Salobre Golf & Resort

Salobre Golf & Resort's New Course occupies dramatic terrain in the hills above Maspalomas on Gran Canaria's southern coast. Designed by Ron Kirby and opened in 2010, the layout sits at elevations between 300 and 500 meters, offering views across the island's volcanic landscape toward the Atlantic and neighboring mountains. The routing takes advantage of natural ravines, rock outcroppings, and elevation changes that give the course a rugged, links-like character despite its inland setting. Kirby's design incorporates wide fairways that accommodate the trade winds common to the Canary Islands, with strategic bunkering and native vegetation framing holes. The course features several dramatic downhill tee shots and approach shots that play across or along barrancas—the steep-sided gullies carved into the volcanic rock. The par threes make particular use of the topography, with greens set against backdrops of exposed stone and indigenous flora. Water comes into play on a handful of holes, but the primary defenses are the wind, the contoured putting surfaces, and the penalties for missing fairways into the surrounding scrub and rock. The resort includes an older course, Salobre Golf Old, also designed by Kirby and opened in 2000. The New Course is generally considered the more challenging and visually striking of the two, attracting golfers visiting Gran Canaria's resort areas who seek a round that contrasts with the island's coastal climate and setting.