Santa Maria Golf & Country Club – Elviria’s Green Oasis in Marbella

Gunnar Kobin
Jan 10
4 min read

Updated: Feb 7

Santa Maria Golf : My Favorite Course Around Marbella

Santa Maria Golf sits up in the hills of Elviria, where golf feels unhurried and genuinely connected to the land. You don't stumble upon Santa Maria by accident. Turn off the coastal road, leave the beach traffic behind, start climbing gently into the hills. By the time you reach the car park, you're already in golf mode—calm, focused, slightly curious about what kind of day lies ahead.

Santa Maria Golf & Country Club doesn't try to impress you before the first tee.

No grand entrances or marketing slogans. What it offers instead is something rarer: a feeling that this course belongs exactly where it is. Oak trees frame fairways, streams cut naturally across the valley floor, the clubhouse sits quietly in the background like it's always been there.

That understated beginning perfectly mirrors the round itself. Santa Maria reveals its personality slowly, hole by hole, asking you to think rather than react, rewarding those who play with imagination instead of force.

Why This Is My Favorite

Despite having played many excellent courses on the Costa del Sol, Santa Maria is my personal favorite in the Marbella area.

It's not long by modern standards, but what makes it special is that every hole is different and genuinely fun to play. Always a decision to make, a shape to consider, a risk to measure. Never feels repetitive. I always finish a round here wanting to play it again.

You can comfortably walk this course, but be prepared—the first nine climbs steadily uphill and on several tee boxes you'll find yourself taking a breath before you even think about the shot ahead.

Built Into Natural Valley

Opened in the early 1990s, Santa Maria was built into a natural valley. Original layout was designed by respected Spanish architect Antonio García Garrido, with later refinements carried out by other designers as the course evolved.

That heritage is still visible today. Fairways follow the land naturally, streams cut across holes, water hazards appear where they feel logical rather than artificial.

The front nine is the more demanding side, featuring several long holes including three par 5s requiring proper planning from the tee. Water's very much in play.

Accuracy is more valuable than raw power.

As you move onto the back nine, the mood changes. From the 10th and 11th tees there's a magnificent view over the coast—moment where many players pause before hitting just to take in the Mediterranean stretching out below.

They Changed Some Holes (Not for the Better)

In recent years the club has invested in upgrading the course, including nine completely new greens. The surfaces are now modern and consistent. From a maintenance perspective the improvement is obvious.

However, not all changes have made the course better in my opinion.

Couple years ago the 9th was extended from a par 4 into a par 5, and the 10th—previously a par 3—was stretched into a par 4. I'm not entirely sure what the justification for these alterations was, but for me, the holes were better before.

The old 10th in particular was a gem. Short, demanding, highly strategic. Forced you to think carefully about club selection and line, punished lazy swings mercilessly. Turning it into a par 4 has removed much of its original character.

Real pity it was rebuilt.

Wild Boars Don't Care About Your Scorecard

On my most recent visit, the wild side of Santa Maria made itself very clear. Wild boars had torn up large parts of the 4th fairway, leaving deep scars across the turf.

It's something that occasionally happens here—reminder that this course truly lives inside a natural environment. Fortunately, the boars tend to leave the greens alone, so while fairways can suffer, the heart of the course remains intact.

Think Your Way Around

Santa Maria has never been about brute force. It rewards patience, imagination, 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 just your swing.

The Clubhouse Completes It

The traditional cortijo-style clubhouse completes the experience. Feels authentic, warm, social—place where golf continues long after the final putt has dropped.

Lunch on the terrace overlooking the 18th green is as much part of the day as the round itself.

Why I Keep Coming Back

Santa Maria Golf & Country Club may not make global rankings, but it has something far more valuable—soul.

It's my favorite course around Marbella not because it's the hardest or the longest, but because it's endlessly enjoyable. Thoughtful, varied, deeply satisfying.

It remains a place I'll always return to whenever I'm back on the Costa del Sol. Some courses you play once and tick off the list. Santa Maria is one you come back to because it just feels right.