Roda Golf Resort Announces August 2026 Tournament Calendar

I was sitting at the bar in the clubhouse last Thursday, nursing a cold Estrella after nine holes (I'd called it quits by eleven, sensible decision in June), when Phil from the society group dropped a printed sheet on the counter in front of me. "August," he said, tapping it twice. "They've gone and packed it full."

He wasn't wrong. Roda Golf's August 2026 tournament calendar has just been confirmed, and it's the most ambitious summer programme the resort has put together in a few years. For those of us who live locally and actually play through the Spanish summer rather than fleeing back to Blighty, this is genuinely good news. There's always been a worry that August gets treated as a write-off, something to survive rather than enjoy. Not this time.

What's on the August Calendar

The month opens with the Mar Menor Summer Stableford on the 2nd and 3rd of August, a two-day individual competition that's been a firm fixture for local members and visiting golfers alike. It runs across both weekend days, which makes it easy to slot around family commitments if you've got relatives visiting. Entry is open to non-members with a current handicap certificate, so if you're staying in one of the holiday rentals near Roda Golf and fancy a proper competitive round, this is the one to enter.

Mid-August brings the main event: the Roda Golf August Classic, scheduled for the 14th to 16th. Three days, strokeplay format, with separate divisions for handicap bands. Last year's equivalent drew players from five countries, and the buzz around the clubhouse suggests this edition will be bigger. The resort has apparently confirmed a few sponsored prizes that are worth playing for, though I won't spoil that quite yet.

Rounding off the month on the 29th and 30th is the Costa Cálida Pairs Scramble, which is exactly what it sounds like: two-person teams, scramble format, probably the most social and least stressful competition of the summer. I've played it twice before and both times ended up having lunch with people I'd never met, which is half the point really.

Playing Roda in August: What You Actually Need to Know

Anyone who tells you August golf in Murcia is straightforward hasn't done it. The course plays differently to how it does in spring or autumn, and if you're coming from the UK expecting something similar to your home club in July, you're in for a surprise.

Start times matter enormously. The tournament organisers know this, and I'd expect morning shotgun starts well before nine. On competition days you'll want to be on the first tee as the sun clears the low hills rather than already beating down from directly overhead. The fairways bake hard, which actually helps distance, but the greens firm up quickly and holding a shot becomes tricky by mid-morning.

Hydration is the obvious one, but people still underestimate it. Carry more water than you think you need. The course has water stations at key points but on a hot August morning you'll get through a litre before you reach the fifth. I know people who've had to withdraw from competitions mid-round for exactly this reason, and it's entirely avoidable.

The Roda Golf course itself rewards local knowledge in summer particularly. The prevailing wind off the Mar Menor can actually provide some relief during the hotter rounds, but it shifts direction in the afternoon and plays havoc with club selection on the approach holes. If you're playing a practice round before the competition, take notes.

The Social Side of the August Programme

What I like about Roda's summer calendar is that it doesn't pretend the competitive golf is the whole story. The evening after the Pairs Scramble last year, about forty of us ended up at a chiringuito down towards Los Alcazares, the kind of place that has plastic chairs and the freshest dorada you've ever eaten. Nobody planned it. Someone mentioned they knew the place, and it snowballed from there.

The resort is good at letting those things happen organically. There's a prizegiving evening planned after the Classic on the 16th, which I'm told will be held outside on the terrace rather than crammed into the function room. August evenings around here, once the heat breaks around half eight or nine, are genuinely lovely. The sky over the Mar Menor does things with colour that you don't get further north in Europe, and sitting out there with a glass of something cold after three days of competitive golf feels like a proper reward.

If you're bringing family who aren't golfers, the timing actually works well. Non-playing partners and kids have August covered in this area without much effort. Santiago de la Ribera and Los Alcazares both have decent beaches a short drive away, Lo Pagán has the famous mud baths if anyone fancies a slightly strange afternoon, and the Wednesday market in Los Alcazares is worth an early morning visit. There's enough here to keep everyone busy while you're on the course.

Getting Signed Up

Registration for the Mar Menor Summer Stableford opens this week, and if the past few years are any guide, the Classic fills up quickly once August entries go live. For members, booking goes through the usual pro shop process. Visiting players and those staying in the area temporarily should get in touch directly to check availability and confirm eligibility requirements, which vary slightly by competition. The Roda Golf enquiry page is the quickest route if you've got specific questions about entry for non-members.

Phil folded up his printed sheet and tucked it back in his golf bag. "I'm entering all three," he said. I told him he was a braver man than me in August. He grinned. "That's the point, isn't it?"

He's not wrong about that either. If you're going to be here anyway, you might as well play. For more on what's happening around the resort through the summer, the resort news section is being updated regularly as announcements come in. And if you're still sorting out where to stay for the August tournaments, there's a good range of accommodation options close to the course worth looking at sooner rather than later. August fills up fast around here.