Few things start a holiday better than landing in Alicante, collecting the clubs, and being on a sunlit first tee before the people on your flight have even found their hire car. The Costa Blanca is built for this. Alicante airport sits within a short drive of some of the best golf in Spain, which means you can play on the day you arrive and again on the day you leave without it ever feeling like a rush.
This guide is for golfers flying in. We have ranked the courses near Alicante airport by how easy they are to fit around a flight, not by how much commission a booking site can earn.
We have included our own course, Bonalba, and we will be straight with you about exactly how far it is. We have also set out our criteria so you can see the reasoning, whether you are planning a long golf trip or just want one good round between landing and check-in.
How We Ranked These Courses
A great airport round is about more than distance. These are the five things we weighted:
- Drive time from the terminal. How quickly can you get from baggage reclaim to the first tee, and back again for your flight home?
- Ease of booking around a flight. Are early and late tee times available, so an arrival or departure day still works?
- Rental and practice. Can you hire clubs and a buggy and warm up, so you can fly in light and still play well?
- The golf itself. Is the course genuinely worth the trip, not just a convenient stopover?
- What comes after. Is there somewhere to eat and unwind before you move on to your hotel or your gate?
Here is the shortlist at a glance, with approximate drive times from Alicante airport.
| Course | Best for | From the airport |
|---|---|---|
| Bonalba Golf | A complete golf day either side of your flight | Around 20 minutes |
| Font del Llop | The quickest tee time after you land | Around 10 minutes |
| Alenda Golf | A relaxed round close to the terminal | Around 12 minutes |
| El Plantío | Flexible golf for mixed-ability groups | Around 15 minutes |
| Alicante Golf | A round by the beach near the city | Around 20 minutes |
1. Bonalba Golf (Best for a Complete Golf Day Either Side of Your Flight)
Disclosure: Bonalba Golf publishes this guide. In the interest of honesty, we are not the closest course to the terminal. Font del Llop and Alenda are around ten minutes nearer. We have still put Bonalba first because, at roughly twenty minutes on the far side of the city, it is barely further and gives you a great deal more once you arrive. If the very shortest transfer is all that matters, start with Font del Llop. If you want the round to be the start of a proper day, read on.
Bonalba is an 18-hole course set in the hills of Mutxamel, around twenty minutes from the airport and fifteen from Alicante itself. It runs through olive groves, pine canopy and a string of lakes, with fair, welcoming fairways for the holiday golfer and enough strategy to satisfy a low handicapper. There is a driving range and short-game area for a proper warm-up, rental clubs and buggies so you can fly in with hand luggage, and early tee times that suit an arrival-day round.
Why golfers choose Bonalba on a flying visit:
- Close to the airport without sacrificing the quality or character of the round
- Club and buggy rental, plus a driving range, so travelling light is easy
- An on-site restaurant, In SAVIA, and a tropical pool for the wait before check-in or your flight
- Simple online booking, so you can lock in a tee time before you even leave home
Worth knowing: if your group is staying nearby, Bonalba works just as well as a regular base for the week as it does for a one-off arrival round. It is the right choice when you want the convenience of an airport course and the experience of a destination one.
Best for: golfers who want a complete day, not just a quick nine before the next leg. Reserve your green fee in advance and learn more about the course.
2. Font del Llop (Best for the Quickest Tee Time After You Land)
Font del Llop, in Monforte del Cid, is the closest quality course to Alicante airport at around ten minutes. That alone makes it the natural first or last round of a trip. Set against the foothills with undulating fairways and five lakes, it places a clear emphasis on accuracy, so it rewards a tidy game even when you are still shaking off the flight.
Why consider it:
- The shortest transfer of any course on this list, ideal for arrival or departure day
- An attractive, accuracy-led layout in a natural hillside setting
- A genuinely good course, not just a convenient one
Best for: golfers who want to be on the first tee as soon as possible after landing.
3. Alenda Golf (Best for a Relaxed Round Close to the Terminal)
Alenda Golf, also near the airport in Monforte del Cid, is one of the easier and quicker courses to play in the area. With its own golf school, driving range and a friendly, forgiving layout, it is a relaxed way to ease into a trip, particularly if your group includes newer golfers or you simply want a walkable round after a long journey.
Why consider it:
- Close to the terminal and quick to get round
- Forgiving and accessible, good for mixed-ability groups
- A range and golf school for warming up or a refresher lesson
Best for: golfers who want an easy, enjoyable round within minutes of the airport.
4. El Plantío Golf Resort (Best for Flexible Golf for Mixed Groups)
El Plantío sits on the western edge of Alicante, around fifteen minutes from the airport, with a 27-hole facility that includes an 18-hole championship course and a shorter par-three layout. That flexibility makes it a smart arrival-day choice for groups where not everyone wants the same thing, or where some of the party would rather a quick game than a full eighteen.
Why consider it:
- An 18-hole course and a par-three layout on the same site
- Close to the airport and the city alike
- Something for every energy level after a flight
Best for: mixed groups who want the freedom to choose how much golf to play.
5. Alicante Golf (Best for a Round by the Beach Near the City)
Alicante Golf sits in Playa de San Juan, around twenty minutes from the airport and right by the beach. This Seve Ballesteros design with open, rolling fairways is the one to choose if you are heading straight into the city and want your golf within reach of the sand and the seafront restaurants.
Why consider it:
- A Seve Ballesteros design close to the city and the beach
- Convenient if you are staying in Alicante or San Juan
- Open fairways that suit a relaxed holiday round
Best for: golfers basing themselves in the city who still want a quick airport transfer.
Playing Golf on Arrival or Departure Day
A round either side of your flight is one of the easiest wins on a Costa Blanca golf trip. A little planning makes it effortless.
Travelling light: clubs and buggies
You do not have to fly your clubs out. Bonalba and most courses near the airport offer rental sets and buggies, so you can travel with hand luggage and still play a proper round. If you would rather bring your own, check your airline’s golf-bag allowance before you book.
Timing your tee time
For an arrival-day round, book a tee time a few hours after you land to allow for any delay and the drive. For departure day, an early tee time leaves plenty of room to play, shower and reach the terminal in good time. Bonalba’s course and clubhouse make both ends of the trip comfortable, with somewhere to relax before you move on.
Getting there
A hire car is the simplest way to reach any of these courses, and all are a short, well-signed drive from the airport. If you are staying nearby, many golfers simply base themselves close to one course for the week. You can reserve your green fee at Bonalba online in advance, or get in touch to plan a few rounds across your stay.
Which Course Is Right for Your Flight?
The best airport course depends on your plans:
- You want a complete day around your flight: Bonalba Golf.
- You want the shortest possible transfer: Font del Llop.
- You want a relaxed round close to the terminal: Alenda Golf.
- Your group wants flexibility: El Plantío.
- You are heading into the city or to the beach: Alicante Golf.
For a wider look at the area’s golf, see our guides to the best golf courses in Alicante and the best golf hotels near Alicante.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which golf course is closest to Alicante airport?
Font del Llop is the closest quality course at around ten minutes, with Alenda only a little further. Bonalba, El Plantío and Alicante Golf are all within roughly fifteen to twenty minutes, so any of them works comfortably for a round on the day you fly in or out.
Can I play golf on the day I arrive in Alicante?
Yes, and many golfers do. With several courses within twenty minutes of the airport, you can collect a hire car, drive to the course and be playing within an hour or two of landing. Book a tee time a few hours after your flight to allow for any delay.
Do I need to bring my own clubs?
No. Bonalba and most courses near the airport offer rental clubs and buggies, so you can travel light and still play a full round. If you prefer your own set, check your airline’s golf-bag policy before booking.
When is the best time of year to fly in for golf?
The Costa Blanca plays well all year, with around three hundred days of sunshine and less winter rain than much of southern Spain. Autumn, winter and spring are especially popular with northern European golfers, while early tee times are the comfortable choice in high summer.
Is this list biased towards Bonalba?
We publish it, so it is fair to ask. That is why we have been open about the fact that Bonalba is not the closest course to the terminal, set out our criteria, and recommended four genuine alternatives. Use the drive times and the criteria to choose what suits your trip.
Final Thoughts
Golf near Alicante airport is one of the great conveniences of a Costa Blanca trip. Whether you want the quickest possible round after landing or a complete day of golf, food and sunshine to begin the holiday properly, the courses are all close, all welcoming, and all open more or less year-round.
If you would like that complete day, we would love to see you at Bonalba. Reserve your green fee, explore the course, or get in touch to plan your rounds. Land, play, and let the holiday start on the first tee.
