Paradores de Turismo

The Course

The Parador de El Saler (Valencia) Golf course is considered by professionals, amateurs, institutions and the specialized press alike to have one of the best course layouts in the world.

Built in 1968 by the internationally recognized "architect of Spanish golf," Javier Arana, the course is located in the El Saler Nature Reserve, on the shores of the Mediterranean sea in the Autonomous Community of Valencia. This Community is a leader with respect to economic development in Spain, and considers this course a source of pride.

Images of the course >>

The course's design took into account its integration in the protected landscape (with native plants such as the famous pale stonecrop plant, locally called "cat's claw"). The course layout is varied, ranging from the beach links reminiscent of the famous Scottish golf courses, to areas of typical Mediterranean forest. The par-72 course measures 6468 m, spread out over 18 holes.

The club also offers a golf school; driving range; putting greens; 2 approach greens; a pro-shop; rental of clubs, hand carts and electric golf carts; and a restaurant and snack bar.

The Parador de El Saler (Valencia) golf course is considered one of the 60 best in the world and one of the 3 best in Europe - a view which is vouched for in testimonies from both professional and amateur players, institutions and the specialized press.

The Institutions

The European PGA has chosen the El Saler course as the site of several of its qualifying tournaments for the professional PGA European Tour, a clear recognition of the quality demanded by the highest level of professional golf.

The Parador de El Saler (Valencia) golf course successfully passed previous inspections by the PGA-USA and PGA-Europe, carried out for the pre-selection of golf courses at which to hold the prestigious Ryder Cup, which, for the first time, was held away from its traditional sites in the United States and Great Britain.

The Royal Golf Federation of Spain has, over the years, selected the El Saler course to hold tournaments for both Spanish professionals and amateurs under its auspices.

The Players

Great names in professional golf agree that the El Salercourse layout is one of the world's best. Among numerous noteworthy testimonials of this kind is the praise offered by German player Berhard Lager, who holds the record for the course with a score of 62 strokes, 10 under par.

Spanish masters Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and others also share Lager's opinion.

Great Spanish women golfers such as Marta Figueras-Dotti and Raquel Carriedo, among others, also agree with this assessment of the El Saler golf course.

At the international level, of all the great players of the last 30 years who have played at Parador de El Saler, not one has expressed dissatisfaction with this special course.

Specialized Press

Both Spanish and international specialized press share the above opinions on the course and emphasize its virtues, challenges and history, as well as the beauty of its surroundings-one of its major advantages.

Golf Magazine, the prestigious North American magazine, has chosen El Saler on many occasions as one of the World's 100 best courses in its yearly classification The 100 Greatest Courses in the World. The El Saler course reached number 60 on that list recently.

As proof of the above, we should highlight the US PGA's interest in including the Parador de El Saler golf course in its network of associated golf courses (the best courses in the world). El Saler would thus be eligible to host one of the PGA's renowned Tournaments that are held outside the US. This interest is a clear recognition of the course's excellence, its positioning and its possibilities among golfing's worldwide elite.