Golf Rio Real

Played again as part of our annual trip and, yet again, we were more than happy with what we found. Well presented, decent enough welcome, and the package is good value for money. Well worth the visit.

Played here November 2010. If you're booked to play here then dont worry - you'll enjoy your day and the course will be in good condition. It has an interesting mix of holes, some straightforward and inviting, others ticky and at times bizarre. That said its an enjoyable day out and gives plenty to talk about in the clubhouse afterwards. We played early morning 8-40am and had no trouble with slow rounds - however when we were finishing the 1st tee looked rather rammed and the course congested. Good fun and worth a visit for the fun golfer and those good players with a sense of humour - if you're a purist then Im not sure, at 60 euros ish you can afford to find out Chris

I played here yesterday and the course was in excellent condition and also very quiet. This really is a lovely track and it is relatively flat so it is posssible to walk. That said we paid 60 euros including a buggy through Executive golf who always offer an excellent service for those visiting this part of Spain. The course is fairly open with the Rio Real River coming into play on a number of holes, the course was in excellent condition especially the greens. My only criticism is that there is no club house to speak of only the hotel bar which was very expensive. That said the guys with me this year have all said that this course must stay on our list for next year!

Played here yesterday and the course was once again in excellent condition. It has been saidd before but this is one of the best courses in the area and during the summenr it is excellent value at 69 Euros including a buggy. The greens in particular are excellent if you are on the coast this summer do yourself a favour and play this course. My only gripe was the cost of drinks in the hotel bar.

Have played Rio Real 4 times in previous years on our Annual Tour and normally it is the first course on the list. However although the majority of the course was immaculate as usual, it appears that all the greens have become diseased and therefore are a million miles away from their former glory. However on a positive note, they putted better than they looked. Maybe the offer of a free buggy was not led by "la crisis" but more to do with attracting people to the course in light of the problems on the greens.

Played as part of a week long trip to the area and the general concensus was this was the best of the 5 courses we played. The Clubhouse and facilites are plush and well set out, though a little pricey, but they sit in their surroundings very well indeed. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. The course was in excellent condition. Tee beds and fairways were immaculate, bunkers were well kept and actually had sand in them, something not seen at some courses we visitied! The greens were in really good condition, very receptive and ran true, though not as quick as some we played they were still slick. Well established treelines mean that you need to hit the ball reasonably straight to score well, but with some wide fairways it is also very fair to all handicaps. Some really good holes on this course. Holes 2 through 5 are a great challenge, making you use a different club for just about every shot. I suspect 11 is the signature hole, a beautiful if not overly difficult hole visually from the tee. 12 is a tricky par 3 over water, 13 a good par 5 where 2 good hits will probably still see you come up a wedge short, with the same said for 16. 15 through 18 are as a good a finishing run as you'll find. We played the course twice - the second wasn't planned but so impressed were we that we decided another visit was in order. Play was suprisingly "quick" - well for Spain it was - playing in fours, just under 4 and a half hours playing in the afternoon on first visit, just under 4 hours playing in the morning on our second visit. A superb course, at just under 6700 yards off yellows suprisingly fair to all, and well worth a visit. It will no doubt be on our "must play" list next year.

Very nice course, tough in places. Greens were excellant but feel there are courses just as good in area and slightly better priced but still a good course. Only downside was the time it took to get round...the last 5 holes were played at a snails pace with long delays on the tee's.

Played twice in early May. What a difference the weather makes. First day overcast with a hint of rain and the course felt spongy, with the rough clinging to every ball. The day after in bright sunshine and it seemed a far less stern test. However on both days the course is no push over. Font nine meander down to the sea. On occasion the motorway is intrusive. par three holes are all tough - tight with difficult recovery from wayward shots. One or two felt they needed to be a tougher stroke index. The par 4 10th is tough to get to the green in two. The par 4 5th again requires a lay up for anyone other than the most confident. On both days we played off the yellow with little wind. Off the whites with some breeze would be tough. Downsides - a bit pricey. No GPS on buggys so guesswork and translation to yards. Range is a long walk from club house and hitting into a mountain. Worth a repeat visit.

I've been to Spain twice and played Rio Real both times. It's very conveniently located right on the main coast road and although the course actually crosses it, you don’t notice its presence. Both times I visited it was in immaculate condition. When playing last (September ’06) the greens were the best on any course we played that week, and we played a lot! Many top courses were feeling the effect of the summer, but Rio Real was in perfect condition. The river crosses the course on many holes and transforms several shots from very easy to very tough, from pretty mundane to downright spectacular. My favourite is the par-4 5th that runs back from the beach where your 2nd shot will be blind over a hill, then over the river to a green tucked away just in reach. It’s a brave shot, but then laying up isn’t that easy either. The course is quite undulating, but most people should have no problems walking it. It’s also very long, around 6750 yards from the yellows, so it’s handy to have your driver and long irons working well. Finally the trees that separate many of the fairways aren’t too punishing at their bottoms. I like this as it makes a change in Spain where usually an errant shot is lost ball. The Spain 2007 holiday is already planned and Rio Real is once again on the course list. Can’t say any more really.

I have been fortunate enough to play this course 8 times in the last 10 years and it never disappoints. Always in first class condition and a gentle layout. Fairways are tight in some places but the greens are large which tends to add to a more enjoyable day. The signature hole [11] is an excellant driving hole from an elevated tee and then a short pitch over water to the green. Feel free to book with confidence - I would be staggered if anybody didn't enjoy this course.

Played on 11th April at 4.20 for twilight rate of 67 euros. Course was in great shape apart from the work going on at the 13th hole. We walked it comfortably and it took just over 4 hours. We played off the white tees which made the course a sterner test than when I played off the yellows a couple of years ago. Really enjoyable and recommended highly.

I played here on a Monday afternoon in April, we had a deal at €95! including buggy. Quite expensive even for this part of spain. The course has some very picturesque holes and some very enjoyable to play holes. Unfortunately the course was very busy and our round took well over five hours! Quite a lot of work going on at present, the results of which will be very impressive. The clubhouse is excellent.

Played this course in April and found it a good test. Some holes were bland and some were very interesting. The condition was very good with the greens especially top quality. The club house was a nice place but I felt that the locals didn't want us there!

A course worth a visit in anyones book. A variety of holes to test golfers of all standards. Fair without being easy and in excellent condition

Fabulous course in excellent condition. Well worth a visit.

September 2003. Superb course in excellent condition. Buggy NOT essential but took 4 hours plus to complete. View from 11 tee is fantastic. Russ

A long term favourite of mine and this year it's in absolutely superb condition. If you get a chance play it, you wont regret it.

Beautiful course in great condition and superb facilities. The 11th tee is something else. I'll definitely be returning.

I played this course in early July 2001 with a group of eight. The course was superb, every hole is a different challenge and the fairways were as good as some greens in England. At around £30 per round this course is exceptional value. If you are visiting Marbella then you must play Rio Real.

Played the course twice mid March 2001. Weather fantastic and course in great condition. Very untypical Spanish course compared to some on the Costa. Forgiving to high handicappers, yet still testy on some holes. We (8 of us) all loved it. Tree lined fairways with little rough to worry about and mainly flat apart from 6,7 and 10/11. Buggy not essential. Tee shot from 11 is spectacular. Considerable remodelling to some of the greens due to take place in the future according to Caddy master. Well worth the visit.

Played here 21/04/00 on a bright sunny day. The clubhouse and facilities are excellent. Some parts of the golf course itself are rather untidy. The teeing grounds in particular were bereft of grass. However the rest of the course was in fine condition with good fairways and excellent mid-fast paced greens. Some holes are really challenging and require a bit of thought. Hire a buggy!!!!!! This course is quite hilly in parts but you will need a buggy simply because of the time you will spend actually on the golf course. A very busy course which you will be lucky to complete in under 5 hours. Well worth a visit though.