Costa Brava

The headline track and the reason most groups book the trip. Angel Gallardo and Neil Coles routed it through pine and cork forest with elevation changes that don't show on the scorecard, and the par-3 13th over water is the photo everyone takes home. Pay the green fee, hit the range early, and don't expect to score — this thing has hosted the Spanish Open for a reason.

The 'other' course at PGA Catalunya, and a genuinely good one — wider corridors, more forgiving off the tee, and you can actually post a number. Most groups play the Stadium twice and skip this, which is the move if you only have one round here, but if you're staying on property for three nights it's the right second loop.

Sits up in the hills above Platja d'Aro with elevated tees that hand you Pyrenees-and-Mediterranean views on multiple holes. Ramón Espinosa's routing is tight in spots and the greens are quick — bring your short game. The drive up from the coast is a switchback grind but worth it.

Thirty-six holes of Robert von Hagge design on the Empordà plain with the Pyrenees as the backdrop. The Forest course winds through pines, the Links course plays more open and exposed — you can do both in a day and not feel like you played the same course twice. American groups don't know about this place, which is exactly why you should go.

The old man of the region — opened in 1968, designed by Hamilton Stutt, and still the most charming track on the coast. Tight, tree-lined, walkable, and not long by modern standards, which means accuracy matters more than power. A perfect day-three round when your back is barking and you just want to play golf.

Up in the Empordà wine country attached to the Peralada wine estate, which tells you what to do after the round. Fairly flat, well-conditioned, with vineyard and Pyrenees views — not the toughest test in the region but a fine afternoon round if you're staying north. The wine cellar tour is right next door.

Budget-friendly track up near Figueres with the Pyrenees right on top of you. Short by championship standards (par 70, under 6,000 meters from the tips) but kept in good shape and rarely crowded. Right call if you want a fourth round in the rotation without spending Stadium Course money.

On-property at PGA Catalunya, which is the move if golf is the centerpiece and you don't want to drive after the round. Rooms are modern and comfortable, the bar is fine for a beer after 36, and you can roll out of bed onto the Stadium Course. The trade-off is you're isolated — there's no village to walk to for dinner.

A restored 18th-century farmhouse in the Empordà countryside, Relais & Châteaux property, and the right base if you want food and wine country to be part of the trip. Twenty minutes from the von Hagge courses, forty to PGA Catalunya. Not cheap, but the kind of place where a non-golfing spouse would actually be happy.

Attached to Golf Peralada and the Peralada winery, which is a useful combination. Solid mid-range rooms, a casino on property if anyone in the group wants to chase poker after dinner, and easy access to Cadaqués and the Dalí museum. Less polished than Camiral but cheaper and better located for the northern courses.

Coastal grande dame in S'Agaró, walking distance to a quiet beach cove and twenty minutes from Club de Golf Costa Brava and Mas Nou. This is the option for groups who want the Costa Brava coast experience — long lunches, sea views, the whole thing — and don't mind driving thirty-plus minutes to PGA Catalunya.

For groups of six or more, renting a stone farmhouse in the Empordà is genuinely the best play — a full kitchen, a pool, outdoor dining, and the kind of nightly cost-per-head that makes the trip pencil out. Look around Pals, Begur, or Sant Pere Pescador for the best mix of access and atmosphere.

If you want a night or two in Girona itself — and you should — this is a small hotel tucked into the medieval old town a block from the cathedral. Walk everywhere, eat at the right places, no parking headache. Fifteen minutes from PGA Catalunya, so you can golf in the morning and be back in town for tapas.

Three Michelin stars in Girona, twice voted best restaurant in the world, and you have to book months out. If you can land a table, do it — this is once-in-a-trip stuff and worth burning a free evening on. If you can't get in, the family also runs Roca Moo and the more accessible Can Roca next door.

Run by three of the original elBulli chefs, in a whitewashed courtyard in Cadaqués. Small plates, Catalan ingredients, smart wine list. The drive out to Cadaqués is part of the appeal — wind through Cap de Creus, eat lunch, walk the harbor, drive back. One of the best afternoons of the trip.

One Michelin star in Girona's old town, less of a scene than Can Roca, and easier to get into. Pere Massana's tasting menus lean classical Catalan with technique. Right call for the big group dinner if Can Roca isn't happening.

Iolanda Bustos cooks with foraged herbs and flowers in a small inn in Regencós village. Sounds precious, isn't — the food is grounded and seasonal and the wine list is deep on Empordà labels. Book ahead, it's small.

Old-school Empordà farmhouse restaurant — grilled meats over wood fire, rice dishes, country wine. The kind of long lunch where you order the suckling lamb, finish a bottle, and rethink your afternoon. Ideal post-round on a Golf Empordà day.

Catalan seafood done properly — black rice, suquet de peix, fresh fish from the boats at nearby Calella de Palafrugell. White tablecloth without being stiff. The sort of lunch that turns into 3 p.m. before anyone notices.

Palamós is famous for its prawns, and this is the place to eat them. Order the gambas de Palamós a la plancha, a bottle of cold albariño, and try not to talk too much. Casual, harborfront, no pretense.

Tapas under the arcades on Girona's main square, Plaça de la Independència. Not the best food in Girona but a perfect first-night stop — order the bombas, the patatas, a few beers, and start the trip without overthinking it.

On-property at Camiral, set in a restored 15th-century farmhouse. Catalan dishes done well, good wine list, and it solves the 'we just played 36 and don't want to drive' problem. Not a destination meal, but the right call when you're staying at PGA Catalunya.

Australian-style breakfast and brunch place in Girona's old town — proper coffee, eggs done right, the kind of cure you need after a Can Roca tasting menu. Open early enough for an early tee time.