Arabella Golf Mallorca (Son Quint) – Review and Rating

Arabella Golf Mallorca is not only the largest golf resort in Mallorca, it is in fact the largest golf resort in all of Spain.

Each of the three 18-hole courses at Arabella Golf has its own clubhouse, including the brand new one at Son Vida, but it is hard to talk about Arabella without mentioning the two hotels, Sheraton Arabella and Castillo Son Vida. With the same owner for all three courses and the two hotels, services and packages are intimately linked. You can of course come up to Arabella and play a course as a greenfee guest, but, in all honesty, staying and getting pampered at one of the hotels, and playing all three courses is what makes the experience special.

The Courses

Golf Son Vida is the oldest of the three courses, it is in fact the oldest of all the courses in Mallorca, opened in 1964. First to play the course was Prince Rainer of Monaco, followed by many famous names, not the least of which was Seve Ballesteros.

The second course to be added was Son Muntaner, which opened in 2001. Son Muntaner is a modern championship layout, not for the faint of heart.

The most recent course is Son Quint, opened in 2007. Son Quint is a bit of a mix, with some of the holes in Son Vida style, and some more like Son Muntaner. Overall, this is the friendliest and easiest of the three.

There's also a nine-hole executive course.

Practice Areas

The driving range and most of the practice areas are located at the Son Muntaner course. You can ride on the shuttle to get there, or simply take your golf cart.

The Hotels

There are two hotels next to the golf courses. Both hotels are part of a free golf shuttle loop that connects the hotels and the three courses.

Sheraton Arabella is a modern five star hotel, located just behind the 18th green at Son Vida Golf. The hotel was completely renovated in 2013, and now has everything you can ask for including several fine restaurants and a full-service spa. The rooms are well appointed, and, notable these days, everything works just as you expect it to. Too many hotel renovations these days result in beautiful rooms, but with solutions that require a Ph.D for simple actions like turning off the lights or adjusting the shower temperature. Not so at Arabella, here everything just works. A very nice hotel indeed.

Castillo Son Vida was, in spite of the name, never a castle, but the property has a long and vivid history, going all the way back to the 13th century. However, in the mid-20th century, it was converted into hotel. In 2006 it was completely renovated into the 5+ star experience it is today.

Castillo Son Vida still retains the castle feeling, with high ceilings and magnificent paintings by Mallorca’s most famous artists. Sitting on the outdoor terrace overlooking the city of Palma, you can imagine yourself being the king of the castle, looking out over your estate, watching the farmers golfers toiling below.