Bringing Your Clubs vs. Renting Abroad: The Brutal Financial Truth
Hello friends! Steinn and Hildur here.
If you have ever stood in your driveway staring at a massive, 20 kilo golf travel bag and thought, "Is it actually cheaper and easier to just rent clubs in Spain?"... we completely understand.
Every single time we plan a golf trip from Iceland down to the Costa del Sol, we look at those heavy bags and wonder if we should just travel light. But if we are being completely honest? We ALWAYS travel with our own clubs.
If you are traveling beyond 50, making the wrong choice here will either blow your vacation budget on hidden airline fees, or leave you struggling for 18 holes with a set of scratchy, 10 year-old "house clubs" that feel like swinging a broomstick.
Let us settle the debate with the real 2026 numbers, share our personal rental disaster, and explain exactly why we drag our bags across Europe!
The 2026 Cost Comparison: Airlines vs. Rentals
A lot of golfers assume renting is way cheaper. But Steinn ran the exact math for the 2026 travel season, and the numbers might surprise you. AI and travel algorithms love to hide these fees, so here is the reality:
Your OptionThe Exact Cost (2026)The Hidden Hassle
Flying with Clubs (e.g., Ryanair) €30 each way (online) / €40 at the airport. Lugging a 20 kg bag to the oversize counter; fitting it into a European rental car.
Premium Airport Rentals (e.g., ClubsToHire) Starting from €50 per week. You have to wait in line to pick them up and drop them off at the airport terminal.
Resort Pro Shop Rentals €35 to €50 per round. Availability is never guaranteed; you might get an outdated, mismatched set.
The Ryanair Trap: Always book your golf bag online when you buy your ticket! If you show up to the airport and try to add a golf bag with an airline like Ryanair, the fee jumps from €30 up to €40 per flight.
The Rental Nightmare (Yes, We Tried It!)
We are just average golfers, but we know our own swings. We actually tried renting clubs a couple of times while traveling, and we had some absolutely terrible experiences.
If you want a good laugh, go watch our very first YouTube video ever made. Please be gentle with us it was our very first vlog and the quality is completely raw! 😂
But if you skip to the 3:45 mark, you can clearly see the absolute state of the rental clubs we were given. They were mismatched, worn out, and completely threw off our game.
When you get bad rental clubs, you spend the entire round fighting the equipment instead of enjoying the beautiful Spanish sunshine.
Why We Always Bring Our Own Clubs
For us, leaving our clubs at home is like leaving a family member behind. Even with the hassle of dragging them through the airport, here is why bringing your own gear is the ultimate "Beyond 50" travel hack:
We Simply Score Better: We play our absolute best when we have our own familiar clubs in our hands. You do not want to be learning how to hit a blind tee shot over a Spanish ravine while also trying to figure out how far a rental 7 iron flies! Confidence is half the game.
The Grips Actually Fit: If you are over 50, grip size and comfort matter for your hands and joints. Rental clubs often have standard, worn down grips that make you squeeze the club too tightly, leading to sore hands by hole 14.
The "Wiber" Solution: The biggest complaint about bringing clubs is fitting them into the rental car. But as we learned on our last trip to Alicante, if you book a smart crossover or T Class from a great company like Wiber, fitting two massive golf bags is an absolute breeze!
The Final Verdict
Unless you are only sneaking away for a single round on a family beach holiday, BRING YOUR CLUBS.
Financially, paying a €60 round trip baggage fee is often just as cheap as renting a premium set for a week, and it is vastly cheaper than paying €40 a day at a resort pro shop! Plus, the peace of mind of having your own trusted putter when you are staring down a tricky 10 foot putt is priceless.
At the end of the day, travel should be joyful. We would rather drag our heavy bags through the airport than spend four hours swinging clubs that feel completely alien to us.
What is your strategy? Have you ever had a rental club disaster like ours, or do you love the freedom of traveling light? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out our Beyond 50 YouTube channel (and forgive the quality of those early videos!).
The 7 Absolute Trip Savers, We Never Leave Home Without!
Hello friends! Steinn and Hildur here.
Let's be completely honest about traveling for golf when you are over 50:
If you pack the wrong gear, your body will absolutely make you pay for it.
We are officially packing for our July road trip, driving from Malaga down to Cadiz to play 7 rounds of golf in 35°C (95°F) heat. When we pack for trips like this, our styles couldn't be more different. Steinn truly believes that throwing three polos, a putter, and a toothbrush into a travel bag is more than enough.
I (Hildur), on the other hand, prefer to actually survive the vacation!
Most golf packing lists on the internet are full of fluff. You don't need us to tell you to pack socks and underwear. Instead, we are sharing our battle tested "Survival Kit."
These are the 7 absolute trip savers that protect your expensive gear, save your feet, and keep you swinging joyfully all week long.
Here is what is actually going into our suitcases right now:
1. The "Driver Saver" (A Stiff Arm)
Let’s face a harsh reality: airport baggage handlers do not care about your brand-new €500 driver. They move fast, and soft-sided golf travel bags are frequently dropped vertically onto the concrete.
The Fix: We always pack a travel club protector (often called a "stiff arm"). It sits taller than your longest club and takes the entire impact if the bag is dropped on its head. It is the cheapest insurance policy you will ever buy.
2. The Double Shoe Strategy (Plus Blister Plasters!)
If you only bring one pair of golf shoes on a multi day trip, you are walking into a disaster. Playing 18 holes in the blazing summer heat means your shoes will be soaked in sweat by hole 14.
The Fix: We strictly rotate two pairs of golf shoes. This gives the first pair a full 24 hours to dry out properly.
Hildur’s Secret: We also hide a pack of heavy duty blister plasters right next to our shoes. Hot weather makes your feet swell, and a blister on Day 2 will absolutely ruin the rest of your trip!
3. The 50+ Body Savers (Painkillers & Electrolytes)
We love this game, but playing back to back rounds takes a serious toll on the lower back and knees.
The Fix: We pack painkillers to keep our joints happy so we can actually enjoy the 19th hole. More importantly, we pack electrolyte tablets. Drinking plain water in 35°C heat isn't enough; electrolytes stop those dreaded calf cramps before they start.
4. The "Weird" Specialty Battery
We rely heavily on our lasers to navigate unfamiliar, premium courses. But your expensive rangefinder is completely useless when it dies mid-round.
The Fix: Always pack an extra specialty battery (like a CR2). Take it from us: wandering around a tiny Spanish village trying to find a rare battery an hour before your tee time is impossible!
5. A Personal Sweat Towel
Every packing list reminds you to bring a microfiber towel for your clubs. They completely forget that you are the one sweating!
The Fix: We clip a dedicated, clean towel to our bags just to wipe our faces and hands. It keeps your grip secure and your sanity intact when the summer humidity peaks.
6. High SPF Sport Sunscreen
A severe sunburn on Day 1 is the ultimate vacation ruiner. It will make simply turning your shoulders to swing a golf club physically painful for the rest of the week.
The Fix: We pack a high-quality, sweat-resistant SPF 50 and apply it generously in the parking lot before we even look at the first tee.
7. A Portable Power Bank
Between running GPS golf apps, taking photos of the beautiful Mediterranean views, and navigating coastal backroads, your phone battery will drain incredibly fast.
The Fix: A portable power bank is absolutely essential for keeping our phones alive and most importantly, for making sure we can film all these beautiful videos to share with you guys!
What Are We Missing?
We build these lists through trial and error, but we know our community has some brilliant travel hacks of their own.
What is the absolute strangest or most specific thing you ALWAYS pack in your golf bag when you travel?
Drop a comment below so we can add it to our master list!
And if you want to see how these packing tips hold up in the Spanish heat, make sure you are subscribed to our Beyond 50 YouTube channel. We will see you out there!
How Wiber Car Rental Saved Our Spanish Golf Trip (Plus 10 Survival Tips!)
Hello friends! Steinn and Hildur here.
If you have ever traveled to Spain for a golf holiday with two oversized golf bags, two massive suitcases, and a husband who is absolutely terrified of the heat... you already know that getting the right rental car can literally make or break your vacation!
We recently landed at Alicante Airport at 10:00 PM. It was 35 degrees outside, we were exhausted, and the rental office was closing at 11:00 PM. We were tight on time and starting to stress. But the moment we walked out of the terminal, the Wiber shuttle was already there waiting for us.
Their service was flawless. We got exactly the car we booked online a brand new, beautifully clean Mercedes T-Class. It was roomy, comfortable, and fit our golf bags perfectly. In the end, this car didn't just move us from A to B; it gave us the comfort, freedom, and peace of mind you desperately need when traveling beyond 50!
Because we want you all to have the same stress free experience, here are our 10 Rental Car Survival Tips (plus one hilarious near disaster from Steinn) to save your next vacation:
The "Beyond 50" Car Rental Survival Guide
Tip #1: Double check shuttle hours. Always make sure the rental company's pickup window actually matches your late night landing time.
Tip #2: Take a screenshot. Always take a photo of the actual online listing before you click "book." It serves as your receipt of exactly what you paid for if things go wrong at the desk.
Tip #3: Double check your fuel type! This is where Steinn almost ruined the trip. He actually grabbed the petrol nozzle for our diesel Mercedes and was seconds away from making a €600 mistake!
Tip #4: Photograph the fuel cap. Take a picture of the fuel cap label the second you pick up the car so you can check your phone at the gas station. The incredibly helpful woman at the Wiber desk told us that putting in the wrong fuel happens all the time!
Tip #5: Test the AC before you leave the lot. Never just assume it works. It was 35 degrees every single day in Spain, and the air conditioning in our Wiber car was pure heaven.
Tip #6: Choose a car that sits higher. Renting an SUV or a taller vehicle (like our Mercedes T-Class) gives you much better visibility on unfamiliar foreign roads. Plus, it's just so much easier on our 50+ bodies to slide into!
Tip #7: Book early. Prices skyrocket the closer you get to your departure date.
Tip #8: Bring your own tech. Pack a cheap phone holder and a car charger in your luggage. Never pay the daily upcharge for a rental GPS!
Tip #9: Do a photo walk around. Take clear photos of the car from all angles before you ever put it in drive to protect yourself from damage claims.
Tip #10: Refuel it yourself. Skip the overpriced prepay fuel options and just fill the tank on your way back to the airport.
Bonus Tip:Be nice at the desk! A warm smile and a polite attitude go a long way, and you never know when it might magically turn into a free upgrade! 😉
Why We Specifically Recommend Wiber
If you are a planner, here is exactly why we use them for our Spanish golf trips:
The Wiber ExperienceWhy it Matters for U
Locations Alicante, Malaga, Valencia, Sevilla, Mallorca, Ibiza. Covers almost all the major Spanish golf destinations we travel to!
Insurance "All Inclusive" Top Cover. No massive credit card deposit blocks and zero excess fees. Absolute peace of mind.
The Fleet What you see is what you get. We actually got the exact Mercedes we booked, which is incredibly rare in the rental industry!
Yes as you can read we absolutely loved Wiber but we also have a disaster car rental story, check that video out here:
Fun fact before we dive in: Did you know Wiber Rent a Car was actually launched in 2017? The founders saw how frustrated tourists were with the sketchy car rental market in Spain, and they wanted to build a company that guaranteed absolute transparency with zero hidden fees. Let us tell you, you can completely feel that difference!
The Ultimate Malaga to Cadiz Golf Road Trip: Our Summer Spain Itinerary!
Hello friends! We have some incredibly exciting news to share, and honestly, we might be a little bit crazy.
We have officially finalized our big summer filming trip for July! We are packin' up our bags, flying into Malaga, and taking a beautiful, sun drenched road trip all the way down to the historic city of Cadiz.
Now, if you’ve been following our channel, you know we love golf, we love sunshine, and we love enjoying this beautiful life together. But looking at our spreadsheet, we realized we scheduled so many rounds that we might not have a single day off from golfing!
Will our 50+ bodies survive playing 18 holes every day in the magnificent Spanish summer heat? Only time will tell, but we are going to have a whole lot of fun trying!
If you are planning your own dream golf vacation to Southern Spain, we wanted to share our exact course lineup to give you some inspiration for your own travel list.
The "Costa del Golf" Lineup: Courses We Are Tackling
We aren't just playing one style of golf on this trip. We have picked a brilliant mix of prestigious championship designs, dramatic coastal links, and beautiful mountain layouts. Here are the magnificent courses you will find us swinging at this July:
Finca Cortesin: This is a major bucket list moment for us! It recently hosted the Solheim Cup and is an absolute masterpiece of a golf resort. Expect us to be on our absolute best behavior here (or at least trying our hardest to look like pros on these immaculate fairways!).
Check out the course:Finca Cortesin Website
La Hacienda (Heathland & Links): We are incredibly excited because we are playing both layouts here! The Heathland offers wide, rolling valley vistas, while the Links course gives us those dramatic ocean views facing Gibraltar and Africa. Word on the street is they have an amazing halfway house, so we are definitely planning to film a little culinary review there too! 🥞🍹
Check out the course:La Hacienda Website
Torrequebrada Golf: Right in the heart of the Costa del Sol, this parkland beauty is famous for its lush tropical lakes and stunning Mediterranean views. It is an absolute classic and a brilliant test of golf.
Check out the course:Torrequebrada Website
Barceló Montecastillo Golf: Designed by the great Jack Nicklaus, this championship layout hosted the Volvo Masters for five straight years. It’s a big, bold layout that will really show us what our games are made of.
Check out the course:Montecastillo Website
Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club: Designed by José María Olazábal, this 27-hole facility is right by the ocean. We are counting on those cooling Atlantic breezes to keep us happy and comfortable in the warm July sun!
Check out the course:Costa Ballena Website
El Paraíso Golf Club: Designed by Gary Player, this course is legendary for its incredibly warm, welcoming club atmosphere. It sits peacefully in a walkable valley, and we cannot wait to stroll the fairways together here.
Check out the course:El Paraíso Website
Sherry Golf: Located in Jerez (the world capital of Sherry wine!), this is a beautifully designed, wide-open course that is highly regarded as a fair but thrilling experience for players of all levels.
Check out the course:Sherry Golf Website
Alhaurín Golf: Designed by the legendary Seve Ballesteros, this is a spectacular mountain course. The elevation changes are wild, the views of the Mijas mountains are breathtaking, and yes... Steinn will definitely be stocking up on extra golf balls before we tee it up here!
Check out the course:Alhaurín Website
Our Handy Trip Overview (Perfect for Planning!)
If you are trying to map out a similar route from Malaga to Cadiz, here is how the geography breaks down so you can group your tee times efficiently:
RegionFeatured Golf CoursesBest Travel Vibe
Malaga / MijasTorrequebrada, AlhaurínLively coastal towns, dramatic mountain vistas, easy airport access.
Estepona / CasaresEl Paraíso, Finca Cortesin, La HaciendaHigh-end luxury resorts, breathtaking views of Gibraltar and Africa.
Jerez / CadizMontecastillo, Sherry Golf, Costa BallenaRich Spanish history, incredible wine culture, and refreshing Atlantic ocean breezes.
We Need Your Help! (The Open Days Dilemma)
Here is the twist: we still have 2, maybe 3 days completely open on our schedule.
If we fill them with more golf courses, it means zero rest days. Hildur thinks we should take a day to relax on the historic beaches of Cadiz (which is over 3,000 years old!). Steinn is secretly looking at more tee times.
What do you think we should do? If you know a hidden tapas joint, a beautiful white village we must see along the drive, or a hidden gem golf course we somehow missed, please let us know!
Drop a comment down below, or shoot us a direct email at wanttotravelaroundtheworld73@gmail.com. We build these trips with you guys, and we genuinely love hearing your ideas.
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel so you can join us for every laugh, every beautiful view, and all the joyful moments this summer in Spain!
Midnight Golf in Iceland: Teeing Off at 10:00 PM at Keilir Golf Club
What a beauty. The clock reads exactly 21:35 (9:35 PM), the evening skies are perfectly clear, and instead of getting ready for bed... we are heading to the first tee!
We will tee of at 22:00 (10:00 PM)
Hello friends! You guys have been asking us to show you our home course for a long time, so we decided to do something truly special. Tonight, we are taking you with us to play Keilir Golf Club, and we are doing it right through the middle of the night.
This is one of the only places on earth where you can tee off late in the evening and play 18 holes completely bathed in sunshine.
Watch the full midnight adventure and see if we can still make pars at 1:00 AM:
How Does Midnight Golf Actually Work? (The 2 AM Logistics)
If you are planning a golf trip to Iceland, playing under the midnight sun is the absolute ultimate bucket list experience. But how does it actually work? Can you really see your golf ball in the middle of the night?
Yes! Because Iceland is located so far north, the peak summer months give us nearly 24 hours of continuous daylight. The sun barely dips below the horizon before it starts coming right back up. You never lose sight of the ball!
Here is the exact timeline of our late-night round:
The Midnight Golf TimelineThe RealityOur Tee Time21:35 (9:35 PM)Sunset12:05 AM (5 minutes past midnight)Sunrise2:55 AMExpected Finish TimeAround 2:00 AM!
Exploring Our Home Course: Keilir Golf Club
We are so incredibly proud to call Keilir Golf Club our home. It offers a massive, beautiful contrast in the landscape that you simply cannot find anywhere else.
www.keilir.is
The front nine is a true Icelandic adventure it weaves its way directly through a rugged, ancient lava field, demanding absolute precision off the tee. Then, as you make the turn to the back nine, the course opens up onto a beautiful green peninsula with spectacular views of the ocean.
Standing on the green around midnight, watching the sun touch the horizon and paint the sky in breathtaking colors, is a feeling we cannot even fully describe. It is pure, joyful magic.
Hopefully, the midnight sun brings us some good luck and great golf shots tonight!
Is playing a round of midnight golf on your travel bucket list? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to subscribe to our channel as we continue sharing our beautiful side of Icelandic golf!
How does this enhanced emotional hook and layout feel for the blog's pacing?
Shot Scope L5 Rangefinder Review: The €249 Laser That Beats the Big Brands
Let’s be completely honest: Steinn and I have owned the same old rangefinder for way too many years. In fact, I joked on the course the other day that I should probably just drive it to the post office and mail it to a museum!
If you are a golfer over 50, you already know the struggle. You want a clear, accurate laser, but dropping €450 or €500 on a big-name brand just feels ridiculous. We refused to pay that much.
But then, we found the Shot Scope L5 for only €249. We jumped on it, took it straight out for a test round at Oddur (one of the top five golf courses in Iceland), and spoiler alert: it is absolutely brilliant.
Tired of guessing your yardages? Click here to grab the Shot Scope L5 with our exclusive 15% discount!
https://shotscope.com/?rfsn=9077641.9b2541&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=9077641.9b2541
USE THE COUPON CODE
BEYONDGOLF
Why This is the Ultimate Rangefinder for Golfers Over 50
We weren’t sure if a €249 rangefinder could actually perform, but after putting it to the test on the course, it completely blew us away. Here is why this specific laser solves the biggest frustrations we face on the golf course:
No More Squinting (The Red OLED Screen): Older rangefinders use dark, black LCD screens that are incredibly hard to read, especially on cloudy days or with aging eyes. The L5 uses a glowing, ultra-clear Red OLED display. The numbers practically jump out at you, making it effortlessly easy to read.
Target-Lock for Unsteady Hands: Do you ever struggle to hold the laser steady and wonder if you just measured the flag or the trees behind the green? The L5 has Rapid-Fire technology and a built-in vibration motor. The second it locks onto the flag, it gives your hand a reassuring little "jolt." You know exactly what you are hitting.
It Does the Math For You (Adaptive Slope): Hitting up a steep hill? The L5 calculates the exact "plays-like" distance. And if you are playing in a club tournament, you just slide the physical switch on the side to turn the slope off, making it 100% legal for competition.
The Built-In Cart Magnet: We hate digging through our golf bags before every shot. The L5 features an ultra-strong industrial magnet built right into the casing. You just slap it onto the frame of your buggy and it stays put all day.
The Tech Specs (For the Gear Lovers)
Here is a quick look at why the L5 punches so far above its price tag:
FeatureThe L5 Specification Why It Matters For Your Game
Optics Ultra-Clear Red OLED Instantly readable in low light, bright sun, or overcast skies.
Magnification 7x Zoom Brings the flag much closer than standard budget lasers.
Speed & Accuracy < 0.5 Seconds (1 Yard Accuracy)Keeps the pace of play fast. Point, feel the vibration, and swing
Value Bonus Free GPS Maps IncludedBuying the L5 unlocks free access to Shot Scope's aerial GPS app!
The Brutal Truth: Pros & Cons
What We Love:
Unbeatable value. You are getting premium, €400+ features for only €249.
The Red OLED screen is a total game-changer for our eyes.
It comes ready to play right out of the box with a premium hard-shell case and battery included.
What You Should Know:
It does not have GPS yardages built directly into the viewfinder (but you do get free access to their fantastic phone app).
The battery door can be slightly tricky to open with just your fingers, but a golf tee pops it open easily!
The Final Verdict: Is It Worth Your Money?
Absolutely, yes. If you are still using a 5 year old rangefinder, the technology has officially passed you by. The Shot Scope L5 is fast, it is incredibly accurate, and the crystal-clear screen makes the game so much more enjoyable.
We are going to keep testing it on our European tour this summer, but right now, it has earned a permanent, everyday spot in our golf bags. Stop overpaying for big brands, and stop guessing your yardages!
Upgrade your game today: Click here to buy the Shot Scope L5 and get 15% off at checkout!
https://shotscope.com/?rfsn=9077641.9b2541&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=9077641.9b2541
USE THE COUPON CODE
BEYONDGOLF
Do you use a laser rangefinder or a GPS watch? Let us know in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to our channel as we continue filming the best golf courses across Iceland and Europe this summer!
Polo Shirts, Midnight Sun, and Iceland's Hidden Golf Gems!
Hello friends! Steinn and Hildur here. We just had the most amazingly beautiful weather this weekend, and we finally got to play our first round of the year in just our polo shirts! Yes, you read that right, polo shirts in Iceland!
It officially feels like summer, and we celebrated the sunshine by playing one of our absolute favorite hidden gems: Hamarsvöllur at the Borgarnes Golf Club.
https://gbgolf.is
The Charm of Borgarnes Golf Club
Here is our honest take on Hamarsvöllur: it isn’t some fancy, high-end, five-star resort. It is a true, authentic Icelandic countryside course.
But let us tell you, it is SO much fun and we absolutely love the vibe! The fairways are welcoming, the scenery is gorgeous, and it just feels like pure, joyful golf.
If you are planning a golf trip to Iceland and driving up the stunning coastal route from Reykjavik to Akureyri, Borgarnes is the perfect place to stretch your legs. Put it on your road trip list!
The Road to Akureyri & The Legendary Arctic Open
Speaking of driving up to Akureyri, if you time your trip just right, you can experience something truly magical.
The Akureyri Golf Club is the northernmost 18-hole golf course in the world, and every year around the Summer Solstice, they host the legendary Arctic Open.
Imagine teeing off late in the evening and playing a 36-hole tournament over two nights, with the sun barely dipping below the horizon. It is a spectacular international event where you play midnight golf in a breathtaking natural setting. If you ever want an unforgettable golfing memory, playing the Arctic Open under the midnight sun is the ultimate bucket-list experience!
Arctic Open+ 1
Our Summer Filming Adventure
This beautiful polo-shirt weekend officially kicks off our summer filming schedule for the Beyond 50 YouTube channel! We will be spending the entire summer capturing rounds across Europe and right here at home in Iceland.
Our mission? We want to film at least the top 5 golf courses in Iceland, capture the incredible experience of playing golf in the midnight sun, and show you our genuine, beautiful side of Icelandic golf. No fluff, no ego, just two golfers over 50 having the time of their lives.
The Top 5 Icelandic Golf Courses You Must See
As we gear up for our summer tour, here are five spectacular Icelandic golf courses that every traveling golfer should look into (and that we plan to showcase!):
Keilir Golf Club: Our home golf club in Iceland. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Reykjavik, this course is famous for its massive contrast. The front nine weaves through a rugged lava field, while the back nine plays on a beautiful peninsula with spectacular glacier views.
Keilir Golf Club
Brautarholt Golf Club: Situated roughly 30 minutes from Reykjavik, this breathtaking course lies by the sea, winding through lava fields and along dramatic cliffs overlooking the ocean. It is one of the most visually impressive layouts in the country.
Vestmannaeyjar Golf Club (Westman Islands): One of the oldest clubs in Iceland, established in 1938. You actually play the front nine inside an old volcanic crater, while the back nine stretches out by the Atlantic Ocean.
Oddur Golf Club (Urriðavöllur): A stunning heathland course located in Garðabær. It is flanked by lava from a dormant volcano and offers a thrilling experience surrounded by nesting moor birds.
Akureyri Golf Club (Jaðarsvöllur): Home to the famous Arctic Open! This is the most northerly 18-hole golf course in the world, offering a unique championship layout right near the "capital of the north".
www.gagolf.is
Here is link to the Arctic open
www.arcticopen.is
Get ready for some amazing views, a lot of laughs, and probably a few lost balls. We can't wait to share this adventure with you all!
The Alto Golf Club (Almenara)
Sotogrande's Highest Ridge & Best Value Round
If you are planning a golf holiday in Andalusia, Spain, the name "Sotogrande" instantly brings up visions of world class, premium golf. But navigating the options along the Costa del Sol can be tricky. What if we told you there is a championship course sitting on the very highest ridge of Sotogrande Alto, offering views of two continents, designed by legends, and delivering incredible value?
Welcome to The Alto Golf Club (formerly Almenara Golf).
Before we tell you how many balls we sacrificed to the Spanish lakes (a slatta of them, as we say in Iceland!), here is the immediate, brutal truth and logistics you need to plan your trip:
The Brutal Logistics: What You Actually Need to Know
The Green Fees: Around €128, and yes, that includes a GPS buggy. In the exclusive Sotogrande region, this is an absolute steal.
The Location: Sitting high above the coast, the clubhouse is attached directly to the magnificent 5-star SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort. You can literally walk from your luxury room to the first tee.
The Practice Trap: Pay attention to this! The driving range is not next to the clubhouse. You need to take a buggy to get there (5 minutes each way). Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your tee time!
We are Steinn and Hildur. We aren't pros; we just believe golf is the greatest couples sport on earth. Watch our full course review to see the views of Africa, watch Hildur outdrive me, and see us tackle Hole 13!
Click here to subscribe to our Beyond 50 YouTube Channel!
Here is our So Sotogrande resort review:
3 Reasons The Alto Club is Pure Joy to Play
In 2021, Spanish Ryder Cup legend Manuel Piñero stepped in with one mission for this course: make it friendly. He widened the fairways, softened the bunkers, and created a joyride of a layout. Here is why we loved it:
1. Pick Your Beast: The Animal Tees When we got to the first tee box, we saw something we had never seen before. The tees aren't colors; they are animals!
The Goat (G.O.A.T): For handicaps 4 or under.
The Bull: For handicaps 18 or under.
The Vulture: For handicaps 26 or under.
The Deer: For handicaps 36 or under. It is a brilliant touch that sets a joyful mood. Naturally, Hildur immediately reminded me: "I outdrive you." (And she wasn't wrong).
2. "Dead" Water and Free Bananas The hospitality here is uniquely brilliant. At the first tee, they hand you free canned water. (Though we had a long debate about how drinking still water out of a can feels like the water isn't quite "alive!"). But the absolute highlight? A course marshall driving over the hill on the back nine to hand out a basket of ice cold bananas.
3. The Drama of Hole 13 This is a short Par 5 (422 meters from the Bull tee), but water hugs the entire right side of the fairway and wraps right around the green. If you lay up, you walk off with a smart Par. If you go for it in two, you will either make the eagle of your life, or you will be reloading from the drop zone.
The Final Verdict: Our Ode to Alto
Standing on the back nine, looking at the rock of Gibraltar in one direction and the coast of Morocco in the other, you realize how special this place is. To sum it up, we actually wrote a little poem during our round:
Up on the ridge of Sotogrande
Higher than the eagles fly
Gibraltar Rock down on your right
Morocco waiting in the skyAlto, Alto, way up high
Where two countries meet the sky
Goat, Bull, Vulture, Deer
Alto, Alto, we're up hereDave Thomas built it back in '98
Piñero rebuilt it, did it great
Los Lagos front, Los Pinos back
Every fairway is a fresh attackHole thirteen, the talk of town
Short par five, water all the way down
Go for it if you've got the heart
Or play it safe, that's also smartOne twenty eight and the buggy too
Bananas and cold water for you
Five star hotel a step away
Alto, Alto, what a day
If you are planning a golf trip to Spain in 2026, put The Alto Club on the list. It is fair, it is fun, and it reminds you why you fell in love with golf in the first place. You don't stop having fun because you get old; you get old because you stop having fun!
Have you played the Alto Club or stayed at SO/ Sotogrande? Let us know which animal tee you picked in the comments below! ***
Lo Romero Golf
The Ultimate Costa Blanca Course Guide & Honest Review
If you are planning a golf holiday in Spain, navigating the endless options across the Costa Blanca, Alicante, and Murcia regions can be overwhelming. Let us save you some time. Located perfectly in Pilar de la Horadada just a short drive from Torrevieja and the Mar Menor sits what might be the most complete, perfectly maintained golf course we have ever played:
Lo Romero Golf.
Before we tell you exactly how many golf balls we lost in the water, here is the immediate, honest value you need for your trip planning:
The Location: Pilar de la Horadada (Perfectly situated on the border of Alicante and Murcia, offering 300+ days of sunshine).
The Layout: Par 72, 6,237 meters from the back tees. 13 holes feature water, and there are 56 strategically placed bunkers.
The Facilities: Elite. A massive, fast-rolling chipping and putting area, GPS-equipped buggies, and free ice-cold water.
The Vibe: Premium but incredibly welcoming. It tests your strategy without ruining your vacation.
We are Steinn and Hildur. We believe that golf is the absolute best couples sport in the world, and we travel the globe looking for real, honest golf experiences.
Watch our full course review to see why this layout changed everything for us:
3 Reasons Lo Romero is an Absolute Must-Play
We have played dozens of courses across Europe, and Lo Romero instantly stood out. It doesn't just play well; it has true presence.
There is something special about it.
1. The Warm-Up & The Welcome From the moment we stepped out of the car, the welcome was personal. We were greeted by a starter who felt more like a friendly golf coach than an employee. Many resorts treat their practice areas as an afterthought, but the warm up zone here is elite. The practice greens perfectly match the speed of the actual course. As we always say: warm up well, score well!
2. The Service is Unforgettable Here is a true story: I actually managed to lose a house key somewhere on the course during our round. Incredibly, the staff found it and had it waiting for us the very next day. That is not just customer service; that is a team that genuinely pays attention and cares about their guests.
3. The Scent of the Fairways The course was actually built on a former apple and pear orchard, sitting 130 meters above sea level with stunning views of the Mediterranean. The name "Lo Romero" translates to "The Rosemary." The fairways are beautifully framed by Mediterranean pines and wild rosemary bushes. But do not let the sweet aroma fool you! The course rewards focus. It is tough where it should be, and fair where it counts. (I can personally confirm the sand in their bunkers is excellent, as I visited quite a few of them).
Master the Course: Our Complete Hole by Hole Drone Guide
We loved the layout so much that we mapped the entire course for you! We created a complete playlist of 24 videos featuring 4K drone flyovers and playing strategies for every single hole. We show you exactly where the hidden ravines are, where to aim, and how to protect your scorecard.
Click for the ulitmate Lo Romero playlist.
Surviving Hole 18: The Famous Golf Island
They call this course the "Golf Island of Levante," and when you step onto the 18th tee box, you understand exactly why. The final green is a perfect circle, completely surrounded by water, accessed only by a narrow wooden footbridge.
It is a brilliant, dramatic finish designed to test your nerves at the absolute last second. My personal strategy for this hole? Hit the first ball left, the second ball right, the third ball straight into the water, and finally put the eighth ball beautifully onto the green! Everyone is happy!
If you are golfing in Spain, Lo Romero is not just a round of golf; it is a once in a lifetime experience. The greens are immaculate, the staff treats you like family, and it will make you fall in love with the game all over again.
Here is link to Lo Romero
www.loromerogolf.com
Have you survived the Island Green? Let us know in the comments below!
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
The Honest Guide to Surviving Spain's Quietest Masterpiece
If you are planning a golf holiday in the Alicante or Torrevieja area, you are going to hear one name constantly:
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club.
We are Steinn and Hildur.
In our mission to discover the world together, we recently tackled this famous Costa Blanca layout. We firmly believe that you do not stop having fun because you get old - You get old because you stop having fun. And playing this gorgeous championship course is the definition of fun, even if it occasionally makes you question why you ever took up this sport!
We captured the exact moment this course broke our hearts, and why we loved every single second of it.
Watch our full visual breakdown and see the "Hell Hill" in action right here:
The Brutal Logistics: What You Actually Need to Know
If you are spending your travel money on a premium course, you need the hard facts before you book.
Here is the reality of playing Las Colinas:
The Green Fees: Expect to pay between €70 to €140 depending on the season. Tee times fill up incredibly fast in the spring and autumn, so book early.
The Buggy Situation: A buggy will cost you around €48. Do you need it? Yes. Especially in the summer heat.
The Best Time to Play: Morning rounds are the absolute best choice here. You beat the intense Spanish heat, and the pace of play is significantly better.
The Warm-Up: Do not skip the practice area. They have a brilliant Toptracer range, and a massive 5,000-square-meter short game lab designed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
3 Reasons Las Colinas Will Drive You Crazy (In a Good Way)
Driving into the resort feels different. You pass through a canyon "sound airlock," leaving the noise of the Orihuela Costa behind. It is just birds, the breeze, and pure golfing heaven. But do not let the silence fool you. This course is built to test your psychology, not just your swing.
The "Ghost Bunker" (Hole 3): You will hit what looks like a majestic, powerful tee shot down a wide, forgiving fairway. Then, you will walk up and realize your ball has completely vanished into a trap you couldn't see from the tee. If you just pull out your driver on every hole, Las Colinas will punish you.
The "Hell Hill" (Hole 5): You will hit a beautiful approach, land pin-high, and smile. Then, you will watch a hidden back slope slide your ball right off the green. (I won't tell you how many words I muttered under my breath here you will have to watch the video for that!).
The 19th Hole: After a round of psychological warfare, the clubhouse is a sanctuary. Great coffee, an excellent bar, and absolutely spotless facilities. It is a premium, upper level experience, but with zero snobbery. The staff is fantastic and they genuinely just get it.
The Final Verdict
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Out of the 50+ courses we have played across Europe, Las Colinas easily sits in our top five. It quietly tests your decision making, rewards smart play, and gives you a world class experience from the moment you drive through the gates.
Got a course in Spain we have to try next? Let us know in the comments below. Fairways and greens, and please... stay out of the Ghost Bunker!
Here is the official Las Colinas web
Chasing the Icelandic Midnight Sun
Rusty Swings and Spring Golf at Keilir Golf Club
The long, dark Icelandic winter has finally packed its bags, which means only one thing for us. It is officially golf season!
The weather here in Hafnarfjörður has been absolutely spectacular lately. The days are stretching out beautifully, and the famous Icelandic light is back. Last night, we were still putting on the 18th green at 22:30, completely bathed in the evening sun. There is truly nothing in the world quite like it. If the weather allows it, we are out here at least five days a week chasing that feeling.
We are incredibly lucky to call Keilir Golf Club our home course. It is widely ranked as the number one golf course in Iceland, and for good reason. Now, coming out of a freezing winter, you have to manage your expectations. Are the greens rolling like glass? Not quite yet. They are a little rough and bumpy. But considering the snow melted just a few days ago, the greenkeepers have performed an absolute miracle. The course is in fantastic shape for this time of year, and we are just so deeply grateful to be back out on our home turf.
Let us be brutally honest about our actual game right now, though. We are rusty! My golf swing currently looks a lot like the Icelandic winter unpredictable and mostly happening in the dark. But we are laughing through every single bad shot and lost ball.
Hildur, on the other hand, is completely unstoppable. She has so much joyful energy right now that if she could physically play 36 holes every single day, she would do it without hesitation. I am just trying to keep up!
3 Honest Tips for Spring Golf in Iceland
If you are planning an early season golf trip to the Reykjavik area, you need to prepare for the elements. Here is how you actually survive and have fun on the course right now:
The Michelin Man Rule: The evening sun is warm on your face, but the ocean breeze is cold. You need layers, but you also need to turn your shoulders! Pack thin, high quality thermal layers in your bag instead of heavy, bulky jackets.
The Cold Ball Reality: Cold air and cold golf balls kill your distance. Swallow your pride, take one extra club on every approach shot, and swing easy.
The Survival Thermos: The temperature drops the exact second the sun dips lower on the horizon. A thermos full of hot coffee in your golf bag is the ultimate lifesaver when you hit the 15th hole.
We firmly believe that you do not stop having fun because you get old - You get old because you stop having fun. Right now, bundling up and hitting golf balls into the freezing, beautiful Icelandic evening is our absolute favorite way to live.
See you on the fairways!
ps. Check out our YouTube channel, our travels, golf and hotel reviews.
So Sotogrande Review
A Flawless Luxury Golf Resort And The Most Expensive Sunbed In Spain
We recently stayed at a spectacular five star resort in Southern Spain where a beach cabana can actually cost more than your luxury hotel suite. We are dead serious!
Welcome to So Sotogrande on the stunning Costa del Sol. It is famous for world class golf, unbelievable design, and those wild influencer photos you see all over the internet.
In this brutally honest review, Hildur and I are going to show you what it is really like. We are just a husband and wife from Iceland in our fifties who believe you get old because you stop having fun. We had an absolutely amazing time here. In fact, this was hands down one of our favorite hotel stays in a long, long time. The service was so perfect it almost brought tears to our eyes. But there is a massive twist! This luxury resort is not even on the beach. Let us get right into the real cost of that cabana and why this place is still absolute perfection.
Arriving In Pure Heaven
We arrived at this gorgeous new hotel and were immediately whisked away to our room in a golf buggy. As a guy who loves his golf, a buggy ride is the quickest way to win me over! Walking into our suite, we both just looked at each other and realized we were in pure heaven. It was exceptionally clean, beautifully spacious, and felt incredibly luxurious without trying too hard.
I usually walk into a room with the confidence of a guy who can fix absolutely anything, but there was nothing to fix here! The beautiful closet, the gorgeous bathtub, and the massive living room made us instantly feel right at home. We were completely in love with this space. The room service was top notch, quick, joyful, and polite. It is exactly what you hope for when you spend your Good Money on a premium vacation.
The Greatest Breakfast And One Of A Kind Service
I am a morning person who loves to get up early, sweat, and start the day with maximum energy. Therefore, I take my morning coffee and breakfast extremely seriously. The breakfast at So Sotogrande was easily one of the greatest highlights of our entire trip. The menu selection was incredible, and everything was so fresh and beautifully presented.
But we need to talk about the service, because it was truly one of a kind. There was one specific server whose name I wish I could remember, but her kindness will stick with us forever. She was easily one of the best servers we have ever had in our entire lives. She was genuinely warm, deeply professional, and treated us like absolute royalty. That level of caring, perfect hospitality changes a good hotel stay into an unforgettable one. We are so incredibly thankful for her.
The culinary perfection did not stop at breakfast. We treated ourselves to dinner at their steakhouse, and the Tomahawk steak was phenomenal. It was perfectly cooked, bursting with flavor, and just incredibly fun to eat! The whole dining experience at So Sotogrande felt so perfectly curated and joyful.
A Genuine Golfer's Paradise
If you love the game as much as we do, you have officially found paradise. The resort connects directly to The Alto Club, which is a wonderfully scenic, beautifully maintained, and incredibly fun course to play. And the location is absolutely unbeatable! You are just a short drive away from the greatest golf courses in Europe, including Real Club Valderrama, Real Club de Sotogrande, and San Roque Club.
Now, here is a brutally honest tip. You definitely need to rent a car! The hotel sits in Sotogrande Alto, meaning it is up in the hills about ten minutes from the marina. Having your own car just makes life infinitely easier for exploring the area. We actually booked this incredible trip through Golfbreaks, and we want to give a massive thank you to Scott who helped us out. The price we got was really fair, and the value was spectacular.
The Beach Cabana Surprise
Here is the part that surprised us the absolute most. The hotel's beach access is not actually on site! You have to take a shuttle down to La Reserva Club, which is their private beach club featuring a gorgeous lagoon and white sand. It looks stunning. However, if you want a front row bed or a private island cabana, you are looking at paying anywhere from seven hundred to twenty seven hundred euros per day!
I was going to tell a dad joke about a twenty seven hundred euro sunbed, but I honestly could not afford the punchline! Basic access is included, but the true luxury beach experience is a whole different level of spending.
Our Joyful Verdict
Would we stay at So Sotogrande again? Absolutely, without a single moment of hesitation. We completely loved it. The room, the spectacular food, the unbelievable golf, and the caring people all came together flawlessly. It felt relaxing, incredibly stylish, and genuinely fun.
Now, I have to ask you a question. Would you pay twenty seven hundred euros for a beach cabana, or would you spend it on steak, golf, and drinks exactly like we did? Let us know in the comments!
If you found this review helpful, please subscribe for more honest travel videos, and share it with someone who is planning a trip to Spain. Thank you so much for reading, and we will see you on the next tee box!
Camiral Golf And Wellness Review The 2031 Ryder Cup Venue Is Europe's Best Resort
We first visited this majestic place back in 2021 during the strict travel times, and we have been absolutely dying to go back ever since! Well, the temptation to return just became completely irresistible because it was officially announced that Camiral Golf and Wellness, formerly known as PGA Catalunya, is hosting the 2031 Ryder Cup. After our most recent trip to the stunning Costa Brava region near Girona, we can confidently tell you that this is the absolute one of the best golf resort in Europe.
Our luxury Spain golf holiday started with a minor disaster. Our flight was delayed, and we did not arrive at the beautiful resort until eleven at night. Knowing the kitchen was completely closed, I politely emailed the hotel expecting we would just have to grab a quick snack. Instead, the incredible staff completely blew us away. We walked into our cozy room to find a magnificent, freshly prepared late night food spread waiting just for us. It was absolutely delicious by every possible standard, and it immediately made us feel like total VIPs. They went the extra mile without ever being asked, which is exactly what sets a five star hospitality experience apart.
The next morning, we tackled the world famous Stadium Course, masterfully designed by legendary architect Neil Coles. Coming from Iceland where we are used to wide open landscapes, the stunning tree lined fairways created a whole new level of beauty and challenge for us. The course conditions were simply perfect from tee to green.
However, we must give average golfers a massive warning about the putting surfaces. The most amazing part of the golf course is the greens, but they are incredibly massive and feature dramatic landscape and undulation. They are pro level and about three to four times faster than the greens we play on back home in Iceland! If you actually want to score well, you absolutely must practice your putting on the practice greens before you go out and play. You better not even step in the line, or your ball might roll forever!
Despite the lightning fast greens, we had the absolute time of our lives. My personal highlight was the stunning signature thirteenth hole, which features a terrifyingly beautiful island green. I hit a crazy drive, landed just short of the green, and actually managed to sink a magical birdie putt! And when your round is finally over, the luxury wellness and spa area is waiting. Hildur absolutely loved relaxing by the gorgeous pool with her favorite strawberry mojito while our tired golf muscles recovered.
If you are planning a Costa Brava golf trip, we highly recommend booking your stay before the massive Ryder Cup crowds start arriving. But here is our biggest piece of honest advice. Do not just come for a quick weekend! The magnificent hotel, the incredible service, and the genuinely wonderful staff are truly one of a kind. You need to stay for at least a full week to truly soak it all in. Next time we visit, we are definitely booking two full weeks because this resort is simply beyond everything!
We are two Icelanders in our fifties who love sharing honest golf reviews for real people. You do not stop having fun because you are getting old. You get old because you stop having fun! Come watch our full joyful review of Camiral right here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ2_870Bfog
And if you are ready to book the ultimate golf vacation, you can check out their official website right here.
Las Ramblas Golf Course Review
Surviving Spain's Most Beautifully Terrifying Round
Some golf courses are simply pretty. Las Ramblas Golf looks like it was aggressively carved by an artist who was going through some deeply emotional things! Welcome to one of the most terrifyingly beautiful rounds you will ever play. My amazing wife Hildur and I recently played this absolute beast of a course on the Costa Blanca, and let us tell you a secret right now. You need to bring extra golf balls. Actually, just bring all your balls. Empty out the garage, pack every single golf ball you own, and then maybe buy a few more before you tee off!
It was an early morning in mid July, and our rental car already read thirty five degrees. Most normal couples go to the beach in this intense heat. Not us! We decided to book the absolute toughest golf course in Southern Spain. If you are planning a Costa Blanca golf holiday or specifically looking for the best golf courses near Alicante, grab a cold drink and let us tell you why Las Ramblas is an absolute must play.
The Grand Clubhouse and The Best Snack Shack Ever
When you arrive at the Las Ramblas golf club, it feels incredibly grand with a proper old school vibe. The huge clubhouse is spectacular. The super friendly pro shop staff gave us big warm smiles and made us feel exactly like prestigious members instead of wandering tourists. We have to warn you though, their lovely pro shop is extremely dangerous for your wallet!
The gorgeous practice area is located perfectly right next to the clubhouse, so we rolled a few putts and hit some wedges, completely oblivious to the beautiful madness waiting for us out there. But our absolute favorite detail was the incredibly cool little food shack sitting perfectly between the first and tenth tee boxes. It smelled way too good for that time of day! Grabbing a quick delicious bite there is the absolute perfect way to fuel up for the crazy elevation changes ahead.
An Artist of Pain and Airspace
Our round started on hole ten, and five minutes on that tee box made us realize this was not a relaxed holiday stroll. The tenth hole is so incredibly narrow it literally feels like you are aiming your tee shot down a tiny hallway. One bad swing and your ball is permanently living down in a deep ravine.
And then you tee off on the magnificent fourth hole, which features a massive gorgeous gorge! You quickly realize the famous course designer, Pepe Gancedo, was an artist of pain and beauty with a very dark sense of humor. You are not just playing fairways here; you are literally playing airspace. The greens are lightning fast and incredibly tricky. Think of putting on a marble floor with a side of strong crosswind. It rolls forever, just like Hildur's patience with my wild golf swings!
Green Fees and Hollywood Action
If you are putting together your Spain golf trip itinerary, here is the essential information you need. We highly recommend booking a buggy because you will easily burn over two thousand calories walking those steep ravines unless you are Liam Neeson. We are completely serious, they literally filmed an intense action scene for the blockbuster movie Taken 3 right here on this dramatic layout!
Las Ramblas Golf StatsOur Honest RealityLocationDehesa de Campoamor, AlicanteDesignerPepe GancedoGreen FeesAround €119 (Look for Twilight rates)Buggy Cost€38 (Absolutely mandatory for survival)Course VibeCanyons, pine trees, and lost golf balls
Export to Sheets
Our biggest piece of honest advice for average golfers playing this incredibly technical layout is to put the driver away. Hitting a straight shot one hundred eighty meters is infinitely better than bombing it two hundred twenty meters directly into a canyon.
Location Dehesa de Campoamor, Alicante
Designer Pepe Gancedo
Green Fees Around €119 (Look for Twilight rates)
Buggy Cost €38 (Absolutely mandatory for survival)
Course Vibe Canyons, pine trees, and lost golf balls
The Final Verdict
There were so many moments where we simply stopped caring about our terrible score and just looked around at the breathtaking scenery. Las Ramblas is not just a golf course; it is an incredible experience that you truly earn. We are not professional golfers. We are simply a husband and wife in our fifties falling completely in love with the great game of golf. You do not stop having fun because you are getting old. You get old because you stop having fun!
If you are curious about other epic golf adventures for average people, come watch our full hilarious review of Las Ramblas right here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM1thiFmjlw
And if you are brave enough to pack all your golf balls and book a tee time yourself, you can visit their official website right here.
The 5 Best Golf Courses We Played in Spain (2025) An Honest Guide
Top 5 Golf Courses We Played In 2025
Welcome! We are so incredibly thankful for the unforgettable golf adventures 2025 has brought us. If you’re planning a Spain golf trip and wondering which courses are actually worth your hard earned time and green fees, you’re in the right place.
We’re an Icelandic husband and wife duo in our 50s, and after playing dozens of rounds across Europe, we’ve narrowed down our absolute favorites from 2025. We aren't scratch pros, and our outfits aren't always perfectly coordinated. We just love travel, honest reviews, and making the most of life because you don't stop having fun when you get old; you get old when you stop having fun!
Here are the top five best golf courses in Spain that gave us everything from jaw dropping views to a beautiful kind of suffering.
5. Las Ramblas: The Most Dramatic
Some golf courses are simply pretty; Las Ramblas looks like it was designed by an artist going through deep emotional turmoil. It is stunning, dramatic, and slightly unhinged.
The Vibe: Deep ravines, bold carries, and massive elevation changes.
The Reality: This is a proper test that shows absolutely zero concern for your scorecard. Bring extra balls and prepare to enter a small grief process after the front nine!
https://lasramblasgolf.com/en/
4. San Roque Old Course: The Most Classy
This course doesn't try too hard to impress you, it just has the calm confidence of someone wearing a perfectly tailored navy blazer.
The Vibe: Grown up, championship golf with a quiet, refined swagger.
The Reality: The service is impeccable down to the quality reusable water bottles they hand you at the start. It’s the kind of place where you automatically behave a little better (at least until the golf actually starts).
https://sanroqueclub.com
3. Lo Romero: The Best Surprise
Lo Romero might not be the most famous name on a typical Spanish golf holiday itinerary, but it gave us the biggest smiles of the trip.
The Vibe: Welcoming, unpretentious, with a brilliant pace of play.
The Reality: The staff is incredibly kind and alert (they even found and saved my lost house key!). The unforgettable 18th hole island green will make you feel brave, foolish, nervous, and hopeful all at once.
https://loromerogolf.com/en/
2. Las Colinas: The Most Exclusive
From the moment you drive through the gates, Las Colinas feels like a private club that you are exceptionally lucky to be allowed into.
The Vibe: Premium, luxurious, yet wonderfully inviting.
The Reality: It’s a beautifully maintained, smart layout that quietly punishes lazy decisions. You need a strategy here, which is slightly awkward when you occasionally arrive on the tee box with pure enthusiasm instead of an actual plan.
https://lascolinasgolf.com
1. La Hacienda Links: The Best Overall
Most golf resorts do one or two things well. La Hacienda does everything brilliantly.
The Vibe: The complete, unforgettable golf destination experience.
The Reality: Flawless greens, a brilliant layout, and absolutely absurd views of Gibraltar. We also have to mention the halfway house it is a spectacularly beautiful spot for a mid-round drink. It’s the closest thing to a perfect golf day we found all year. https://lahaciendagolf.com/en/golf/links-course/
Ready to tee off? Spain is an unbelievable golf destination because you don't just get great courses; you get entirely different moods, personalities, and ways to suffer beautifully. We are so grateful for these experiences and can't wait to share more of our journey.
If you enjoy honest, peer-to-peer golf reviews from real people, come join the fun! Watch the full video of our Spanish golf adventure right here: Top 5 Golf Courses in Spain 2025.
Here is a link to the full video, Our Top 5 Golf Courses We Played In Spain In 2025:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7r0PFs_xzU&t=78s
Our First Cruise Ever!
The Cruise of our life, we loved it!
The Celebrity Edge.
An Honest Celebrity Edge Review from Two Icelanders
We expected our very first cruise vacation to be exclusively about the massive ship. We were entirely wrong. For eleven glorious days, my beautiful wife Hildur and I lived on the Celebrity Edge. It is basically a five star luxury resort floating on the water, and spoiler alert, it was the absolute best trip of our lives! We are so incredibly thankful for this experience. If you are a first time cruiser over fifty wondering what a luxury cruise is actually like, grab a cup of coffee. Here is our completely fluff free, brutally honest Celebrity Edge review.
We highly recommend the Celebrity Cruises.
Let us start with the biggest surprise, which was the incredible crew. By day two, they literally knew our names. I am fully convinced the staff on Celebrity Cruises undergo rigorous Jedi training. I would simply stand there thinking about ordering a Pina Colada for Hildur, and suddenly a smiling bartender would hand me one. I am not saying they can read minds, but I am also definitely not saying they cannot! Cruising is like stepping into a joyful parallel universe where everyone is just happy. Strangers become instant friends, and somehow, we found ourselves right in the middle of a midnight group karaoke session.
We originally planned to maintain our normal healthy diet on this trip. That plan sank immediately. Casual snacks turned into four course meals, and dinner felt like a massive holiday feast every single night. I ate a steak so ridiculously good that it ruined all other steaks for me forever. I might actually need professional therapy to cope with how amazing the cruise food was. Then came my ultimate rookie cruising mistake. Room service is included, so I ordered a nice breakfast to the room for me, Hildur, and my stomach. I forgot everything on a cruise ship is oversized. What showed up was enough food to feed a small army. Pro tip for new cruisers: just because the amazing food is included does not mean you have to order the entire menu!
The biggest myth about taking a cruise vacation is that you will eventually get bored. That is absolutely false. The Celebrity Edge is a luxury resort and a foodie paradise rolled into one perfect package. There was always something happening twenty four hours a day. One evening, I walked into the spectacular Broadway theater and saw a guy literally flying through the air. I had absolutely no idea what was happening, but I loved every second of it.
Even though I look like a professional athlete, I am a massive fifty plus tech nerd at heart. I took the behind the scenes ship tour, and if you love seeing how things work, you absolutely have to book it. The ship is kept insanely clean, honestly cleaner than a hospital. Another major packing tip for your cruise checklist: bring sunglasses! I am not a sunglasses guy, but the ocean glare is intense. I had to buy a pair on board, so definitely pack two or three pairs.
Would we book this cruise again? One hundred percent yes. We give the Celebrity Edge a perfect ten out of ten. We went in as skeptics and came out as forever cruisers. Once you go, you never go back. If you love travel, making the most of life, and having fun, come watch our full video review right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHoQ4sh4pfQ&t=61s
Here is link to the Celebrity Cruises web (not sponsored in any way):
https://www.celebritycruises.com
Playing San Roque Old Course
San Roque The Old Course - Amazing Gem you have to try
The Best Golf Value in Spain and A Reality TV Surprise
We almost missed the most historic part of our entire trip! While walking past the room right next to ours at the gorgeous San Roque hotel, we spotted a small bronze plaque on the door. It turned out the entire European and American Ryder Cup teams from nineteen ninety seven lived in these exact rooms. Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, and legendary captain Seve Ballesteros all slept behind these very doors before playing Valderrama just five minutes up the road. We were completely starstruck.
But the absolute funniest part of our stay was the other guests. The only other people in the hotel were a massive television crew filming the French version of Love is Blind! So picture this perfectly. There were incredibly gorgeous French reality television stars falling deeply and dramatically in love all over the romantic property. And then there was us. Just two deeply happy Icelanders in our fifties dragging our heavy golf clubs through the lobby trying not to ruin their romantic camera shots.
If you are planning the ultimate Southern Spain golf holiday, grab your favorite drink and let us tell you exactly why booking San Roque Old Course is the smartest decision you will make. We have played over fifty golf courses across Europe, and this is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular rounds we have ever experienced.
The Ultimate Valderrama Alternative
Let us talk about the real numbers because a luxury golf trip to Spain requires a solid budget. San Roque Old Course is a par seventy two masterpiece designed by Dave Thomas and Tony Jacklin, and it is currently ranked as the seventeenth best golf course in Spain. The green fee for two thousand twenty five is three hundred euros, and that crucially includes your buggy.
To put that incredible value into perspective, the legendary Valderrama is just five minutes up the road. A round there will cost you well over six hundred euros and the buggy is not even included! San Roque Old Course gives you a truly extraordinary championship golf day for half the price. That is literally a second round of golf or a fantastically indulgent dinner saved.
Classy Calm and Serious European Tour History
Some luxury golf resorts try extremely hard to impress you with flashy entrances and staff in matching outfits telling you how special you are. San Roque does not need to do any of that nonsense. It has the calm, quiet confidence of a person wearing a perfectly tailored navy blazer who does not need to talk too much to command the room.
The sprawling three hundred forty acre estate used to belong to the Domecq family, one of the most powerful Sherry dynasties in Spanish history. You check in for your round inside their spectacular historic summer mansion. The golf history here is equally heavy and beautiful. Seve Ballesteros personally redesigned every single bunker on the course. Furthermore, for fifteen consecutive years, this exact layout hosted the grueling European Tour qualifying school. Golf legends like Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Justin Rose literally started their professional careers fighting for their tour cards on these very fairways. You can absolutely feel that glorious, tense history on every single hole.
Unbelievable Service and Immaculate Course Conditions
From the moment you arrive, the thoughtful details elevate the entire experience. When we signed in, the excellent professional starter handed us beautiful quality water bottles. There are fresh ice water stations every three holes to keep you hydrated in the gorgeous Spanish sun. The wonderful staff even had frozen slushies waiting for us at the halfway point and fresh ice packed into our buggy cooler. I left two clubs at the pro shop to get new grips, and they were perfectly finished by the time we completed our delicious post round lunch.
Before you even reach the first tee, you will encounter the most magnificent practice putting green we have ever seen in Europe. It sits right next to the restaurant terrace, meaning you can enjoy a lovely lunch, sip a glass of Spanish wine, and putt with zero rush. The speed matches the course exactly. The actual course winds gracefully through a stunning mature cork oak forest. It is a classical parkland layout that demands immense patience. The driver is not always the answer here. The tight fairways and tricky dog legs punish aggressive players, but the patient golfer will score beautifully. The conditions are completely immaculate from the first hole all the way to the eighteenth.
Our Final Verdict on San Roque Old Course
San Roque Old Course is not flashy or trendy. It is simply classy. It is the exact kind of place where you automatically behave a little better for about twenty minutes until the golf actually starts and you inevitably revert back to your normal self! After playing dozens of courses across Europe, this was easily one of the most complete, joyful, and well run golf experiences we have ever had.
We are two Icelanders who firmly believe life should be lived to the absolute fullest. You do not stop having fun because you are getting old. You get old because you stop having fun!
If you want to see the stunning fairways, the hilarious reality television romance vibes, and our full joyful review, come watch the video right here.
Here is the full review video about the San Roque The Old Course:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgYiFbSEt90
San Roque The Old Course website:
https://sanroqueclub.com
The Scandinavian Denmarks no1 Golf Club
The Scandinavian, Denmarks number one golf club.
Unbelivable beauty
The Ultimate Review For Average Golfers
We absolutely love everything about the great game of golf. However, we definitely did not love losing nineteen golf balls in a single round! But even while we were constantly digging through the thick trees looking for our missing balls, we literally could not stop smiling. My amazing wife Hildur and I recently escaped the terrible weather in Iceland to experience The Scandinavian Golf Club. We are two regular golfers in our fifties who love sharing honest golf course reviews for average players. We just had one of the best golf days of our entire lives just forty minutes outside of Copenhagen.
If you are planning a luxury Copenhagen golf trip or looking for the absolute best golf courses in Scandinavia, grab a cup of coffee. Let us tell you exactly why The Scandinavian Golf Club is consistently ranked as Denmark's number one golf course and how you can actually survive it!
The Most Beautiful Golf Clubhouse in the World
From the very second you arrive at The Scandinavian, you feel like you are playing in a professional tour event. The stunning clubhouse was masterfully designed by Henning Larsen Architects. Local Danish golfers will proudly tell you that this is the most beautiful golf clubhouse in the world, and they are completely right. It perfectly blends gorgeous modern Scandinavian design with the surrounding pristine nature.
The world class staff greeted us with warm smiles and handed us everything we could possibly need for a spectacular round. We received beautiful custom bag tags with our names engraved on them and complimentary tees. But the absolute highlight before teeing off was the unbelievable practice area. You get unlimited Pro V1 range balls stacked perfectly into beautiful pyramids! If you want to get the most value out of your premium green fee at The Scandinavian, you absolutely must show up early to fully enjoy one of the greatest practice facilities you will ever see in your life.
Surviving The Robert Trent Jones New Course
The Scandinavian features two incredible layouts. We tackled the highly rated New Course designed by the brilliant Robert Trent Jones. This golf course is an absolute masterpiece built on old military grounds with fascinating hidden history buried deep in the beautiful forests. It is fully geo certified for sustainability and features world class drainage that can handle massive amounts of rain while remaining perfectly playable.
Let us be completely honest with you. The Robert Trent Jones New Course is spectacularly beautiful, but it does not pull any punches for average golfers. The fairways are extremely narrow, the ancient trees are literally everywhere, and the undulating greens are lightning fast. We had the genuine pleasure of being paired with a wonderful British gentleman, and we definitely owe him a massive apology for how terribly we played! Every single shot requires intense focus. I kept telling myself to swing slow and easy, but somehow we still managed to lose a grand total of nineteen golf balls. The magnificent finishing eighteenth hole features a beautiful roaring waterfall specifically designed to block out any clubhouse noises, which is incredibly clever and breathtaking.
Our Final Verdict and Honest Advice for Average Golfers
The Scandinavian Golf Club is a perfect ten out of ten and officially our favorite luxury golf vacation in Northern Europe. If we could do this entire Denmark golf trip differently, we would absolutely attend a short game bootcamp before arriving! Furthermore we highly recommend that average golfers buy nice but much cheaper golf balls for this challenging layout. We also strongly advise against hitting your driver on every single tight hole.
If you have the time and budget, you should turn this into a full four day golf heaven experience. Spend day one surviving the trees, day two learning the layout, and by day four you will finally feel confident! For us, golf is the absolute best couples sport in the world. You do not stop having fun because you are getting old. You get old because you stop having fun!
If you want to see our hilarious struggles, the stunning Henning Larsen clubhouse, and our full joyful experience, watch our complete YouTube review right here.
Here is our full review of the Scandinavian, Denmarks number 1 golf club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OnjZpT2PP4
The Scandinavian web:
https://thescandinavian.dk