The Costa del Sol or Costa del Golf as it is often referred to is often credited with the great golf boom in Spain over the last 30 years, but many other parts of Spain are quite rapidly catching up;  Not only on the mainland, but also the islands of the Canaries and Balearics. Golf is no longer an exclusive sport for the wealthy, more and more people of all ages and backgrounds are taking up the game and when they do they are not happy with just playing at their local course. No, they want to play throughout the year and many choose Spain as their destination to have a golfing holiday.

The growth in the golf resorts has also been helped along by some famous golfing legends such as Nick Faldo, Gary Player, Ian Woosnam,  Ernie Els and more famously for Spain in particular, Jack Nicklaus. 

The thing is, golf resorts aren’t just about golf. Many are designed to offer alternatives to keep the non golfer happy too. Luxury spas, tennis, swimming pools, football, bowls, restaurants  and even equestrian centres are frequently found on some of the new resorts being built in Spain.  One of the main benefits of buying on a golf resort is if you’re thinking of renting the property out, you will have all year round clients. In fact many golfers won’t want to play in the peak summer when the weather in Spain is rather hot, they prefer to swing their clubs in the Autumn, Spring and even Winter in some parts of Spain.

If you are thinking about or have bought on a golf resort and are planning to rent it out, here are some things to consider:

1. Location, location, location. Golfers ideally want to be looking out onto the golf course even when they’re not playing it! If your budget can stretch to it, a frontline property will always be a popular choice and you are pretty much guaranteed that your view will never change.
2. Twin beds in all rooms....ideally ones that can be converted to a double, for families and couples, but the group of golfers generally won’t want to share a bed!
3. How far away are you from other golf courses? Many golfers when choosing their golf holiday will want to play at one or more courses, so the closer you are to other courses the better.
4. Resort facilities? The more the better. This obviously makes it attractive to non golfers too. It’s still a lovely place to stay even if you’re not playing golf. Waking up to greens, fairways, lakes and the sound of the wildlife makes for a very relaxing holiday. If there is a spa or equestrian centre etc this gives you opportunity to market your property to non golfers too.
5. How good are the practice facilities and Pro Shop? Can you hire clubs, trolleys, buggies, shoes etc? Some golfers won’t want to take their clubs away with them. Most pro shops do offer these services and more, but if they don’t you may need to think about having a couple of sets of clubs in your property for the guests to use.
6. Does the resort offer green fees with the property purchase?  Being able to offer free golf to potential clients is a great marketing tool. Always worth checking the small print with ‘life memberships’. If you’re planning to the sell the property in a few years, make sure you can sell on the membership and check you can let your guests use it, some do restrict them to the property owner and family.
7. As with any property that you are planning to rent out, how will you do this? Does the resort offer their own rental scheme? Many do and simply charge a percentage of your booking fee or will you market the property yourself? If you do there are many websites offering advertising services and ours is just one. We specialise in golf property and can be found at www.eagleyerentals.com  if you would like more information.