ~5 | Downhill, crosswind | The signature. Reachable in two, so attack it. Allow for drift. |
| 11 | ~5 | Uphill, crosswind | Plays long. Three shots, position over power. |
| 15 | ~5 | Downhill, crosswind | Slope helps off the tee, wind tests the approach. |
| 18 | ~5 | Uphill, crosswind | Tough closer when tired. Lay up to a number. |
Pars and lengths above are derived from terrain and layout data rather than the official scorecard, so treat them as character, not gospel.
This one rewards the thinker more than the basher. If you enjoy reading a tee shot, judging how much a slope adds or takes away, and shaping the ball into a crosswind, you will get plenty out of it. The shorter overall measure means it is not a slog of long irons, so mid and higher handicappers can have a good day if they keep the ball in play and respect the climbs.
On walkability, be honest with yourself. With 278 metres of up and down across the round, this is a hilly walk and a buggy is advised for most golfers. Take one and you will enjoy the views between shots instead of catching your breath.
For timing, the Costa del Sol shoulder seasons are the pick. March to May and October into November give you warm, playable golf without the high-summer heat, which up on an exposed hillside can sap you quickly. Winter golf here is perfectly viable too, with milder days than much of Europe, though you will want a layer for the breeze.
The climb is real, and it is the thing to weigh up. 278 metres over eighteen holes is a serious amount of elevation, and on a hot day, or for anyone who finds hills hard going, it can take the shine off the round. Add a stiff south-easterly across the open holes and the course can play genuinely demanding rather than relaxing. Book the buggy, pace yourself, and it becomes a pleasure. Walk it in August and you may not remember the back nine fondly.
We arrange tee times at Alhaurin Golf as part of a tailor-made trip to Mijas, Costa del Sol, with a hotel to match and the rounds you want to play. See what it’d cost
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