Miraflores Golf: the course and homes for sale nearby

Miraflores is a compact course threaded through the established urbanisation of Riviera del Sol, in the rolling hills of Calahonda. The club's own history says Robert Trent Jones drew the first plan before Nardi reworked it and oversaw the building, though he died before it was finished; it opened as Miraflores de la Riviera. At 5,148 metres from the yellow tees and 4,479 from the red it is a short course, and guides describe it as one for accuracy rather than power.

The holes follow the natural contours of a valley, and the club says the course is flatter than it first looks. Fairways are fairly wide and the greens large and raised. All eighteen greens were rebuilt in 2013–2014, and in June 2014 the 15th green was redesigned and a waterfall added.

The modest length makes Miraflores manageable for mid and higher handicappers and for anyone who keeps the ball straight, while the tighter holes and raised greens still give better players something to think about. Despite the club's description, players often find the walk tiring, with climbs up to the greens, and recommend a buggy, though buggies are sometimes kept to the paths.

Recent reviews mostly describe the course as well kept, but green speed and condition are said to vary, and slow rounds on full days are a recurring complaint. The staff and the clubhouse food get warm comments. The academy by the 2nd hole has a driving range with Toptracer and lessons in Spanish and English, and the clubhouse has the Spikes Bar, with a large open-air terrace, and the indoor Bobby Jones restaurant, open all year. Spring and autumn are the popular seasons; in summer, play early.

Riviera del Sol lies in the hills of Mijas Costa between Fuengirola and Marbella, close to La Cala de Mijas. The homes near the course, in Miraflores and Riviera del Sol, are mostly apartments, with a large share of townhouses and fewer detached villas. We work only for the buyer and always check how close a home is to the course, and what it really looks out on, before a viewing.