One of the finest golfing destinations in Europe, the Algarve in Portugal is widely regarded as a golf lover’s Mecca by top professionals and keen amateurs alike – not to mention a fantastic place to go on holiday.
The plans for the numerous outstanding courses, mostly designed by internationally recognised golf-course architects, together with the superb landscapes in which they are located, satisfy the requirements of the most discerning and demanding enthusiasts, marking out the region as a first-rate destination for golf and greens.
Additionally, the Algarve’s highly favourable weather, which includes 300 days of sun per year, allows the golf season to be extended over several months, attracting players from all over the world to the Algarve.
Why the Algarve? 🇵🇹
When considering going on holiday to play golf in the Algarve, it is a key point that it is the southernmost region of Portugal and the most western point of Europe and so, has an agreeable climate pretty much all-year round – perfect for golfing enthusiasts looking to soak up some rays and escape grey, drizzly weather back home.
May to September is a lovely time to visit, with average temperatures ranging from 17ᵒC in May to 23ᵒC in September, and 12 hours of daily sunshine from May to August, 9 in September – ensuring long and pleasantly warm days out on the greens.
Packed with challenging courses, the Algarve was voted the ‘World’s Best Golfing Destination’ several times by the IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators). From the outset, courses in the Algarve were singled out by Rheingold and Golf Digest Magazines, which ranked the San Lorenzo Course and Vilamoura Old Course among the top 100 golf courses in the world.
Golf courses in the Algarve are blessed with beautiful natural settings, and the freedom to play all year round on internationally recognised courses. Add to this high-quality facility and top course design and you’ll feel on top of your game!
Among the many factors that make the Algarve a top golfing destination include its accessibility and professionally-run transport systems, plus the entire infrastructure that goes into supporting them. There is a network of excellent hotels, transfers and airlines that make access easy and contribute to a memorable stay.
Furthermore, the Algarve continues to be the place chosen to host prestigious international competitions, such as the Portugal Masters, one of the country’s top golf tournaments, the Algarve World Cup and the Taça das Nações.
Where to play 🏌️♀️
Vale do Lobo, Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura – luxurious surroundings & superb landscapes
Known as the “Golden Triangle” (no, not that one), Vale do Lobo, Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura form one of the most attractive areas of the Algarve and, moreover, are the best equipped in terms of golf. Based on the original drawings of the legendary Sir Henry Cotton and restructured by American architect, Rocky Roquemore, the Ocean Golf Course in Vale do Lobo is made up of a Par 72 with a combination of links and fairways, which provides holes of the highest order.
With one of the most famous settings in world golf, the Royal Golf Course is characterised by a daunting Par 3, which drives off the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean – the famous 16th hole, and the most photographed hole in Europe.
Quinta do Lago, including four golf courses and San Lorenzo, shaped like an eight, form a border with the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve. Quinta do Lago Norte is a joint project of architects, William Mitchell, Joseph Lee and Rocky Roquemore and features magnificent Par 5s, which require both power and accuracy; likewise, its Par 4 doglegs demand very precise tee shots.
The course at Quinta do Lago Sul favours the long-hitter, but demands skill and accuracy in positioning the ball in order to get a low score. Another golfing highlight is Pinheiros Altos. Designed by acclaimed architect, Ronald Fream, and comprising two sets of 9 holes: the first nine, following a winding path through the pine trees; while the second nine resting by the still mouth of the Gondra River.
Western Algarve – five-star courses set in breath-taking natural settings
A region renowned throughout Europe for golf, the Algarve has golf courses of recognised quality, many of them designed by leading architects in the field. If we add to this the exceptional natural beauty and wonderful weather conditions that the Algarve has to offer for outdoor sports throughout the year, it is easy to see why the region has been chosen to hold some of the world’s most prestigious competitions.
Framed by a valley that zigzags through steep slopes, the Parque da Floresta – Golf and Leisure Resort – is an impressive arena that has already been the stage for the prestigious Europro Tour.
The well-known Palmares Golf in Lagos is used to organise the Amendoeiras em Flor Tournament in February, when the almond trees are covered in pink and white blossom. Also in Lagos, the Quinta da Boavista course offers beautiful lakes and waterfalls as well as full sea views from nearly all of the holes. In addition, the Monchique mountain range in Leste provides a spectacular backdrop to the Golfe do Morgado and Golfe dos Álamoscourses.
The Le Meridien Penina Golf & Resort, in Portimão is a centre with an excellent course, which has won prizes many times as one of the finest in Europe. It was the first 18-hole course opened in the Algarve and has already hosted the Algarve Open on several occasions.
In Lagoa, the magnificent Quinta do Gramacho course in Carvoeiro, designed by Ronald Fream, now receives the Algarve Ladies Open, a tournament that forms part of the Ladies European Tour.
In Albufeira the Salgados Golf Club combines lakes, waterfalls and rolling sand dunes.
Vilamoura- a bona fide paradise in shades of green
Occupying a privileged location in Portugal, Vilamoura is regarded as a unique European golfing venue. With five 18-hole courses, each of outstanding design and with different levels of difficulty, as well as an elite Golf Academy, Vilamoura tests the skill of professional players to the utmost and provides an exciting challenge for golfing enthusiasts.
The Oceânico Old Course is one of the most well known and acclaimed courses in Europe, its exacting fairways demanding precision owing to the forests of umbrella pine which surround them. The Oceânico Pinhal Golf Course, flanked by a magnificent pine forest, has small greens that require the highest degree of accuracy. The Oceânico Laguna Golf Course is an open course, embellished by waterfalls and the Oceânico Millenium Golf Course, one of the most beautiful courses built in Portugal, combine to form an 18-hole course.
The Victoria Clube de Golfe, with its lakes and waterfalls that make it a genuine hymn to nature, and where major golfing competitions take place, such as the Algarve World Cup or the Portugal Masters, completes the list of golfing options in Vilamoura. This investment in quality has been rewarded with the chance to hold many tournaments there each year.
The Taça do Presidente (President’s Cup), the Grande Troféu de Vilamoura (Vilamoura Grand Trophy) and the Expresso/BPI Golf Cup are the examples most widely praised by amateur players and leading professionals alike.
Eastern Algarve – stunning natural surroundings & tranquillity
The Benamore Golf resort in Tavira has been introduced into an area where, now, golf is starting to emerge as a leisure destination without spoiling, however, its existing character and countryside.
Located in the heart of the Parque Natural de Ria Formosa (Formosa Estuary National Park), the Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima courses, in Vila Nova de Cacela, are among the most beautiful of the region. The Quinta da Ria now hosts the prestigious Europro Tour and theQuinta de Cima, the Algarve Seniors Tour, a competition that forms part of PGA European Senior Tour. Also in this town, at the Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, you are surrounded by a stunning landscape and immersed in total tranquillity.
At Castro Marim, the Castro Marim Golfe and Country Club and the Quinta do Vale Golf Resort provide a thrilling challenge within a natural environment, unique for its panoramic views of the Guadiana River.
Central Algarve – top-class events at Centres of Excellence
Surrounded by an extensive pine forest, the Quinta do Lago courses in Almancil are a veritable paradise on the edge of the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve. The Quinta do Lago Sulhas already been the stage for the Portuguese Open on eight occasions. Also worth a mention is the San Lorenzo Golf Club, in the Ria Formosa, which has won many prizes, being nominated as one of the best courses in Europe.
Another success story is the Vila Sol– Beach, Golf & Country Club in Vilamoura which, only eight months after it opened, hosted the Portugal Open for two years running. Surrounded by pine trees and waterfalls, the different Oceânico courses in Vilamoura provide every type of challenge, even for the most experienced of golfers.
Also well-known in the world of golf, the Vale do Lobo, in Almancil, which has already been host to the Portuguese Open, integrated in the professional European circuit, and the ‘Skins Game’. This resort is the home of the two most difficult and stunning golf courses in Europe: the Ocean Golf Course and the Royal Golf Course, where there is the famous 16th hole, without doubt, one of the world’s most famous settings for golf.
Click here for a 14-day weather forecast in the Algarve, Portugal.
Happy holidays!
© The Algarve Promotion Bureau (Associação Turismo do Algarve)
