The round of golf has finished. It’s nearly nine o’clock in the evening. The sun is beginning to set over the mountains of Almería and you’ve just left the 18th green. You might think that’s where the day ends at Desert Springs. In reality, however, for many, that’s when it begins.
This scene is often repeated. After playing the Indiana Course, Europe’s only championship desert course, golfers sit on the El Torrente terrace. From there you can hear the water of Powder Creek, the stream that runs through the resort, while plates of homemade croquettes, a rice dish or some of the fresh fish that form part of the Mediterranean offering of chef Sergio Rodríguez — who developed part of his professional career in restaurants with a Michelin star — arrive at the table. The conversation no longer revolves around the last missed putt or the birdie that will brighten the rest of your existence. It’s about where to dine tomorrow, the excursion planned for the weekend or how long it’s been since you’ve enjoyed weather like this in mid-winter
Right there, at that moment, many discover that Desert Springs is much more than a golf course
Golf remains the great draw. It’s not every day you get the chance to play among canyons, dry ramblas, giant cacti and rock outcrops inspired by the desert layouts of Arizona and California. However, spending a couple of days at the resort is enough to understand that golf is only part of the experience
Less than a five-minute walk from the clubhouse is another of those places that help explain the Desert Springs phenomenon. It’s the Club Cocodrilo. The building looks like something from an African safari, with its large wooden structure and thatched roof. There the routine might consist of an informal meal, a drink at sunset or simply whileing away the hours by the pool while children play in the areas provided for them
That sense of space is one of the resort’s great virtues. There is no rush. There are no crowds. There are walking paths, pádel and tennis courts, a gym, mountain bikes and an environment that invites you to spend more time outdoors than you originally planned
And then there is Almería
Because another of Desert Springs’ surprises is its location. In just a few minutes you can reach the beaches of Vera or Palomares. Very close is also Mojácar, one of Andalusia’s most beautiful and recognisable villages, with its whitewashed streets, its viewpoints and its Mediterranean atmosphere. And a little further on awaits the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, with some of Spain’s most spectacular coves, extensive sandy beaches and virtually untouched landscapes that make any getaway hard to forget
Maybe that’s why many homeowners tell a similar story. They came to play golf for a few days. They returned the following year. Then they spent longer periods. And finally they ended up buying a property or making Desert Springs a second home
It’s not hard to understand
There are few places in Europe where you can play golf on a January morning in short sleeves, eat in front of a stream surrounded by palm trees, have a drink at sunset and plan for the next day an excursion to the beach, to a hidden cove in Cabo de Gata or to one of the most charming villages of the Almería coast
Golf is the perfect excuse to discover Desert Springs
What happens afterwards is usually much harder to explain. You have to live it
