Cabopino Golf Marbella

Cabopino Golf Marbella is an 18-hole course located in the Artola Alta urbanisation at the eastern end of Marbella, approximately 15 kilometres from the city centre and facing the Cabopino yachting marina. Designed by Spanish architect Juan Ligués Creus and opened around 2000, the course plays to a par of 71 over approximately 5,170 metres, making it one of the shorter layouts on the Costa del Sol. A handicap certificate is required to play, with limits of 28 for men and 36 for women.

The terrain is hilly and compact, with the course set into the hillside above the A-7 coastal motorway amid dense groves of broad-crowned umbrella pines. The layout demands course management rather than distance, as fairways are relatively narrow and the elevation changes are considerable throughout the round. The composition of three par-3s, two par-5s, and thirteen par-4s places a consistent emphasis on iron play and accurate approach shots. The greens are generally regarded as firm and quick, and water features on several holes add a further dimension of difficulty — most notably on the 13th and 15th, both par-3s guarded by lakes, and on the 14th, the course's longest hole at 456 metres, where lakes protect the front and rear of the green.

The signature hole is the par-4 3rd, widely considered one of the most memorable on the Costa del Sol. Played from a dramatically elevated tee roughly 80 metres above the green, it offers sweeping views of the Mediterranean and presents big hitters with the temptation to drive towards a green surrounded by bunkers. The 10th hole is also noted for its panoramic sea views. The course is open year-round and includes a golf academy with a driving range of 200 metres, putting green, and practice bunkers and approach areas.