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!
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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! ***
