Santana Golf Unveils Major Course Improvements Ahead of Costa del Sol Golf Season

One of our favourite courses on the Costa del Sol has been given a significant upgrade, with Santana Golf completing an extensive programme of improvements ahead of the busy autumn and winter golf season.

Located in Mijas, between Marbella and Fuengirola, Santana Golf has invested heavily throughout 2025 and 2026, renovating bunkers, rebuilding tees, improving playing surfaces and planting more than 300 new trees and palms.

At Hashtag Golf Travel, we've always considered Santana something of an underrated gem. It might not have the international profile of some of the Costa del Sol's championship venues, but it offers a thoroughly enjoyable round in a peaceful parkland setting.

These latest improvements should make the experience even better.

Improved Bunkers, Tees and Playing Conditions

The biggest changes have focused on making the course more consistent and enjoyable to play.

Most of the greenside bunkers across nine holes have been renovated using the Better Billy Bunker system, designed to improve drainage and provide more reliable sand conditions.

Seven tees have also been completely rebuilt during 2026, following improvements to several others in 2025, including the first and sixteenth holes.

The club has also resurfaced selected approach areas around the greens, helping create firmer, more consistent conditions for approach shots and short-game play.

We particularly like seeing this sort of investment.

New bunkers and rebuilt tees might not sound as exciting as an entirely new course, but they're the improvements golfers actually notice during a round.

Better bunker drainage, consistent teeing surfaces and reliable approaches can make a real difference, particularly when you're playing several courses during a golf holiday.

Keeping Santana's Natural Character

Santana Golf has always stood out for its setting.

Designed by Cabell B. Robinson, the 18-hole, par-72 course was built on a former avocado plantation and features wide fairways, water hazards and an abundance of mature trees.

Unlike many courses along the Costa del Sol, Santana isn't surrounded by residential developments.

There are no rows of villas overlooking every fairway, giving the course a lovely sense of space and tranquillity.

That's one of the things we particularly appreciate about it.

The latest landscaping work has introduced more than 300 trees and palms, with additional olive trees helping reinforce the course's Andalusian character.

Importantly, the improvements haven't changed the overall layout or character that makes Santana enjoyable.

Instead, the club has focused on enhancing the existing experience.

Why We Recommend Santana Golf

One of Santana's biggest advantages is that it's relatively flat and easily walkable.

That's something of a rarity among the more mountainous courses around Mijas, where a buggy can sometimes feel less like a luxury and more like a necessity.

The generous fairways also make it welcoming for a broad range of handicaps, although there's still plenty of challenge from the bunkering, water hazards and well-protected greens.

We think Santana works particularly well as part of a multi-course Costa del Sol golf holiday.

For example, golfers staying around La Cala de Mijas could combine Santana with rounds at La Cala Resort and Calanova Golf Club, enjoying three distinctly different layouts without travelling far.

It's exactly the sort of course we'd recommend including when putting together a varied golf itinerary around Mijas, Marbella or Fuengirola.

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Our Verdict

Santana Golf has always offered an enjoyable alternative to some of the Costa del Sol's busier championship venues.

Its peaceful surroundings, walkable layout and attractive parkland setting make it a course we believe deserves more attention.

The latest investment in bunkers, tees, approach areas and landscaping is welcome news, particularly as the improvements have been made without sacrificing the character of the original Cabell B. Robinson design.

For golfers planning a Costa del Sol golf holiday in late 2026 or 2027, Santana remains firmly on our list of recommended courses.

And with these latest improvements now completed, there's another good reason to include it in your next Spanish golf itinerary.