There is a particular kind of morning the Costa Blanca does better than almost anywhere in Europe. The light is soft and golden, the air smells of pine and warm earth, and by ten o’clock you are walking a fairway in shirtsleeves while half the continent scrapes ice off a windscreen. Alicante sits at the heart of all this, and within a short drive of the city you will find some of the most enjoyable golf in Spain.
The question most visiting golfers ask is a simple one. Out of all the courses near Alicante, which are actually worth your time? Plenty of “best of” lists are written by booking sites that have never walked a single hole, ranking courses by how much commission they earn.
So here is an honest shortlist, written by people who play this stretch of coast every week. We have included our own course, Bonalba, we will tell you exactly why, and we have set out our criteria so you can weigh up the reasoning for yourself. Whether you are planning your first Spanish golf trip or you live in Alicante and want a new regular, this guide will help you choose.
How We Chose These Courses
A good golf course near Alicante should do more than fill eighteen holes. These are the five things we weighted:
- Setting and experience. Does the course make the most of the Costa Blanca landscape, with olive groves, pine canopy, lakes and Mediterranean views, or could it be anywhere?
- Variety and challenge. Is the layout interesting and fair for a mixed group, rewarding the single-figure player without punishing the holidaymaker?
- Proximity. How easy is it to reach from Alicante city and the airport, so more of your day is spent playing than driving?
- Practice and coaching. Is there a driving range, short-game area and a golf school, so you can warm up properly or take a lesson?
- The wider day out. Once the round is over, is there somewhere worth staying for, with good food and a relaxed clubhouse?
Here is the shortlist at a glance.
| Course | Best for | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| Bonalba Golf | A complete golf day, with everything in one place | Mutxamel, around 15 minutes from Alicante |
| Alicante Golf | Seaside golf within the city itself | Playa de San Juan, Alicante |
| Font del Llop | A test of accuracy minutes from the airport | Monforte del Cid |
| Alenda Golf | Relaxed, walkable golf and learning the game | Monforte del Cid, near the airport |
| El Plantío | Flexible golf for mixed-ability groups | On the western edge of Alicante |
1. Bonalba Golf (Best for a Complete Golf Day Near Alicante)
Disclosure: Bonalba Golf publishes this guide. We have put our own course first because we believe the all-round experience here is hard to match near Alicante, but you should read the criteria above and judge for yourself. The other four courses on this list are genuinely excellent, and we would happily send you to any of them.
Set in the gentle hills of Mutxamel, around fifteen minutes from Alicante and twenty from the airport, Bonalba is an 18-hole course that unfolds through olive groves, pine canopy and a series of reflective lakes. It plays fairly for a mixed group, with wide and welcoming fairways for the visiting amateur and enough strategic water and bunkering to keep a single-figure player honest. There is also a 9-hole option, a full driving range and short-game areas, so the morning can start with a warm-up rather than a scramble to the first tee.
Why golfers choose Bonalba:
- A genuine Costa Blanca setting, with the olive trees, lakes and mountain backdrop that make a round here feel like a holiday rather than a fixture
- Everything in one place, from the championship course and golf school to a driving range, pro shop and equipment rental
- An on-site restaurant, In SAVIA, and a tropical pool, so the day does not end when the round does
- Easy to reach from Alicante, San Juan and the airport, which makes it simple to build into a short break or a regular weekly game
Worth knowing: Bonalba is a parkland course rather than a links, so it rewards thoughtful positioning over brute power. It is the right choice when you want a full day of golf, food and sunshine in one unhurried place.
Best for: visiting golfers and local members who want the complete experience close to the city. You can reserve a green fee in a couple of minutes.
2. Alicante Golf (Best for Seaside Golf in the City)
Alicante Golf sits in Playa de San Juan, close to the beach and only a short drive from the centre of Alicante. The 18-hole course was designed by Seve Ballesteros and opened in the late 1990s, with wide fairways and open, gently rolling terrain that make it accessible while still asking questions around the greens. Its great advantage is location, a proper round of golf without leaving the city.
Why consider it:
- A Seve Ballesteros design, a real draw for golfers who like to play a name
- Right in the city near Playa de San Juan, ideal if you are staying in Alicante itself
- Open, forgiving fairways that suit a relaxed holiday round
Best for: golfers based in Alicante who want quality golf within easy reach of the beach and the city.
3. Font del Llop (Best for a Test of Accuracy Near the Airport)
Font del Llop lies in Monforte del Cid, around ten minutes from Alicante airport, which makes it a popular first or last round for golfers flying in and out. Set against the foothills of the surrounding mountains, the course blends into the natural landscape with undulating fairways and five lakes that place a clear emphasis on accuracy over power. Stay out of the water and there are birdies to be had.
Why consider it:
- One of the closest courses to Alicante airport, perfect for the day you arrive or leave
- A thoughtful, accuracy-led layout that rewards a tidy game
- An attractive natural setting in the hills inland from the coast
Best for: golfers who want to squeeze in a round close to the airport, and players who enjoy a strategic test.
4. Alenda Golf (Best for Relaxed Golf and Learning the Game)
Alenda Golf, also near the airport in Monforte del Cid, is widely regarded as one of the easier and quicker courses to play in the Alicante area. With its own golf school and driving range, it is a friendly choice for beginners and improvers, as well as anyone who wants a walkable round without too much trouble off the tee.
Why consider it:
- Accessible and forgiving, a good choice if your group includes newer golfers
- An on-site golf school and range for warming up or taking a lesson
- Quick and walkable, handy when you want a round and still have a day to enjoy
Best for: beginners, improvers and groups of mixed ability who want a relaxed, enjoyable round.
5. El Plantío Golf Resort (Best for Flexible Golf at Every Level)
El Plantío sits on the western edge of Alicante, a short drive from the city, and offers a 27-hole facility that caters for everyone. Alongside an 18-hole championship course there is a 9-hole par-three layout, which makes it a genuinely flexible option for families and groups where not everyone plays to the same standard.
Why consider it:
- An 18-hole course and a shorter par-three layout on the same site
- Close to Alicante, easy to reach without a long drive
- Something for every level, from the committed player to the complete beginner
Best for: mixed groups and families who want the freedom to choose a full round or a quicker game.
The Bonalba Experience: More Than Eighteen Holes
Anyone can list a course. What makes the difference on a golf trip is the whole day, so here is what a morning at Bonalba actually looks like.
The course: olive groves, lakes and quiet golf
From the first tee the course opens out through pine and olive, with lakes that mirror the sky and a mountain horizon beyond. It is a parkland round with a Mediterranean character, challenging enough to stay interesting yet generous enough that a visiting golfer leaves wanting to come back. Learn more about the course at Bonalba and how it plays through the seasons.
In SAVIA: lunch worth lingering over
When the round is done, In SAVIA is the reason many golfers stay on. Fresh Mediterranean cooking, a terrace looking over the course, and the unhurried pace of a long Costa Blanca lunch. It is the part of the day that turns a round of golf into an afternoon worth remembering.
A resort, not just a round
Bonalba is built around the idea that golf is the start of the day rather than all of it. There is a tropical pool for the family, a golf school and Performance Center for lessons and improvement, a pro shop and event spaces, all wrapped in the same setting. For a visiting group, it means nobody has to choose between golf and a proper holiday.
Which Course Is Right for You?
The best course near Alicante depends on what your day looks like:
- You want the complete experience, golf and a day to enjoy: Bonalba Golf.
- You are staying in the city and want to play by the beach: Alicante Golf.
- You are flying in or out and want a round near the airport: Font del Llop.
- Your group includes beginners or you want a relaxed walk: Alenda Golf.
- You have mixed abilities and want the flexibility of 27 holes: El Plantío.
Whichever you choose, book your tee time in advance during the busy autumn-to-spring season, check whether buggies and rental clubs are available if you are flying in light, and give yourself time for lunch afterwards. Half the pleasure of golf in Alicante is the part that happens after the eighteenth green.
Planning the trip? See our guides to golf courses near Alicante airport and the best golf hotels near Alicante.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best golf course in Alicante for visitors?
It depends on what you want from the day. For a complete experience close to the city, with a championship course, a restaurant and a pool all in one place, Bonalba is hard to beat. If you would rather play within the city near the beach, Alicante Golf is the natural choice, while Font del Llop is ideal if you are arriving or leaving through the airport.
How far are Alicante’s golf courses from the airport?
Most are very close. Font del Llop and Alenda are around ten minutes from Alicante airport, Bonalba is roughly twenty minutes on the far side of the city, and Alicante Golf and El Plantío are both within a short drive. You can comfortably play a round on the day you fly in or out.
When is the best time to play golf in Alicante?
You can play all year. The Costa Blanca enjoys around three hundred days of sunshine and less winter rainfall than much of southern Spain, so autumn, winter and spring are popular with northern European golfers escaping the cold, while early mornings are the comfortable choice in high summer.
Do I need to be a member to play these courses?
No. All of the courses on this list welcome visiting golfers and green-fee bookings, not only members. It is sensible to reserve a tee time ahead, particularly during the busy winter golf season when courses near Alicante fill up with visitors.
Is this list biased towards Bonalba?
We publish it, so it is fair to ask. That is exactly why we have disclosed it openly, set out our criteria, and listed four genuine alternatives we rate highly. Use the criteria, play a few if you can, and choose the course that fits the day you have in mind.
Final Thoughts
There is no single best golf course in Alicante, only the one that fits the day you are planning. A seaside round in the city, a quick game by the airport, a relaxed morning with beginners, or a full day of golf, food and sunshine all in one place, each has its moment. Alicante is fortunate to have all of them within a short drive.
If you want that complete day, we would love to welcome you to Bonalba. Reserve your green fee, take a look at the course, or get in touch to plan your visit. Either way, take the criteria, play the golf, and enjoy one of the finest stretches of golfing coast in Europe.
