Roda Golf's New Golf Academy Opens for Summer 2026 Bookings

Roda Golf just opened summer 2026 bookings for their brand new academy this month, and I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much. "New golf academy at a resort" could mean anything from a genuinely impressive coaching setup to three rubber mats, a bucket of range balls, and a pro who turns up Tuesday and Thursday if nothing better is on. So I had a proper look at what they're actually offering, stacked it up against La Manga Club's long-established academy down the road, and threw the local freelance option into the mix as well. Three routes to a better golf game. Very different results.

What Roda Golf's New Academy Is Actually Offering

The academy opens for summer bookings from May, which is smart timing. If you're locking in a golf holiday here for July or August, you can now build in some coaching around your rounds rather than treating it as an afterthought.

The setup includes PGA-qualified coaching, a dedicated short game practice area with bunkers and a chipping green, video analysis, group clinics pitched at beginners and improvers, and junior programmes running through the school holidays. That last one matters more than you'd think. If you're travelling with family, having a junior clinic available while the adults get a 45-minute session means everyone's occupied until 11am, and then you're all back at the pool. That's genuinely useful holiday logistics.

Pricing for private lessons is expected to sit around €60–75 for 45 minutes, with group clinics coming in at roughly €30 per person. For the area, that's competitive. And if you're staying in one of the holiday rentals near Roda Golf, the walk-out-the-door convenience changes the equation entirely. You're not factoring in a hire car, a fuel stop, and 30 minutes each way baking in the heat.

La Manga Club's Academy: Still the Benchmark, But at a Cost

La Manga Club has been running their academy for years and it shows. Three full courses, a dedicated coaching facility, TrackMan launch monitors, and coaches with serious credentials. If you want the high-tech, comprehensive instruction experience in Murcia, La Manga is still the place to go. No argument there.

The trade-offs are real though. A private lesson at La Manga will typically run €90–120 depending on the coach and the package. The resort itself has a corporate, hotel-group feel that some people love and others find a bit cold. And it's a 25–30 minute drive from Roda Golf through the Los Alcazares road network, which sounds manageable until you're doing it in a rental car in 38-degree heat with the kids arguing over the air conditioning.

Roda Golf is smaller. The bar's friendly. You'll see the same faces every morning. That familiarity means the coaches actually learn your game over a few sessions rather than treating each lesson as a standalone transaction. For a lot of golfers, that ongoing relationship ends up being worth more than the technology gap. You can read more about the courses and what to expect from each layout on the golf course information page.

The Freelance Coach Option (Don't Overlook This)

There's a third path that doesn't get enough attention: the independent PGA pros working around the Mar Menor area who'll come to whatever course you're playing and give you an on-course lesson. Not a bay session. An actual round-in-progress lesson, watching you play real holes under real conditions.

For mid-to-high handicappers especially, this is often the most effective coaching available. Range lessons teach you to hit range balls. On-course coaching teaches you to play golf. The difference is significant. Rates vary but typically come in somewhere between the Roda Academy and La Manga pricing. The downside is availability in peak summer, so if this sounds like your kind of session, book early.

Which Option Actually Suits You

Here's the honest breakdown. If you're on a proper golf improvement trip, you want TrackMan numbers, and you're happy driving to La Manga and paying premium prices, then their academy is worth every euro. It's a quality operation.

If you're on a holiday that happens to include golf, you want to sharpen a couple of areas without coaching taking over the trip, and you've got kids who need junior sessions, the new Roda Academy is the obvious choice. The convenience factor alone makes it win for most families staying locally. The fact the pricing is reasonable just seals it.

And if your problem is course management rather than swing mechanics, call around for a freelance pro and get out on the course together. It's a different kind of coaching but often the one that actually shifts your handicap.

My preference? For a typical fortnight at Roda in July, I'd do two sessions at the new academy early in the trip to sort out whatever's gone rusty over winter, then maybe one on-course session with a freelance coach in the second week once I've had a few rounds to identify the real problems. La Manga stays on my radar for the day I want to book a dedicated coaching long weekend rather than weaving it around beach days and cervezas in Los Alcazares.

Summer slots at the Roda Golf Academy will go quickly, particularly weekends in July. If you're planning a trip and want to combine coaching with time on the Mar Menor, it's worth getting in early. Send an enquiry to the Roda Golf team and they'll confirm availability and current pricing for your dates. More ideas for making the most of the area are over on the resort blog.