There are championship venues that earn their gravitas over decades, and then there are those, like The Stadium Course at Camiral, that seem born with it. Set in the wooded hills outside Girona, this meticulously crafted layout by Ángel Gallardo and Neil Coles is a study in balance: dramatic yet disciplined, beautiful yet brutally honest when it comes to shot making. It was designed from day one with major tournaments in mind, and with the 2031 Ryder Cup now confirmed for the resort, the course’s original ambition feels richly validated.

The Stadium Course unfolds across terrain that naturally invites bold routing: pine-lined ridges, sweeping valleys, natural water basins and pockets of elevation that give the holes both scale and rhythm. It’s the sort of land that could easily have been over-designed, but Gallardo and Coles resisted the temptation. Instead, they opted for intelligent shaping — sculpting the fairways and surrounds just enough to create challenge and viewing space, while letting the natural contours define strategy.

Right from the opener you get a sense of the course’s intentions, generous looking landing areas that tighten on the ideal line, bunkering that isn’t merely penal but tactical, and greens that ask for crisp, controlled approaches rather than brute force. The par-5 3rd is an early illustration of this philosophy. Reachable in two only with precision, it demands commitment from the tee, with water lurking for anything too bold or too loose. It’s the kind of hole that forces you to think several shots ahead, a recurring theme throughout the round.

As the front nine develops, the routing cleverly alternates between tree-lined corridors and more open, expansive holes. The 7th, another par-5, is classic stadium-style architecture: a sweeping fairway framed by mounding that gives spectators natural amphitheatre views, while demanding that players pick their angles carefully to avoid leaving a treacherous third into a contoured green.

The back nine is where the Stadium Course really tightens its grip. Holes are carved more dramatically into the rolling land, and water becomes a defining presence rather than a decorative one. The 11th, a beautifully designed par 3, plays across a lake to a green that appears deceptively generous from the tee. In reality, subtle tilts and run-off areas make club selection absolutely vital. It’s a short hole that embodies the design’s best traits, strategic without intimidation, pretty without being ornamental.

The 13th, a par-4, is one of Camiral’s most admired holes. Played slightly downhill with bunkering that tightens the approach the closer you get to the ideal line, it rewards creativity and precision. It’s strategic golf at its purest — options everywhere, but no easy shortcuts.

The closing stretch is where the Stadium Course reveals its Ryder Cup pedigree. The par-4 17th, a dogleg left, asks for bravery from the tee and precision with the approach. And the 18th, a rising par-4 back toward the clubhouse, is perfectly shaped for matchplay: fair, demanding, and framed by natural amphitheatre slopes that will one day hold thousands of spectators.

Conditioning at Camiral is consistently superb, with recent investments focusing heavily on sustainability and resilience. New turf varieties — notably Bermuda Celebration and Paspalum — have improved firmness, drought tolerance, and year-round playability. For a tournament venue, that matters, firm fairways reward placement, and quick, true greens bring out the full brilliance of the design.

Though the Stadium Course is the headliner, the resort’s Tour Course plays a valuable supporting role. It’s gentler, more forgiving, and a touch shorter, but far from an afterthought. Its wide landing areas and flowing greens make it ideal for warm-up rounds, mixed-ability groups, or simply those wanting quality golf without the relentless examination of its big sibling. Together, the two courses give Camiral a depth that few European resorts can match.

What makes the Stadium Course truly memorable is the way it stays with you. Not because it’s punishing — it isn’t, provided you respect its questions — but because every hole has a clear identity, every decision feels meaningful, and every view reminds you that this landscape was destined for golf. With the Ryder Cup on the horizon, its personality as a championship venue will only grow stronger. Yet even without the crowds, it remains exactly what great golf should be: strategic, scenic, and quietly unforgettable.

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The Stadium Course at Camiral Golf - Spotlight

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