The arrival of spring marks the start of the busy season for golf courses up and down the Spanish Costas. And it’s not only players who’ll be flying out to enjoy a few rounds – savvy house-hunters will be exploring the buying opportunities in Spain’s golf resorts too. Here’s a reminder of why a home by the fairway can make a lot of sense and where to look for one…

Pick your Costa – best of three
Home to approximately 70 golf courses, the Costa del Sol (or ‘Costa del Golf’) wins hands down in terms of choice, quality and variety of courses. It is an acclaimed golf destination not only in Spain but on an international level. Hot spots for golfers there include Nueva Andalucía near Marbella – also known as Golf Valley, which includes the Las Brisas, Aloha and Naranjos courses and numerous others nearby. Or there is the Mijas Costa area, home to the established La Cala resort and Miraflores Golf. For true world-class championship fairways, head west to the Las Lomas and Sotogrande area.

Elsewhere, the Costa Blanca has a smaller but no less appealing selection of golf options for homeowners. In Orihuela Costa in the southern part, communities focus around four golf courses all within 10-15 minutes of each other, namely at Campoamor, Las Ramblas, Villamartín and Las Colinas. Las Colinas (main picture) stands out as a PGA championship course set within in a low-density boutique resort on a 330-hectare estate. Options in the less developed northern Costa Blanca, include La Sella resort in Dénia, and Alenda and Bonalba resorts both near Alicante.

Meanwhile, there is an especially good choice of affordable golf resort property in northern Murcia, near the Mar Menor and close to the region’s new airport. These can be found in the collection of Polaris World resorts, including Mar Menor, La Torre and Hacienda Riquelme, as well as the Hacienda del Alamo resort. This area is also home to the famous – and exclusive – La Manga Club, for buyers with larger budgets. Further south near Mazarrón is the huge Camposol golf urbanisation, with lots of choice for lower budgets.

Safe and secure
As gated communities with good security and well-maintained communal areas, golf resorts are attractive places to own a lock-up-and-leave second home. You can leave it vacant for long periods of time, happy in the knowledge it is being looked after and kept an eye on.

Not just for golfers!
The attraction for golfers is obvious, but pick a resort with plenty of other types of leisure facilities, including swimming pools, gym, spa, tennis, children’s park and any other sports, and you’ll have plenty to occupy those family members who have no interest in teeing off! Most resorts have a clubhouse with restaurant and bar, which are not only convenient for eating out but are also social hubs and good for meeting other homeowners.

The views!
Pick a property next to a fairway and you’re guaranteed lush green views. And because a golf course is unlikely to be built on, you know those views are there to stay. And you can choose the type of view you want too – you might prefer to be overlooking a green, be somewhere more protected by trees or perhaps opt for sweeping panoramas across one of more fairways. Careful landscaping and clever development often means other properties should make little impact on your views.

Strong rentals
Thanks to Spain’s balmy climate, there is strong demand to play golf there most of the year. In fact, many people prefer not to play in the hottest summer months, instead opting for he more comfortable temperatures of spring and autumn. This means golf properties often have a longer letting season than, for example, a beach property, making them ideal for buyers keen to maximise rental income. And to make your life easy, most resorts will have a property management agency either on-site or be able to refer you to a local one.