How to play Buenavista Golf

Some courses sit still while you play them. This one does not. The land rises and falls across the round, with 204 metres of total climb measured from the terrain, so you are rarely standing on the flat for long. Read the slope first, the yardage second. The prevailing wind comes off the north-east, and because so many holes turn across it rather than straight down it, the breeze rarely just helps or hurts. It pushes the ball sideways. That, more than raw length, is what shapes a score here.

The layout plays as a par-72 (the figures here are derived from terrain and mapping rather than the printed card, so treat them as character rather than gospel). What stands out is the rhythm of long holes and short ones threaded through the hills. Get greedy on the wrong one and the slope or the crosswind will punish you. Stay patient and the same features hand you chances.

The signature is the 10th, a long downhill hole that plays as a genuine three-shotter. The ground falls away, which tempts you to chase it, but the wind sits across the line and drifts the ball off your aim. Position over power. Take the tee shot that leaves you a clean angle, lay up to a number you trust, then attack with a wedge. Trying to force two big blows into a crosswind on a hole that already gives you length is how a five becomes a seven.

The 9th is the one to go after. It runs flat with the wind behind, so it plays shorter than it looks and is reachable in two. Take a touch less club than instinct says, because downwind the ball flies on and runs out. If you have driven it well, commit to the second shot and go for the green. This is a birdie hole when the breeze is up at your back, and a wasted one if you bail out short for no reason.

The 1st asks the opposite question straight away. It is flat but plays into the north-east wind, so it stretches out and feels longer than the card suggests. It is still reachable in two on paper, though the wind is the deciding factor. Club up. Accept that everything plays a shade further, and do not be fooled into thinking a soft second will get there. A solid par to open is worth plenty here, and there is no shame in treating it as a steady three-shot start when the wind is honking.

Those three (the 10th, 9th and 1st) are the toughest scoring tests on the property, and notice the pattern. Two are long holes where the wind direction flips your strategy, and the signature throws crosswind drift into the bargain. Manage the wind and you manage your card.

This is a course for players who enjoy thinking their way round rather than simply hitting it miles. The hills and the swirling north-east wind reward a tidy short game and a bit of local nous, so club golfers, low-handicappers and anyone who likes a proper test will get a lot out of it. Beginners can enjoy it too, though they will want to keep the buggy.

On walkability, be honest with yourself. With 204 metres of climb across the round it is a hilly walk, and we would advise a buggy for almost everyone. It keeps your legs fresh for the shots that matter, and it keeps pace of play moving on the uphill stretches.

For timing, spring and autumn are the safe picks for golf in this part of Spain, with mild air and lighter winds making the long holes more manageable. Many will happily play through the winter as well when the weather holds. High summer can be warm, so an early tee time is your friend if you go then.

The climbs are real. With 204 metres of ascent measured across eighteen holes, this is not a course to walk on a hot day or with a dodgy back, and several of the short holes (the 12th and 17th among them) ask you to hit up the slope into the breeze, which can feel unfair when you have struck a good one and come up short. Take enough club on the uphill holes, book the buggy, and the climbs become a feature you enjoy rather than a slog you endure.

We arrange tee times at Buenavista Golf as part of a tailor-made trip to Spain, with a hotel to match and the rounds you want to play. See what it’d cost