El Chaparral Golf Club

El Chaparral runs through a Canary pine forest between the coast road and the sea at Mijas Costa, about 700 metres from the beach. Pepe Gancedo, the Málaga designer known as the Picasso of golf, built it in 1991. After a change of owner he reworked every tee and green, and the course reopened in February 2006. It is a par 72 of about 6,000 metres with a layout no other course on the Costa del Sol has: six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s. The par-5 3rd, stroke index 1, with a ditch cutting across the fairway and water by the green, shows the style: position first, driver rarely. Ravines and pines punish wild shots, so it plays harder than the card suggests. In 2026 the club's standard rate is 100 euros with buggy included and twilight at 90 euros; summer drops to about 79 euros on the booking lists, and peak-season mornings add a 15 euro supplement. Leave nothing valuable in the buggy; the starter's hut has safes.

Buggy included; summer is cheaper, peak mornings add a supplement. Twilight from 14:30 is 90 to 105 euros, buggy in.

• Sunshine Golf 2026/27 rate list · 2026-08-29
• Golf Breaks in Spain 2026/27 rate list · 2026-08-29
• Forum Costa research pass, four parallel deep dives · 2026-08-29

What the internet says

On Leadingcourses it scores 8.0 from 756 reviews, among the most-reviewed courses in the area (read 2026). Golfshake users give 4.4 from 100 reviews with 85 percent ready to return, and Top100GolfCourses user reviews average about 4.0 of 5. The praise repeats three things: the variety of the six-six-six layout, the pines and sea views, and the family-run care of the course. The warnings also repeat: rounds can pass five hours when it is full, first-timers dislike the blind shots, and several visitor reviews over the years describe valuables stolen from unattended buggies during play.

The course and the greens

Local golfers know El Chaparral for its greens, and TripAdvisor visitors often call them firm, fast and true. A few players found them uneven after maintenance weeks. Most reviews say the whole course is well kept.

Arrival and the welcome

Reviewers praise the welcome from the pro shop, the clubhouse and the caddie master alike. Almost every review calls the staff friendly and helpful.

From the guides

No reviews yet. Yours can be the first.