The Real Club de Golf El Prat, over a century serving European golf
The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship begins its journey at one of the leading Spanish golf clubs: the Real Club de Golf El Prat. With more than a century of history and experience organising more than 250 tournaments, the Barcelona club once again welcomes the DP World Tour, consolidated as a European benchmark and ready to expand the legacy of its century-old history.
Founded in 1912 as Barcelona Golf Club and later renamed Golf Club de Pedralbes, it initially had a nine-hole course located in the upper part of Barcelona. The growth of the city and the burgeoning popularity of the sport forced the club to seek a new location, which was found in El Prat de Llobregat, from where it took its final name.
The prestigious architect Javier Arana designed the new course, which opened at the end of 1955. A year later, it hosted the 1956 Spanish Open, a tournament that marked a turning point in the Club’s international profile.
The El Prat facilities hosted eight Spanish Opens, with winners including Peter Alliss (1956), Peter Thompson (1959), Guy Wolstenholme (1963), Dale Hayes (1971), Brian Barnes (1978), Severiano Ballesteros (1981), Thomas Bjørn (1998) and Jarmo Sandelin (1999).
The best players at the time, such as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Raymond Floyd, Tony Jacklin, Tom Watson and Severiano Ballesteros, competed at many other international tournaments held at El Prat. Some of these events were the 1977 Barcelona Cup (won by Tom Watson) and the two editions of the Johnnie Walker Trophy invitational tournament won by Lee Trevino and Peter Jacobsen in 1980 and 1982.
In the 1980s, the Club held a high profile on the European Tour schedule thanks to the Sanyo Open, played between 1983 and 1986, with winners such as Des Smyth, Sam Torrance, Severiano Ballesteros and José María Olazábal; and the Torras Hostench Barcelona Open, won by David Whelan in 1988.
The expansion of Barcelona Airport forced the Club to seek a new location, which was found on the Bonvilar estate, a 220-hectare plot located in the ecological corridor linking the Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac and the Parc Natural de Collserola, between Terrassa and Sabadell.
Australian champion Greg Norman was responsible for designing the 45 holes that make up the current club, which opened in 2003. The Pink course stands out for its demanding nature and beauty and will be the venue for the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship from May 7-10.
The new facilities made their debut as DP World Tour venue with the 2011 Spanish Open, an edition that is particularly memorable for all fans because during the tournament Severiano Ballesteros sadly passed away. Thomas Aiken was the winner that year and England’s James Morrison won in 2015.
The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship joins the 250+ tournaments held at the Club throughout its history, including those on professional men’s and women’s tours as well as numerous elite amateur events.
As Bruno Rosal Garcigoy, president of the Competition Committee at Real Club de Golf El Prat, explains, ‘the club has always been synonymous with high-level competition and, since its inception, has contributed players to all national teams. We are the most successful club in the Spanish Interclub Championship, and at the professional level, many members have earned his playing rights in the European Tour/DP World Tour.’
In his opinion, holding this new tournament will help to continue fostering enthusiasm among the youngest fans. ‘Children have always watched the best players of the moment at the club, and with this new event that we are hosting, we are continuing that tradition.’
Tickets for the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, with a 25 % discount for RFEG members and free access for children under 13, can be purchased here.
The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, a DP World Tour tournament included in the Race to Dubai as first event of the European Swing, is held thanks to the essential collaboration of the Real Club de Golf El Prat. It is sponsored by Estrella Damm and will kick off the Road to 2031 Ryder Cup, a journey that will end at the 2031 Ryder Cup to be held at Camiral.