Rioja Alta Golf Course

Rioja Alta Golf Course lies in the northern hills of La Rioja's wine country, laid out across two natural fault lines, the Barranco de Vaidiau and the Barranco de Puente del Obispo. Enrique Saenger designed the par 72 course in 2004, working the terrain's gentle undulation into a genuinely varied eighteen holes.

Wetland areas come into play at half a dozen holes, one on the front nine and five on the back, while a dense stretch of woodland separates the opening and closing three fairways from the rest of the round. Four man-made water features add real teeth on the back nine, and 101 bunkers across the course keep every shot honest. The uphill 6th is the toughest test on the front nine, climbing to a two-tiered green that slopes hard from back to front, while the 17th stands out as one of the round's most memorable holes.

A driving range built to accommodate 60 players at once, a golf academy, locker rooms and putting green round out the facilities. For golfers looking for a genuinely well-designed test amid La Rioja's wine country, this is a course worth building into the round.