Club de Golf Corta Atalaya

About Club de Golf Corta Atalaya

Club de Golf Corta Atalaya is a small, rustic nine-hole course on the edge of Minas de Riotinto, in the mining district of northern Huelva. It takes its name from the Corta Atalaya, the vast open-pit copper mine beside it: roughly 1,200 metres long, 900 metres wide and 350 metres deep, worked from the early 20th century until the mine closed in 1992.

Its history is the reason to come. The club descends from the North Lode Golf Club, founded by the British managers of the Rio Tinto mining company in the late 19th century and often described as one of the oldest golf courses in Spain. The original course was swallowed as the pit grew, and the present course opened in the early 1990s.

The fairways are bare earth, recalling the course the miners and engineers played, and only the greens are grass; players use small squares of artificial turf for a clean lie. About half the course is flat, with two steeply sloping holes. Expect a clubhouse and trolley hire rather than full resort facilities.

Spring and autumn suit it best, as summers in the Cuenca Minera are very hot. Late afternoon light brings out the red and ochre colours of the mining landscape.

Club de Golf Corta Atalaya in pictures

What you’ll find

• 9-hole golf courseRound of GolfBook
• Golf clubhouse restaurantRestaurant diningBook
• Golf driving rangeGolf practiceBook

Nearby places to visit

Corta Atalaya is the only golf in the Cuenca Minera, so the nearest places to visit are a fair drive away. To the south-east, in Seville's Sierra Norte, Club de Golf Hato Verde (47 km) is a modern 18-hole course designed by Ryder Cup player Manuel Piñero. West of Seville, Club Las Minas Golf (55 km) in Aznalcázar is a nine-hole, par-36 course among olive and orange trees, with four lakes in play. Further towards Seville, the Fernando Marmolejo Municipal Museum (57 km) in Santiponce stands beside the Roman theatre of Itálica. Closer to hand, the Riotinto mining park makes a natural pairing with a round here.