Montecastillo

Montecastillo sits in the sherry-producing hills outside Jerez de la Frontera, a Jack Nicklaus design whose 1994 inauguration saw Nicklaus himself take to the course alongside his sons. It went on to host the European Tour's Volvo Masters for five consecutive years from 1997, taking over hosting duties from Valderrama, before further stints with the Peugeot Tour of Spain and the 2009 Barceló PGA Tour of Spain. Few courses on the Costa de la Luz can match that pedigree.

The layout is vintage Nicklaus: bold bunkering, large fast greens, and water guarding several key approaches, including the closing par-4 17th and 18th. Elevated tees and a dramatic downhill closing hole make the most of the rolling terrain, with several genuinely memorable views back over the resort and the surrounding hills. It's a proper test, best suited to golfers who enjoy length and a bit of theatre in their round, and buggies are worth having for the longer green-to-tee walks.

Montecastillo is a private club, with advance booking required for visitors. This is a course to book for the history and the design as much as the round itself, one of the genuine championship venues within easy reach of the coast.