La Cala Resort: the course and homes for sale nearby

The three courses share a designer but play quite differently. Campo America (par 72, 6,009 metres) has wide, linked fairways and few bunkers, but its greens are small and raised, so the approach does most of the work; a lake guards the green of the par-5 9th. Campo Asia (par 72, 5,925 metres), the oldest, asks for placement rather than length, with tighter fairways and bunkers close to the greens. The club singles out its 11th, a par 3 played steeply downhill with the Sierra de Mijas and the coast in view.

Campo Europa (par 71, 6,014 metres) is the newest and flattest, with more generous fairways and slightly larger greens, and the Ojén river affects eight of its holes. A redesigned nine-hole par-3 course, with raised tees facing the sea, replaced the old six-hole one.

America and Asia are hillside golf, steep in places and with some blind tee shots, and reviewers generally advise a buggy; Europa is gentler but spread out. Higher handicappers usually find Europa the kindest, while Asia punishes a wayward driver. The Golf Hub has a driving range, putting and chipping areas and an academy with PGA professionals, and the short course suits beginners and juniors.

Players regularly praise the scenery and the variety of three courses on one site, and several recent visitors found them in excellent shape. A recurring complaint, though, is that the greens vary between courses and seasons, and some players then question the value; slow play at busy times also comes up. The resort has a clubhouse restaurant and a hotel with a spa. Spring and autumn are the popular months; in summer, book an early start.

The resort lies in the hills of the Sierra de Mijas, inland from the coastal village of La Cala de Mijas, between Fuengirola and Marbella. Golf travel guides put it about half an hour from Málaga airport and around 20 minutes from Marbella.

Homes near the courses, in La Cala Golf, La Cala Hills, Campo Mijas and the village itself, are mostly apartments, with a fair number of detached villas, some townhouses and the odd finca. As we act only for the buyer, we check how far a home really is from the golf before you go to see it.