Santa Maria Golf & Country Club – Elviria’s Green Oasis in Marbella
- Gunnar Kobin
- Jan 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 23
Santa Maria Golf: My Favorite Course in the Marbella Area
Santa Maria Golf is located in the hills of Elvira. Up here, golf feels unhurried and more integrated with nature. Santa Maria is a destination, and not somewhere you stumbled upon. By the time you reach the parking lot, you believe that you've entered golf mode - calm, focused, and relaxed. \
Santa Maria Golf & Country Club does not attempt to impress you with their first tee.
No flashy marketing. What they provide is more rare - the feeling that the course is exactly as it should be. Oak trees lining the fairways. Streams cut the valley floor. The clubhouse looks like it's always been here. \
That understated beginning mirrors the course itself. Santa Maria does not attempt to be like other courses, and instead, hides its personality - one that is uncourselike - and reveals it hole by hole.
Why This is My Favorite
Santa Maria is my favorite course in the Marbella area, and I have played MANY courses in the Costa del Sol.
The course may appear short when compared to others built recently, but the variety and the different interests in each hole truly makes this course exceptional.
It is easily walkable, but be warned the first nine holes are an uphill walk. There are multiple tee boxes where you may want to take a breather before your next shot.
The course is best described as "built into a natural valley".
The Santa Maria course opened in the early to mid 90's and the first designer to put a pencil down on the course was the respected Spaniard Antonio Garcia Garrido. Other designers have put their hand to the course as it matured.
That heritage is still very much visible, the natural lies are utilized quite ingeniously. Streams, treated water, and other natural hazards are in play.
The front nine poses the most challenge, with 3 par 5s and 4 other very long holes, water will play a role in your shot selection. Plan your tees carefully.
If you have it in your mind to tip it out on the back 9, you may be better served by taking a club less for the added control.
As you head onto the back nine, the atmosphere shifts a little. The views from the 10th and 11th tees are spectacular and one of the main points of the course. The coastline and the Mediterranean are a sight to behold, and many players have to pause and take it all in before hitting their shots.
They changed some holes.
The club has made some recent investments in the course, including nine new greens. The new surfaces are good from a maintenance standpoint, and it’s an improvement.
That said, some of the changes in the course are changes that I think are changes for the worse.
A few years ago the 9th hole was changed from a par 4 to a par 5, and the 10th hole was changed from a par 3 to a par 4. I’m not sure what the reasoning was behind these changes, but I personally enjoyed the holes more before.
The old 10th was a good hole. It was short, but that made it more strategic. It made players think about what club to use and what line to take, and it punished lazy swings. It’s been parred and I think that changed a lot of the character.
It’s a shame it was rebuilt.
Wild Boars Don't Care About Your Scorecard
Santa Maria has become very wild for me on my latest visit. Wild Boars had damaged a large portion of the 4th fairway, ruining the turf. It is a reminder that this course truly integrates the natural environment, although the boars do usually leave the greens alone, so while the fairways suffer, the heart of the course remains intact.
Think Your Way Around
Santa Maria Golf & Country Club has never been about brachial golf. It rewards with patience, imagination, and self-discipline.
Several par 4s demand positional tee shots rather than drivers. Many greens are best approached from very specific angles.
This is golf where you manage your round, not your swing.
The Clubhouse Completes It
The traditional cortijo-style clubhouse completes the experience. It feels authentic, warm, and social. It is a place where the golf continues long after the last putt has been made.
Lunch on the terrace overlooking the 18th is as much part of the day as the round.
Why I Keep Coming Back
Santa Maria Golf & Country Club may not appear in global rankings, but it has something far more valuable. Soul.
What makes this course my favorite personally isn\'t the difficulty or length, but the pure enjoyment of it all. The course is all of the above, but masquerades the deeper satisfaction. Most enjoyable course in the greater Marbella area.
There is a lasting appeal to Santa Maria that most other courses lack. They say it \\'feels right\\', and in this case, I couldn\\'t agree more. It's one I will always return to when visiting the Costa del Sol. It is one course you play where instead of crossing it off your list, you are compelled to come back.
