Club de Golf Retamares

Club de Golf Retamares opened in 1993 in Alalpardo, thirty minutes north of Madrid, and holds a distinction no other course in the region can claim: it's the only golf course in the Community of Madrid designed by José María Olazábal, built by Integral Golf Design in close consultation with the two-time Masters champion. The course was fully renovated in 2007 and spans 720,000 square metres, with the Madrid mountains and city skyline visible across much of the round.

Eight lakes come into play across the eighteen holes, and Olazábal's design rewards a thinking game over raw power, working the natural contours of the land rather than fighting them. The par-four 18th is the course's calling card: no bunker anywhere near it, but water pressing in on both sides of the fairway, enough to unravel a good card on the very last swing. It's tournament-tested too, having hosted three editions of the Madrid Ladies Masters and two Challenge Tour events, the Open Mahou and the Reale Challenge de España.

Facilities include a driving range, academy, and locker rooms, built around a genuinely family-oriented club. This is a rare chance to play a Masters champion's design without leaving Madrid — well worth building into any trip north of the city.