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I moved to Mallorca in March 2025 and have been playing golf here every week since. Before that, eleven years in Shanghai, a city where golfers often think nothing of spending up to €500 on a single hour long lesson, where access to a course often means a membership costing more than most people's annual salary. Mallorca is a different golf problem: better access, more choice, and more ways to get the order wrong.
This is what I'd tell a friend planning the golf before flights and hotels start forcing the decisions.
When to Go
If you want the best conditions, aim for the spring and autumn peak windows. If you want better value, look more closely at June-August and December-February. October is still one of my favourite months to play, but it is no longer the cheap option.
Late spring is excellent but expensive. Summer is hot, but it is also when many courses soften pricing materially, especially if you play early or go twilight. Winter is quieter, cooler, and often one of the best-value times to be here.
How Many Rounds?
One round per day is comfortable for most golfers. The courses ask enough questions, and summer heat is real. In cooler months, 36 holes in a day is possible if you are that keen, but most golf-only visitors on a 5-7-day trip play 4-5 rounds. The order matters: one easy arrival round, one serious test in the middle, one longer drive when the group has time, and a final round close enough to keep the airport simple.
Which Courses to Prioritise
Serious golfers, limited time: Son Gual and Alcanada. These are my two if I had one week and two rounds.
DP World Tour experience near Palma: Son Muntaner. Five minutes from the city, strong conditioning, and named Best Golf Course in Spain 2025.
Scenic east coast: Canyamel and Pula. Worth combining with a night in Artà or Capdepera town.
Hardest test: Golf de Andratx, southwest.
Beginners or mixed groups: Son Quint (Arabella), Son Antem East, or shorter courses.
“With a week on the island, the mistake is usually not finding good courses. It is putting them in the wrong order.”
Getting Around
A hire car is the most practical option. Public transport doesn't serve many of the best courses well. Roads are good, but the east coast still needs honest time in the day. Palma to Alcanada is a proper drive, not a casual add-on before dinner. If nobody in the group wants to drive, plan that before choosing courses.
Clubs
Bring your own clubs for three rounds or more. Hire for a mixed holiday with one or two rounds planned. The club hire guide covers the companies I would look at, what they charge, and which setups are worth using. Book tee times early for March-May and September-October. If you only need the golf booked, that can be arranged without me attending.
What Else to Do
Old town Palma is worth a full afternoon. The northwest coast, especially Valldemossa, Deià, and Sóller, is the obvious non-golf day. The northeast is quieter and wilder. Local seafood and island wine can do more for the trip than another rushed nine holes.
A golf trip that doesn't include at least one long lunch somewhere unexpected is only doing half the job. Build in at least one afternoon with no tee time. The golf is the reason to come. The rest is why the trip still feels good when the scorecard does not.
Want the golf side arranged properly: courses, routing, tee times, buggies, rentals, and a clear quote before anything is booked?