In most of Europe, January golf is an act of faith. In Tenerife it is simply normal. The island has courses on both sides, with very different stories: the oldest, founded in 1932, plays among the northern mist; the one designed by Severiano Ballesteros looks out over the Atlantic in the north-west; and in the dry, sunny south, several layouts sit a short drive from the big hotels.

Choosing a course here is, above all, choosing a side of the island.

The essentials

  • The historic club: Real Club de Golf de Tenerife, founded in 1932 at El Peñón (Tacoronte). Regarded as Spain’s second-oldest.
  • Seve’s course: Buenavista Golf, in the Isla Baja, opened in 2003.
  • The south: Abama (Dave Thomas, 2005, 18 holes, par 72), Golf Costa Adeje (Pepe Gancedo, 1998) and Golf del Sur (1987, redesigned in 2005).
  • The season: all year, with winter as the selling point.

The north: history and mist

The Real Club de Golf de Tenerife is a rarity on the map: a club founded in 1932, when golf in Spain was the pursuit of a very few, and held to be the second-oldest in the country. It lies at El Peñón, in Tacoronte, in the northern hills, close to Tenerife North airport. Here the trade wind and the cloud are part of the game: some days bring clean light, others mist drifting across the fairways. It is a members’ club with long-standing ways; check visitor playing conditions well in advance.

The north-west: Seve’s course

Buenavista Golf, in the Isla Baja, is the course designed by Severiano Ballesteros and opened in 2003. It plays along the coast, the Atlantic ahead and the Teno massif behind: a landscape with nothing of the resort about it. It is far from the main tourist areas, so you will need a car or a transfer, and it pairs well with a stay in the north.

The south: sunshine and courses near the hotel

Abama Golf, in Guía de Isora, is the course of the Ritz-Carlton Abama resort: 18 holes, par 72, designed by Dave Thomas and opened in 2005, on slopes running down to the sea with La Gomera opposite. If you stay there, the first tee is quite literally next door.

Golf Costa Adeje, the work of Pepe Gancedo, opened in 1998 and lies a short way from the Costa Adeje hotel area. Golf del Sur, in San Miguel de Abona, dates from 1987 and was redesigned in 2005; it is very close to Tenerife South airport, which makes it practical on the day you arrive or leave.

Getting around with your clubs

Golf in Tenerife works best if you stay on the side of the island where you want to play. For the south, fly into Tenerife South and stay in Costa Adeje or Guía de Isora: the courses are close by. For the Real Club and Buenavista, the airport is Tenerife North and the base is the north. Crossing the island with your clubs for a single round is possible, but it means close to an hour of motorway each way. Details in Tenerife airport to your hotel.

Which to choose

  • You want history and don’t mind the mist → Real Club de Golf de Tenerife, in the north.
  • You want Atlantic scenery and Seve’s signature → Buenavista Golf, in the Isla Baja.
  • You want to play without leaving the hotel → Abama, in Guía de Isora.
  • You want sunshine and several courses to hand → Golf Costa Adeje and Golf del Sur.
  • Looking for somewhere to stay → where to stay quietly in Tenerife.
  • Torn between north and south → the two Tenerifes.
  • Coming in winter → Tenerife in winter: the island that never closes.

Our view

What sets golf in Tenerife apart is not the number of courses but when you play them: in the months when the rest of Europe covers its greens, here you tee off in short sleeves. Our advice is not to turn the week into a tour: pick your side of the island, play two or three nearby courses and leave the rest of the day for the island itself. The 1932 Real Club deserves a morning even if the rest of your trip is in the south.

Information as of October 2026. Access conditions, green fees and tee times change: confirm them directly with each club before booking.