High-altitude golf: play the best courses in Andorra

What makes high-altitude golf in Andorra unique

In Andorra you do not play the way you do at sea level. The altitude changes your distances, the scenery makes you stop between shots and the calendar is short at the highest course. So if you enjoy golf, it pays to come with a plan. And if you are staying at Hotel Grau Roig, which appears in the MICHELIN Guide, you have a mountain base from which to combine it with everything else.

Golf as an activity during your stay

Hotel Grau Roig includes “Golf in Andorra” among its summer activities. When you book, ask what options there are for your dates and reserve your tee time directly with the course.

Where to rest after your round

The hotel offers five room types, from Auténtica to Suite Deluxe, with a 24-hour reception. After your round you have its spa with heated pool, hot tub, sauna and Turkish bath. In summer, the Summer Lounge adds an outdoor jacuzzi.

Getting between courses

The courses are spread around the country, so coming by car is the most practical option. The hotel has valet parking and electric charging, according to the MICHELIN Guide. If you enjoy driving, you will find ideas in our guide to Andorra’s mountain passes.

Equipment and lessons

There is no need to travel with all your equipment. Golf Soldeu offers club and electric buggy hire, along with a golf school with professionals, whether you are coming to improve or this is your first taste of the game.

Tournaments and competitions

Vall d’Ordino and Xixerella organise competitions and other events during the year. If you would like to play in one, check each club’s calendar before settling on dates.

Relaxation and other things to do

If not everyone in your group plays, Grandvalira offers much more than golf in summer, and things to do in Andorra sets out the best alternatives.

The best high-altitude golf courses in Andorra

Visit Andorra lists three courses in the country. Each offers something different.

Golf Soldeu: golf at altitude

This is the flagship course. It lies at 2,250 metres, on the Soldeu ski slopes, and Visit Andorra presents it as the highest in Europe. It has 9 holes, par 33 according to the same source, and a length of about 2,590 metres across 16 hectares. It was designed by the architect Jeremy Pern and opened in 2008. You reach it by gondola from Soldeu.

It opens only in summer. Visit Andorra gives July to September, and it is worth confirming the exact dates for each season. You need to book in advance. Facilities include a driving range, practice area, putting green, clubhouse with restaurant, school and equipment hire. In 2026 Grandvalira Resorts also unveiled a floating green.

Vall d’Ordino Golf Club: open all year

Located in La Cortinada, in the parish of Ordino, this is a 9-hole par-3 pitch & putt club. It opens all year round and has a floodlit practice area for playing at night. It organises championships, and the Catalan Pitch & Putt Association has named it among its best courses. It works well if you want to sharpen your short game for a while or if you are travelling outside the Soldeu season.

El Torrent-Xixerella Park

Located in Xixerella, in La Massana, it combines golf and pitch & putt. The course follows the river through the trees and has a very different character from the open high mountain of Soldeu. It also organises competitions and other events.

Aravell: 18 holes, over the border in Spain

If you want a full round, Aravell Golf has 18 holes, par 71, and was designed by José María Olazábal. It is not in Andorra, however: it is in Aravell, in Lleida. If you cross the border, take your travel documents with you.

Why stay at Grau Roig

The hotel has five dining spaces: La Vaquería, El Teatro del Vino, La Marmita, La Fromagerie and Secret Room, as well as a cellar with more than 300 labels. After a round, that is a fine way to end the day.

How to prepare for playing golf at altitude in Andorra

What matters here is not having the best kit but adapting to the altitude. The PGA of America offers some practical advice.

Expect more distance

Thinner air offers less resistance to the ball, and all your clubs fly further. How much further varies from player to player. An iron that normally just reaches the green may well carry past it.

Measure before you tee off

Warm up on the range and check your real distances before the round, without tiring yourself out, because thin air also makes your body work harder. Foresight Sports suggests an adjustment of between 6% and 10% depending on your baseline figures, while noting that it varies from case to case.

Do not change your swing

PGA professional Rob Labritz sums it up like this: measure how far your ball flies and trust those numbers. It usually takes a round or two to get used to it.

Consider a higher shot

Foresight Sports recommends launching the ball higher to make the most of the flight and using a hybrid rather than an iron when you want that effect.

Clothing and footwear

Be ready for a change in the weather: bring layers, a cap, sun cream and water, plus comfortable shoes for the slopes. At 2,250 metres, conditions can shift in a short time.

Book your tee time

Soldeu requires advance booking, and with such a short season it makes sense to do it early. Check the opening hours, which run from around 10:00 to 19:00, and confirm them with the club.

The benefits of playing golf in the high mountains

A setting you will not find at sea level

Visit Andorra highlights the panoramic views at Soldeu, and it is easy to see why: you are playing right in the mountains, on slopes that fill with skiers in winter.

A different kind of game

Altitude forces you to think about every shot and to recalculate. If you have been playing the same course for years, it is a good way to break the routine.

Easy to combine

• With hiking: the Pessons lakes are very close to the hotel.
• With other routes: our guide to hiking in Andorra gives you more options.
• With the spa: sauna, Turkish bath and hot tub to finish the day.

Golf and skiing in the same destination

If the place wins you over, you can come back in winter, the area’s high season. The same Soldeu hillsides are part of Grandvalira, and the page on our ski slopes explains what they offer. And if you would rather keep playing, Vall d’Ordino stays open all year when the weather allows.

Tips and recommendations for enjoying high-altitude golf in Andorra

Choose your dates carefully

If you want to play at Soldeu, come in high summer. If you are travelling at another time of year, aim for Vall d’Ordino and confirm the state of the course beforehand.

Spread the courses over several days

Soldeu, Ordino and La Massana are in different parishes. Better one course a day, with no rush, than racing along mountain roads.

Hire clubs if you would rather not check them in

If you are flying in, club hire at Soldeu saves you luggage. Book the equipment along with your tee time.

Book your table and spa in advance

After your round, a fine table beckons. Book at the hotel’s restaurants and look through the treatments on the spa menu.

Ask about other activities

The hotel’s website lists climbing, via ferrata, horse riding, rafting and 4×4 and quad routes, as well as helicopter flights. They are good options to ask about for the days you are not playing.