Finca Cortesin review: playing in style on the fields of Andalusia.

If you love golf, you may have already heard of the world-renowned Finca Cortesin course. However, there's more to this resort than dynamic 18-hole golf services. Opened in 2009, the hotel-spa takes luxury to a whole new level by applying a standard of excellence to all aspects of its operations.

Spread over 215 hectares, the prestigious Andalusian club Finca Cortesin was host to the 2023 Solheim Cup, a women's golf competition, and is also home to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy, which provides golf lessons for professionals and beginners. Spanish player Pablo Larrazabal and British star Justin Rose are just two golfers who love practicing here. Along with top-notch coaches,''The academy has invested in innovative golf simulators and launch monitors worth tens of thousands of euros that allow players to analyze every aspect of their game in real time.

The course is one of the longest in Europe, with a dynamic design offering a mix of par 5s, par 4s and par 3s. Situated on a hilly terrain with immaculate lawns and magnificent views of the Estepona mountains, it is an elite place to play at any level and is characterized by excellent maintenance and exquisite greens. You'll experience exclusivity: club rules stipulate that a maximum of 100 players get access to the pitch each day, plus there's a generous 12-minute pause between starts.

The resort is the epitome of discretion.''an interior atmosphere that feels fresh, yet historically rooted in the rich Mediterranean and Moorish cultures of the region. The design of the public areas, by interior decorator Duarte Pinto Coelho, combines sleek modern furnishings with heritage finds such as stone flooring and decorative wooden doors from old Portuguese and Spanish convents. The charming Moroccan courtyard is adorned with an inlaid carved ceiling created by the same craftsmen who care for the vaulted ceilings of the Alhambra in Granada.

Despite its palatial size, the estate has a relatively small capacity: 67 guest suites and seven villas to rent for large groups. A sense of comfort is defined''a luxury space where architecture with striking proportions encourages the entry of nature. The suites - most with terraces - are designed by Brazilian sisters Ana and Cristina Calderon, who have added vibrant colors, traditional Spanish prints and fabrics, and local contemporary art to a palette of creamy caramel hues.

The hotel has three main restaurants.

Don Giovanni is the sister restaurant to the award-winning Madrid restaurant founded by Sicilian chef Andrea Tumbarello, whose recipes benefit greatly from Finca's close proximity to the coast. Tagliatelle with red king prawns is baked in the oven with a pizza "lid," then served as a thin base to soak up all the rich tomato juices. Patrons are given their own cotton bibs to enjoy the full meal.

Spanish premium restaurant Finca El Jardín de Lutz offers exquisite''dishes full of fresh and deep Iberian flavors. A simple and perfectly grilled dish is the Galician entrecote for two with boiled potato fondue and vegetables from the hotel's own vegetable garden.

Rei is the resort's sophisticated Japanese restaurant specializing in classic dishes with a subtle Spanish accent. It uses a more intuitive style of cooking rather than a fusion of cuisines, using local ingredients that work well together. For example, the tiger prawns are carefully seasoned with paprika and yuzu, while the Galician beef is infused with thyme and ponzu.

The resort has so many activities - there are also tennis courts, a host of beauty treatments and a private beach club less than 1km away - guests often