Desert Springs Resort, Europe’s only international award-winning luxury family resort and championship desert golf course in the Almeria region of Andalucía, south-east Spain, will proudly host the Global Junior Golf Tour through the Desert Springs Junior Championship, a prestigious 54 Hole individual stroke play event with a field limited to 72 players between Thursday 22nd and Sunday 25th January, 2026.
Established in 2010, Global Junior Golf aims to broaden the appeal of golf and offer talented young players access to elite-level competitive experiences. The organisation provides a premier platform for junior golf tournaments, distinguished by professional event standards, a welcoming family environment, stunning venues, and a core focus on player development and career progression.
For over 15 years, Global Junior Golf has partnered with leading international venues to host professionally organised junior golf tournaments, all of which are ranked by WAGR, EGR, and JGS. In 2025, junior players will have the opportunity to compete in over 50 tournaments worldwide.
THE INDIANA COURSE – DESERT SPRINGS RESORT, ALMIERÍA, ANDALUCÍA, SPAIN
The Desert Springs Junior Championship is co-sanctioned by the Global Junior Golf Tour and 23golfleague and is open to both boys and girls who are members of either tour. All entrants must also be members of a registered golf club. To be eligible, junior golfers must meet specific handicap requirements: boys in the Under-14 category must have a handicap of 14 or lower, while those in the Under-18 and Under-23 categories must hold a handicap of 7 or lower. For girls, the handicap limit is 20 for the Under-14 category, and 9 for both the Under-18 and Under-23 categories.
This event promises to deliver high-level competition at a world-class venue, further cementing Desert Springs Resort’s position as a premier destination for elite junior golf.
Desert Springs Sales & Marketing Manager & Director of Golf, Simon Coaker commented:
“We are thrilled to partner with Global Junior Golf to host the Desert Springs Junior Championship and play a role in nurturing the future stars of the game. The Desert Springs Junior Championship not only offers players the chance to test themselves against the best, but also to experience tournament
conditions that mirror the professional stage. This aligns perfectly with our long-term vision of supporting youth development in golf. We remain committed to providing a memorable and inspiring experience for every participant and their families.”
NOTE TO EDITORS
About Desert Springs Resort
Opened in 2001, Desert Springs Resort has established an international reputation for outstanding quality, attracting discerning golfers, international elite amateur teams and professionals, as well as major international events, including two Spanish Amateur Opens, three PGA Europro Tour Championships, and has been host on six occasions to the DP World Tour 2nd Stage Qualifying School.
Resort accommodation is provided in the apartments, townhouses and villas available for holidays and short breaks at Desert Springs Resort. Meals are served in the resort’s Croc Restaurant, part of the family-friendly Crocodile Club that is geared up for a wide variety of leisure activities, and the award-winning El Torrente Restaurant at the Club House.
Visiting golfers benefit from resort gated security and full management and services that ensure all aspects of a golfer’s stay are taken care of. These include airport transfers, food hamper deliveries, and both resort and off-resort restaurant reservations.
Desert Springs Resort is served by three international airports, Almeria 45 minutes, Murcia/Corvera 70 minutes and Alicante 110 minutes away by car, making the area easily accessible with 2 1⁄2 hour chartered and scheduled flights from all parts of the UK and Ireland, as well easy access from the rest of Europe.
Desert Springs Resort
Facilities at Desert Springs Resort include:
- The Indiana course, a par 72 -18-hole USGA specification golf course, designed by former Great Britain and Ireland Golf Team Captain Peter McEvoy, who was inspired by the desert courses of Arizona and California;
- A golf academy whose PGA qualified teaching professionals cater for several international teams, for many of the English County Union’s elite squads; DP World Tour and LET players.
- Tennis and padel courts, beach volley ball and two football pitches – one is a full-size grass pitch; the other is designed for five-a-side games;
- An ICC accredited cricket ground with an eighteen (18) wicket square, constructed to ECB standards and specifications open all year round. Complimented by a marquee pavilion, sightscreens, scoreboard, sprint strips, and associated facilities
- A cricket academy with facilities that comprise; twenty-four (24) grass wickets and run up with nets, requisite training equipment.
- A Spanish colonial style Golf Club House with a lounge, bar, restaurant, locker rooms, TV and reading rooms, and Golf Boutique;
- The Crocodile Club which provides family fun at the heart of the resort with pools, equipped sand play areas, as well as a Jacuzzi, sun lawns and a pool bar;
- A health and fitness club and spa.
Awards
Desert Springs Resort was awarded Best Golf Resort for Groups in Europe by the European Group Travel Awards (EGTA) and has been recognised within the Today’s Golfer Top 100 Golf Resorts in Continental Europe and National Club Golfer Top 100 European Resorts. Based on reviews from players who rated The Indiana course on the Leading Courses website, it has been recognised as the 16th Best Golf Course out of 402 in Spain and awards Desert Springs Golf Club with the “Golfers Choice Outstanding” badge.
Desert Springs Resort has been awarded the Daily Mail Best Almeria Award and the Bentley International Property Awards for the Best Spain Development and Best Architecture, as well as the Spanish National Madera Verde Prize for Environmentally Sensitive Development & SICTED award for the distinction of “Commitment to Tourism Quality”. El Torrente Restaurant has received the New Millennium International Gastronomy Award for the Tourist, Hotel and Catering Industry. This award was created by the Trade Leaders Club with the aim of distinguishing companies from all countries, for the outstanding quality of their products or services.
The climate of the Almanzora coastal region
Desert Springs Resort takes its name from the region’s desert microclimate, which is unique in Europe. It has the warmest winter weather on the continent with an annual average of more than nine hours of daily sunshine and maximum daily temperatures of between 16°C (60°F) and 30°C (86°F) throughout the year. Annual rainfall is less than 200mm. The Almanzora coastal waters are among the cleanest and warmest in Europe, attracting both fish and diving enthusiasts.
Reader enquiries: NOTE: High Resolution Images available upon request. |
Simon Coaker
Desert Springs Resort Sales & Marketing Manager & Director of Golf Ctra. Las Cunas, Palomares, s/n, 04618 Cuevas del Almanzora, Almeria, Spain Tel: +34 678 235 716 E: scc@almanzora.com W: desertspringsresort.es |



