Golf Santa Ponsa I

Wide fairways, then a 590-metre walk to the 10th green.

Santa Ponsa I was the first golf course in the municipality of Calvià when it opened in 1977, and it is still the only one of the club’s three courses that visitors can book. The other two are kept for members. It is a long, generous parkland course with lakes and olive, pine and almond trees, a short drive inland from Santa Ponsa bay. The club says the PGA has chosen it more often than any other course on Mallorca for European Tour events.

Golf Santa Ponsa I green fees and tee times.

Book online through the club’s TeeOne page, or ring the golf office on +34 971 690 211 or email golf1@golf-santaponsa.com. The club states that all players must hold an official handicap, so carry your certificate or app record. If you hire clubs, you will be asked for a card as a guarantee. Only soft spikes are allowed, and the club asks for proper golf attire. Groups get special terms on request. Buggies cost €43 for 18 holes in high season and €35 at other times; electric trolleys are €15 to €19. Nine holes before 14:00 cost €100 in high season, and a twilight ticket costs €64 to €88.

The round, in perspective.

Folco Nardi designed the course with Pepe Gancedo on 73 hectares, and from the back it measures 6,543 metres to a par of 72. Water comes into play on seven holes: the 2nd, 7th (which has two lakes), 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th and 16th. The best-known hole is the 10th, a par five of 590 metres from the white tees that the club calls one of the longest in Europe; it has two lakes and no bunkers. Seve Ballesteros won here in 1988 and 1992 and Miguel Ángel Jiménez in 1998, and Jeff Winther won a tour event in 2021. Olazábal, Montgomerie, Woosnam and Westwood also played it.

Know before you go.

Handicap

Official handicap required

Spikes

Soft spikes only

Access

Course I only; II and III are members-only

Buggy

€35–€43 for 18 holes

Rental clubs

€35–€40; card guarantee needed

Range

250 m, 50 grass bays, some covered

Make the trip work.

The summer low season, from late June to early September, is one of the cheapest times to play, at €77; book an early tee time in July and August. In high season the gap between the full fee and the twilight ticket is almost €40. The practice area is good for a warm-up, with a 250-metre range of 50 grass bays (some covered), a chipping area and two putting greens. The clubhouse has a snack bar and pro shop. The club also says its hotel is being renovated, so do not plan on staying on site.

Palma de Mallorca airport (PMI) is about 30 km away, roughly 25 minutes on the Ma-1 motorway towards Andratx, according to the club. Central Palma is 20 km, or about 20 minutes. Buses run from Palma to Santa Ponsa town, but for golf with clubs a hire car or taxi is much easier.

Where it is.

Nearby: 1. Son Gual Golf (27 km) · 2. Club de Golf Alcanada (68 km) · 3. Pula Golf Resort (77 km) · Compare all Mallorca tee times

Somewhere to settle in.

Santa Ponsa town, just below the course, has a long sandy bay and plenty of apartment and resort hotels within five minutes’ drive. Port Adriano and Costa d’en Blanes are smarter and close by, and Camp de Mar and Port d’Andratx to the west are quieter. Palma is close enough for those who would rather stay in the city and drive out for golf.

Make a trip of it.

The south-west corner of Mallorca is the island’s busiest golf area. Golf de Andratx at Camp de Mar and Real Golf de Bendinat are each within about 15 minutes, and Son Gual is around half an hour east. Away from golf, a stone cross on the Santa Ponsa headland marks where King Jaume I landed in 1229 to take the island, and the coastal road to Andratx and Sant Elm makes a good afternoon drive.

Find your season.

The club’s high season runs from mid-March to early June and from mid-September to early November. Mid-season covers the first days of January, late February to mid-March, mid-June, early September, early November and the Christmas weeks. Season dates differ by a day between two parts of the rate page, so check your date on TeeOne. The cheapest weeks are early January to late February, the height of summer and late November to mid-December.