Sotogrande has a new reason to pack the clubs. SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort has unveiled The Alto Club Golf Academy, which opens officially on 1 September 2025 as the first academy of its kind on the Costa del Sol. It caters for every type of player, from juniors picking up a club for the first time to professionals chasing high-level technical performance.

The academy sits within The Alto Club, the course formerly known as Almenara, which takes a new name as part of its revival. Its main 18-hole layout was originally designed by Dave Thomas and later refined by the Spanish golfer Manuel Piñero. The five-star resort is only a short walk away, with an award-winning spa and restaurants built around local produce. Beyond golf, guests can shape their stay around yoga, pilates, the pool or walks in the surrounding countryside.

A Piñero Par-3 and swing analysis studios

On the driving range, players can choose between natural grass and covered bays, depending on how they feel on the day. Next door, the analysis studios offer the kind of technical work a tour player would recognise, but without the pressure of competition. Then come the short-game areas, with several greens and bunkers for practising around the flag.

The standout addition is a new nine-hole Par-3 course designed by Piñero, with holes ranging from 80 to 200 metres. That makes it just as useful for sharpening accuracy as for a quick round at the end of the day. There will also be evening training sessions and tailored programmes all year round, covering swing mechanics, course management, mental focus and competitive preparation. Whether visitors are just starting out, returning to the game or looking for more serious training, the programmes are built to support their progress in a welcoming, structured setting.

Suzann Pettersen as ambassador and adviser

The academy has also named Suzann Pettersen as its global ambassador. A two-time major winner and a winning Solheim Cup captain, Pettersen has advised the club on its coaching approach, the design of the training programme and its longer-term vision.

Pettersen describes the project as every bit as meaningful as her playing career. Her aim, she says, is to help build a lasting place where people of all ages and abilities feel welcome, supported and inspired to improve.

Stéphane Menou, general manager of SO/ Sotogrande and The Alto Club, shares that ambition. For him, the new facility reflects the spirit of Sotogrande: refined, forward-looking and built on quality. He believes the academy can become one of the most inclusive golf training destinations in Europe.

From private lessons to corporate golf days

The setting helps. Sotogrande has four championship courses and shares the area with Real Club Valderrama, Real Club de Golf Sotogrande and La Reserva Club. Add more than 300 days of sunshine a year and easy access from Gibraltar and Málaga airports, 30 minutes west of Marbella, and the appeal is clear. The destination already draws golfers, families, couples, locals and international travellers looking for sport, rest and good food.

That is why The Alto Club Golf Academy in Sotogrande is not only aimed at individual players. Its facilities are also designed for corporate golf events: a technical session in the analysis studios, a competition on the Par-3 or a full day with accommodation and spa time at the resort. For companies, it offers a way to host clients, reward a team or make room for business networking.

Corporate golf tournaments, from first tee to press coverage

Bacana handled communications for the academy’s launch, as part of the destination communications work it carries out for Sotogrande. Here, its PR and media relations strategy supported the unveiling of the new venue and introduced Pettersen’s role as ambassador. The project draws on Bacana’s experience as a hospitality and travel communications agency, where golf, hotels and the destination are told as one story.

The same understanding of golf as a way to bring brands and people together underpins Bacana’s golf tournament organisation for companies, in Spain and abroad. The work covers the choice of course and format, corporate hospitality, sponsorship, golf trips and communications before, during and after the event. As a result, a corporate golf tournament becomes more than a day on the course: it turns into a brand moment with content for the press and social media.

Looking ahead to its opening on 1 September, The Alto Club Golf Academy gives Sotogrande a new place to learn the game, and gives businesses one more setting where a good round can lead to a good working relationship.