INFINITUM A JEWEL OF CATALONIA
To the myriad charms of Barcelona, add a world-class resort in the shape of INFINITUM – home to three phenomenal courses. Add in history, pampering and gastronomy – and you won’t ever want to leave...
There are not many golfing questions to which INFINITUM is not the answer. Do you want a few leisurely rounds in the sun, interspersed with cocktails and cuisine? Go to INFINITUM. Are you a veteran player looking to sink your teeth into a real challenge? Go to INFINITUM. Need somewhere that the kids will enjoy too? The list goes on. INFINITUM – hence the name – is the golfing getaway with something for everyone.
Other than sharing hosting duties when DP World Tour Qualifying School Final Stage comes to the Costa Dorada, INFINITUM’S two championship layouts are as different as can be. Less than half a mile from the beach, the Lakes course was built on the protected Sequia Major wetlands, home to rare species of fish, birds and even turtles. They are two of only four Greg Norman designs in Europe; the Australian took advantage of the terrain to create a challenge brimming with water hazards. The eponymous lakes blend perfectly with the Great White’s risk-reward design style, so players can plot their way around or go for broke in search of a birdie – the choice is yours.
If you are of a hydrophobic disposition, you will be much more at home on the Hills course. As the name suggests, you will be climbing high above the rest of the resort, culminating in some exceptional views of the Mediterranean and the surrounding Catalan countryside. It is a worthy reward for a course that favours strategic thinking thanks to tight fairways lined with cliffs and pine trees. The view from the clubhouse – overlooking the 18th hole and framed by a towering quarry and pond – makes it the perfect post-round relaxation spot.
Despite the DP World Tour credentials of the Hills and Lakes, there is a third course at INFINITUM that must not be overlooked. The nine-hole Ruins (another Norman design) offers golf with a twist, as the routing passes 2,000-year-old Roman structural foundations. Being half-sized makes the Ruins ideal for an evening round, a warm-up or a quick game with friends, but do not be fooled: Norman reserved some of his most devious tests for this course. Of course, if you are more interested in taking in the ruins themselves, you can always – as with all three INFINITUM courses – play off one of the more leisurely tees and focus on soaking up some sun.
All the associated amenities you could ask for are here, too: two driving ranges, chipping and putting greens, and two clubhouses serving glorious Mediterranean cuisine. Last year saw the addition of the Callaway Fitting Studio by INFINITUM, where every club in your bag can be expertly handled.
The facilities are so good, in fact, that national federations from major European countries have picked INFINITUM for warm weather training camps, putting their most promising developing players to the test at the resort.
Between rounds, you are only a short drive from Barcelona or the equally beautiful city of Tarragona, surrounded by world-famous wineries and museums dedicated to
everything from archaeology to Gaudi. However, you do not have to stray that far from the fairways if you don’t want to. INFINITUM Beach Club dominates the ‘Europe’s Leading Beach Club’ category at the World Travel Awards and is the perfect way to enjoy the best of a Spanish beach holiday while keeping golf close at hand. With adult-only zones as well as plenty of space for families, the club has no fewer than 10 swimming pools, giving you total control over how you unwind by the sea. A serene infinity pool, ideal for sipping cocktails and watching sunsets, looks directly out across the sapphire ocean. But if you would rather lounge on semi-submerged sunbeds, INFINITUM has those, too.
Similarly, there are plenty of Michelinstarred restaurants (at good value) in the area, but mouth-watering meals can be found at the resort. No trip to INFINITUM is complete without dining at the signature Flamma Beach Foodhouse, where the ocean views threaten to steal the show – at least until the food arrives. Whether you have spent the day on the Lakes course or up in cultured Tarragona, perhaps nowhere sums up the spirit of the Costa Dorada better than the terrace of the resort’s flagship restaurant. If the weather is perfect – and here, that is more often than not the case – the end result is a sunset you will not forget in a hurry.
To book your INFINITUM escape, visit www.infinitumliving.com/en/golf