Calanova Golf Club: the course and homes for sale nearby

Calanova is laid out across the slopes of a valley behind La Cala de Mijas, below the Sierra de Mijas. It measures 5,866 metres from the back tees, with four par 5s, four par 3s and ten par 4s, and the ground rarely sits still: fairways rise and fall, some tees are raised well above the landing areas and the greens have plenty of movement. Water comes into play on a handful of holes.

Most of the course looks down the valley towards the Mediterranean, and the restaurant looks out across the course to the sea and the mountains. The flip side, which more than one visitor mentions, is that the course runs beside the AP-7 motorway, and traffic can be heard on some holes.

Reviewers agree that Calanova is up-and-down golf on which a buggy is close to essential, and the club includes one in the green fee. On difficulty they differ: some call it a stiff test that needs your best game, others a fair round for mixed groups that rewards sensible course management more than power. The greens are discussed most – usually praised as fast and true, though several players found them tricky to read and some pin positions severe.

Condition is generally well regarded, with occasional notes of wear or dry fairways in busy months, and slow rounds on full days are a recurring complaint. Staff and food draw warm comments, as does the club's large golf shop on two floors. For practice there is a driving range and a putting green. Spring and autumn are the busiest seasons; in summer, the early tee times are the comfortable ones.

Calanova lies inland of La Cala de Mijas, between Fuengirola and Marbella, and is easy to reach from the N-340; the club puts the sea about five minutes away. Homes near the course, in the Calanova Golf urbanisation and in La Cala de Mijas, are mostly apartments, with fewer townhouses and detached villas and the occasional finca. Because we act only for the buyer, we confirm how close a home actually is to the course, and what it looks out on, before arranging a viewing.