Isla Valdecañas Golf

Isla Valdecañas Golf occupies a private island in the 7,000-hectare Valdecañas reservoir, in the shadow of the Sierra de Gredos and bordering the Monfragüe Natural Park. Opened in 2011 to a design by Álvaro Arana, nephew of the noted Spanish architect Javier Arana, the course sits in one of the more striking settings in central Spain.

Eighteen holes play to a par of 72 over 6,319 metres, with wide, forgiving fairways that give players room to miss. The real character lies in the greens: large, heavily contoured surfaces with dramatic undulation, where pin position alone can change the character of a hole. It's a course built to reward good positioning over raw power, and one that suits players of every level.

A practice area, putting green and chipping green support the course, and the setting, part of a private island resort, adds a sense of occasion to the round. Advance booking is essential given the location, and well worth arranging for golf with genuinely few equals nearby.