**THE GRAN – DEST OF THEM ALL**Gran Canaria is a fantastic family destination with almost 60 kilometers of beaches and a UNESCO protected Biosphere Reserve. It is often described as being a miniature continent with its own mini microclimate and a variety of landscapes with over 120 beaches, dunes of white sand, green ravines and picturesque villages.
You will find things to do that will make every day special on your holiday – be it a family vacation, golf getaway or eco escape. Sail out to watch whales, walk in the Canary pine forests, have fun at a water park, wander its shopping streets, go golfing, visit museums, or… just relax on a beautiful beach.
An Island with over 230kms of coastline, warm waters, gentle breezes and spring-like temperatures that make up the infrastructures around the sports marinas in Gran Canaria, perfect for nautical enthusiasts throughout the year.
Gran Canaria is the perfect setting for golfers. Fine weather throughout the year and eight superb golf courses, each with their own characteristics and all within a 50 km radius of one another.!
Playing golf in Gran Canaria is a tradition that goes back to 1891, the year in which the Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas was founded, the first Golf Club in Spain. Since that time, Gran Canaria has been well known as the ideal place to play golf, every single day of the year. Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas is celebrating a big anniversary this year with its 125th birthday.
Six generations on, Gran Canaria remains a firm choice as a golf destination for thousands of Europeans. The island has 7 different courses within a very small radius.
Gran Canaria’s golf experience is not only just tradition, a modern infrastructure has been developed around the sport over the last couple of years with it being host to a myriad of tournaments in the last decade, and its relevance as golf destination grows by the day. Gran Canaria boasts seven magnificent golf courses that are spread evenly out around its territory. These courses were designed by professionals and experts do not hesitate in affirming that they are some of the best in Spain. Here, you will find golf courses that are a veritable oasis of tranquillity, where you can enjoy the calm and peacefulness that you need to improve your game, or simply to play your favourite sport.
**Gran Canaria » Salobre (Old):**
Just a few minutes from Maspalomas, is an area of outstanding natural beauty characteristic of the island of Gran Canaria, with ravines, volcanic rock and spectacular mountain and ocean views. This is where the Salobre Golf & Resort can be found. The manicured green gardens contrast with the rugged desert landscape, creating a tranquil oasis in which to enjoy a round of golf. This resort is unique in that it has two eighteen hole courses. The Old Course was designed by Roland Fauvré, in close collaboration with Robert Trend Jones, and it blends in with the topography of the area and local vegetation, where some 600 different species of plants and trees have been planted.
The course, with a wide variety of holes, is very enjoyable for all levels of golfer.
**Gran Canaria » Salobre (New):**
The Salobre Golf & Resort New Course is a welcome addition to the Gran Canaria golf scene. This eighteen holes par-72 course has a style which also reflects the influence of North American courses. Winding through the hills and valleys of the resort, this course offers an authentic challenge to players who enjoy top quality golf whilst admiring impressive views and scenery. The resort also houses a five star Sheraton Hotel.!
**Gran Canaria » Anfi Tauro Golf:**
Anfi Tauro Golf is famously known for being designed by Von Hagge, Smelek and Baril who have created over 400 courses across five continents. Their world renowned work is apparent in Anfi Tauro Golf as the golfer can enjoy incredible views of the Ocean and the spectacular mountains of Valle de Tauro, creating an unforgettable round of golf. The 18-hole Arizona style course is located in an area of lush green vegetation, with lakes and waterfalls, set against a dramatic volcanic mountain backdrop. This extraordinary setting makes the Anfi Tauro golf experience unique. Feature holes at Anfi Tauro is the 8th hole, surrounded by a bed of red rock or any one of the amazing holes from the 14th to the 17th, which provide sensational view of the Tauro Valley.
**Gran Canaria » Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas:**
There are two separate courses in and around Las Palmas city, the most famous of which is Spain’s oldest golf club, the Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, founded in 1891 which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. The eighteen hole par 71 course, designed by Mackenzie Ross in 1956, is in Bandama. Alongside it is an extinct volcanic crater 800 metres in diameter and 200 metres deep, testimony to the volcanic origins of the Canary Islands, some 14 million years ago. The course enjoys spectacular views of the top of the crater and of the sea, as well as striking ravines. It’s a relatively short course with narrow fairways, small greens and hazards throughout the course. Next to the first tee is the VIK Bandama Golf Hotel for those who wish to spend the night near the course, in which the facilities and service are first class.!
**Gran Canaria » El Cortijo Club de Campo:**
El Cortijo Club de Campo was the venue for the 2002 Spanish Open, and for many other international championships such as the Peugeot Oki Tours, the Spanish Professional Seniors’
Championship, and the Spanish Professional Women’s Championship. This eighteen hole par 72 course, designed by Blake Stirling and Marco Martin, is one of the longest courses in Spain, with up to six tee-offs per hole, allowing for a range of difficulty and diversity. The greens are fast, the course has six lakes and has more than 600 palm trees, and has spectacular views of the sea that surround the island. It is strongly committed to a sustainable management and focus on the eco environment of the course with quality has been recognised with a TUV certificate, and the ISO14001 for environmental management.
**Gran Canaria » Maspalomas Golf:**
The majority of Gran Canaria’s golf courses are in the south of the island, which is one of the sunniest areas in the world. Here we can find the breath-taking Maspalomas Golf, surrounded by a nature park of sand dunes, a protected area of more than 400 hectares, with views of the Atlantic
Ocean, palm trees and fine golden sandy beaches on the horizon. The dunes which surround the course are a feature incorporated into the design by Mackenzie Ross. Long and flat, with wide fairways, the proximity of the sea and its gentle breezes make this course a pleasant experience, thanks to the alizé winds. Maspalomas Golf will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018.!
**Gran Canaria » Lopesan Meloneras Golf:**
Near to Maspalomas Golf Course is the new Meloneras Golf, an eighteen hole par 71 course which is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is in one of the most important resorts of Gran Canaria, next to the Maspalomas Congress Centre, and near to a number of four and five star hotels. The difficulty of the course, which begins with a gentle par 4, is gradual, so that the player can build confidence progressively to face the remaining holes. Lopesan Meloneras Golf Course boasts two fantastic sets of 9-holes – one with magnificent mountain views and the other 9-holes of amazing ocean views, three of which run directly along the coastline. The course has four tee-off points per hole which makes it interesting for amateurs as well as professionals.
Towns and villages with over 500 years of history are reflected in the architecture with its distinct colonial flavour, along with centuries old traditions with their uniquely Atlantic identity.
Gran Canaria’s climate has packed it’s larder with gourmet products such as tomatoes, cheeses, olives, tropical fruits, oranges, sweet bananas, and a huge array of fish at the markets. And with so many restaurants on the island with the freshest of produce from the surrounding farms and sea, it’s hard not to find something to suit everyone’s tastes.
**DG’S TOP TEN MUST SEE’S & DO’S:**
1. Church of San Juan Bautista de Arucas
2. Palmitos Zoo Park.
3. Puerto de Mogan
4. Arucas’ Gaudiesque church
5. Maspalomas’ famous dunes
6. The Painted Cave
7. Nublo Rural Park
8. Teror Town Centre
9. Each of the 7 golf courses
10. Meloneras
**Fun Facts:**
Gran Canaria’s name originally meant “Great Island of Dogs”
128 BEACHES
230KM OF COASTLINE
It is the third largest of the 7 Canary Islands
Pico de las Nieves – 3rd tallest Volcanic peak in the Canaries
**FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:**
Destination Golf Gran Canaria: http://www.destinationgolf.travel/dg33/
Web: http://www.grancanariagolf.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grancanariagolf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gcgolf
