Playing Golf in Spain

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by Gary Cotter

If you are thinking of playing golf for the first time in Spain there are a few things you should know about to help you enjoy the experience. Here I will give you a few tips, the obvious and the not so obvious to make sure your golf vacation is not spoiled. Many golfers book a package with usually few problems, others book their own accommodation, flights and tee times them selves, this is not as straight forward as it at first seems.

The first thing you should do is check out the general availability of tee times on the telephone, after all there may be a competition on there that day or week. Some Spanish golf courses will only let you book them a month in advance, this need not be a problem. I speak from personal experience here as I have lived in Spain for 7 years and lost count of the messed up golf tee times I have had. So rule number one is book the tee times by fax. If the golf club does not reply then it is not booked, if it does, keep the fax to take with you to show the golf caddy master on arrival. Don't forget to say whether you require buggies or not, if you are not used to the heat I would recommend them.

Consider the golf tee times that you request very carefully, playing golf at eight in the morning might sound very good, but are you and your compatriots really going to be up that early after the previous nights drinking session? Having said that, it is nice to play before it gets too hot, remember midday in Spain especially during July and August is extremely hot. With this in mind take plenty of liquids with you so you don't get dehydrated. I always stuff a couple of bottles of water and a freezer block in my bag during the summer.

Take a good sun blocker and use it often is also very important, it has probably been a long time since your white legs and arms have seen the light of day and they will burn very quickly. Taking and wearing a hat or cap of some sort and keep the back of your neck covered is also very important in Spain, at the very least it will stop you getting a nasty headache.

Lastly, if you not played golf in Spain before, play within yourself. Do not get the driver out on every hole, be conservative and play only where you can see. This sounds obvious but I have seen so many people hit a massive shot into some hidden hazard they didn't know was there. The greens will be quicker than you are used to, but positive putting pays off, so go for it and have a good game.

For more Spanish golf advice, information and help please see Golf Spain

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