Is This The Best Halfway House in The World

Halfway houses are a common feature at both historic golf courses and resort venues, and many of them have gone down in legend, but there is a new kid on the block at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, whose halfway house was named the 'World's Best' at the 2024 World Golf Awards just 15 months after it opened.

At a ceremony on November 22 in Funchal, Madeira, La Hacienda defeated fierce competition from halfway houses across the globe to claim one of the event’s leading accolades.

Blessed with one of the most picturesque settings in European golf, the halfway house is situated between the ninth and tenth holes of the Costa del Sol resort’s acclaimed Links course and enjoys the same panoramic views of the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and the African coastline. Golfers are invited to soak in the views while enjoying freshly made tapas, snacks, drinks and desserts - including at the acclaimed Calma bar - before taking on the second half of the course.

The modern design also exemplifies the resort’s long-standing commitment to the environment, being constructed with sustainable materials and best bioclimatic practices to achieve a carbon footprint of almost zero. 

As well as visiting golfers, members of the public are welcome to use the facility’s restaurant and terrace, which can also cater for private events of up to 200 people.

Elsewhere at the World Golf Awards, La Hacienda was a finalist in the prestigious ‘Europe’s Best Golf Venue’ award, while the Links course was shortlisted for ‘Spain’s Best Golf Course’ for the second year running.

Javier Jimenez-Casquet, director general at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, said: "Throughout the planning and design process, we wanted to create a halfway house experience that went above and beyond anywhere else in golf, and this award vindicates the considerable time, effort and money that we invested into the project.

"We often see players return to the halfway house after they have finished playing golf for the day, and we even get feedback from some golfers that they’re reluctant to leave and carry on with their round!

"We’d like to thank the World Golf Awards and everyone who voted for Calma to make this prestigious honour possible."

The halfway house is one of several significant investments that the acclaimed 36-hole venue has made in the last three years including the reimagined Links course, which reopened in 2022 after a major renovation acclaimed American architect Kurtis Bowman.

Other investments include upgrades to the neighbouring Heathland course and the launch of a new luxury Fairmont hotel and villas in spring 2025.

Underlining the resort’s ambition to become one of the most exclusive and luxurious golf developments in Spain, the Fairmont La Hacienda’s facilities will include 213 hotel rooms and Branded Residences - all of them with impressive views of the sea - outstanding lifestyle facilities including five restaurants and bars, a pool bar and a restaurant on the beach, and a 2,000m² spa.

For more information, please visit https://lahaciendagolf.com/en/.

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