Southwest Mallorca Golf Courses Compared

I live in the southwest, so these are the courses closest to home. Real Golf de Bendinat sits between them and Palma, and Santa Ponsa 2 and 3 are members-only. Here is how they compare.

Quick answer

T Golf Calvià: the best-conditioned course in the southwest

I teed off at 15:20 on a Tuesday and could hear the wind in the pines between shots. From most fairways there is no road or building in sight, only pine trees, water and the Tramuntana. John Harris designed the course in 1978, and a €10 million renovation rebuilt it. The conditioning is as good as anything I have played on the island, down to a bunker rake designed so the ball rarely rests against it.

Fifteen lakes line fairways and force carries from the tee, and several approaches hide the bottom of the flag, so work from your yardage instead of your eye. The 10th is the clearest decision on the course. It doglegs right with a windmill on the left and water on the right, and you choose how much of the water to cut off. The 18th is a tight par 5 that opens up as you go down it, and rewards you for committing to the narrow tee shot.

I gave it 9/10. The limit is 28 for men and 34 for ladies, and I would not put a higher handicapper here as the first round of a holiday. Book a midweek twilight slot: the twilight rate starts at €150 against a peak fee of €210, and the light is at its best. The range is grass, which not every Mallorca club offers, and with this many carries it is worth hitting balls before the 1st. Full detail in the T Golf Calvià review.

Golf de Andratx: the hardest test, and the views

Andratx sits in the hills above Camp de Mar and is one of the hardest courses on the island. I rated it 7.5/10. Creeks and water cut across the fairways instead of running alongside them, so being slightly off on your yardage puts you in trouble. Elevation change is constant. Tee shots disappear from view, approaches go to flags you cannot see, and the par 3s play very differently to the card because of the drops.

The 6th, the Green Monster, is the longest par 5 in Spain at 609 metres. We had the wind behind us and it still took everything. The 12th is a sharp dogleg right with Camp de Mar below you for the whole hole, one of the best holes I have played in Mallorca. The 15th, Hello Mrs Robinson, plays about 20 yards shorter from a high tee to a well-protected green.

Practical points: buggies are compulsory before 2pm, the limit is 28 for men and 36 for ladies, and the practice ground is across the road from the clubhouse. For all the height, the sea is only in view from the 2nd. Bring a GPS or course planner, because several approaches are semi-blind. More in the Golf de Andratx review.

Santa Ponsa 1: the long, wide one

Santa Ponsa 1 hosted the 2021 European Tour Mallorca Golf Open, the first tour event on the island in ten years, and the winner, Jeff Winther, shot 62 twice. The fairways are wide and the opening holes are generous. After a round at Son Gual or Andratx, where driver often stays in the bag, this is the course that lets you hit it.

The length is the catch. The 10th is 590m, one of the longest par 5s in Europe. The par 3s are long with small greens, so they are about damage limitation more than birdie chances. On a calm day the course flatters you. The wind usually arrives by mid-morning, so book early. Holes 5, 6 and 7 have some of the best Tramuntana views on the island.

It suits a confident driver of the ball, and it works as an easier round early in a trip before Andratx. The limit is 36, with a certificate required, and buggy hire is €43. More in the Santa Ponsa 1 review.

Real Golf de Bendinat

Bendinat is the closest of the group to Palma, about 15 minutes, between Illetas and Portals. Martin Hawtree designed the original nine holes in 1986, and it became 18 in 1995. It is par 69, 5,660m and very hilly, with views over the Bay of Palma, Cabrera and Bendinat Castle. Visitor green fees are limited each day, so book ahead. If you are staying in Illetas or Portals and want a short round without a drive, this is the one to look at.

Santa Ponsa 2 and 3: members only

Both are members-only, and guests can play only with a member, so neither belongs in a trip plan unless you know one. Santa Ponsa 2 is an 18-hole course from 1991. Santa Ponsa 3 is nine short holes through a residential area.

Which to book

For the best round in the southwest, book T Golf Calvià. For the hardest test and the best views, book Andratx, with a course planner and an early tee time. If you drive it well and want to enjoy that, book Santa Ponsa 1. Check the limits before you plan around Calvià or Andratx: at 28 for men, they rule out many higher handicappers before the course does.