The Algarve leads the world as a golfing holiday destination, and includes 14 championship-standard courses. The climate is ideal - sunshine with a slight breeze from the Atlantic ocean - and the fairways offer spectacular views.The courses all lie to the west of Faro, and all are less than ten miles from the coast.
The terrain is excitingly varied - from the steep climbs of Parque da Floresta to the sea-level flats of the Salgados course. Most courses benefit from distinctive umbrella pine trees and as the pines grow year on year, the courses change to ensure constant variety.
Thanks to the weather, golf is played all year round. The busiest season is from late autumn to late spring, when roads and hotels are less busy. Be prepared for occasional rain and cool mornings and wear regulation tailored shorts with long-sleeved shirts for men. Very few clubs allow jeans to be worn.
Please note, prices are merely a guide and should be checked locally.
San Lorenzo Golf Course
This exclusive and magnificently maintained course, set in the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, has a world-wide reputation and regularly ranks amongst Europe’s top five.
The opening five holes are typical of the Algarve, with undulations and surrounding pine trees. You then you pass along the coastline playing from raised tees. On the back nine the long fifteenth is notable for its number of bunkers.
The two finishing holes are famously treacherous. The eighteenth requires an accurate drive away from the lake before attacking an island green protected by three bunkers.
Address: Quinta do Lago 8135 Almancil
Tel: 289 396 522
Fax: 289 296 908
Description: Eighteen holes, 6238 metres, Par 72
Green fees: £80, nine holes £42, hotel guests £25, buggy £30
Location: Take the Almancil turn off from the EN125 and follow signs.
Click here to return to top of page
Pinheiros Altos Golf Course
Pinheiros Altos is located within the Quinta do Lago estate and Ria Formosa Nature Reserve with its lakes, spectacular views and exquisite flora and fauna.
It is a course of two halves. The first nine follow a hilly pine-covered stretch of land. and the second nine negotiate lakes.
The opening hole is indicative of the accuracy demanded. The first drive has a wide landing but the dog-leg second shot aims for a green protected by pines.
Address: Quinta do Lago 8135 Almancil
Tel: 289 359 910
Fax: 289 394 392
Description: Eighteen holes, 5766 metres, Par 72
Green fees: £54, nine holes £28
Location: Take the Almancil turn off from the EN125 and follow signs.
Click here to return to top of page
Quinta Do Lago Golf Course
This legendary course has hosted the Portuguese Open on seven occasions.
It meanders through the Quinta do Lago estate and Ria Formosa Nature Reserve with a number of lakes offering spectacular views.
At the par 3 fifteenth a long wooden bridge crosses a lake and the green is set amongst the trees. Many consider this Portugal's dream hole.
Address: Quinta do Lago 8135 Almancil
Tel: 289 390 700
Fax: 289 394 013
Description: Eighteen holes, 6488 metres, Par 72
Green fees: £54
Location: Take the Almancil turn off from the EN125 and follow signs.
Click here to return to top of page
Vale de Lobo Golf Course
Two courses are based at Vale do Lobo. The Royal is the main course, opening with an easy par 5 after which the fairways become tighter and the greens better protected.
The par 3 ninth is the most memorable. The green lies on a peninsula built into an artificial lake and is played at different angles depending on which tee you choose to use.
The sixteenth hole is possibly the most photographed in Europe. It is 210 metres long and crosses two ravines. Teeing off on a cliff top is an exhilarating experience, and somewhat nerve-racking on a blustery day.
The other course is the Ocean Course, which is no less difficult and equally scenic.
Address: 8137 Vale do Lobo Codex
Tel: 289 393 939
Fax: 289 393 939
Description: Eighteen holes, 5519 metres, Par 71
Click here to return to top of page
Vilamoura 1 Golf Course
The first of four golf courses at Vilamoura, Portugal's largest private leisure resort. The resort hosts three more golf courses, a modern casino, a marina and an air strip.
This course has become more difficult over time as the umbrella pines lining the fairways have grown. At the par 4 ninth, for example, a wayward tee shot will leave you struggling to regain the initiative from the trees. The par 3 fourth is vintage Pennink. Players are challenged to beat a lake, a huge pine tree and a bunker to reach the green.
Upgraded in 1996, the course is the most popular with both visiting and resident golfers.
Address: 8125 Quarteira
Tel: 289 321 652
Fax: 289 380 726
Description: Eighteen holes, 6254 metres, Par 73
Designer: Frank Pennink
Green fees: £60, buggy £25
Click here to return to top of page
Vilamoura 2 Golf Course
Vilamoura Pinhal (2) is more open than the Vilamoura 1. It rolls through similar pine-laden countryside, however the greens are a little tighter.
The longest hole is the 518 metre par 5 thirteenth. A straight drive is paramount to avoid the deep rough on the left and trees to the right. The second shot is a blind shot over a rise and the approach is flanked by bunkers.
The par 4 eighteenth again demands a large tee shot to beat the rise in the fairway to allow a downward shot to the green. This final approach shot is the hardest on the course.
Address: 8125 Quarteira
Tel: 289 321 652
Fax: 289 380 726
Description: Eighteen holes, 6300 metres, Par 72
Designer: Frank Pennink with upgrades by Robert Trent Jones Junior
Green fees: £38, buggy £22
Location: Off the EN125 west of Faro
Click here to return to top of page
Vilamoura 3 Golf Course
Also known as Vilamoura Laguna, it differs from the first two Vilamoura courses as it is more parkland than tree-lined. Lakes demand accuracy the whole way through.
The real test is the dog-leg fifth hole. A lake lies below the tee and the left fairway leads to the green on the right. The drive must cross the lake but not roll over to the bunkers behind. Choose your clubs wisely.
The final nine are characterised by loud bird calling from the lakes and an ever-present wind. Considered one of the best courses in the country.
Address: 8125 Quarteira
Tel: 289 321 652
Fax: 289 380 726
Description: Three nine hole courses, all Par 36
Green fees: £22
Location: Off the EN125 west of Faro.
Click here to return to top of page
Vilamoura 4 Golf Course
Millennium (4) golf club
Address: 8125 Quarteira
Tel: 289 321 652
Fax: 289 380 726
Description: Eighteen holes, Par
Designer: Arnold Palmer
Location: Off the EN125 west of Faro
Click here to return to top of page
Vilasol Golf Course
Vila Sol became famous in 1992 when it hosted the Portuguese Open within a year of its opening.
It is beautifully kept and requires long iron shots onto the greens. The most memorable hole is the par 5 sixth with its elevated tee. Below lies a fairway peppered with bunkers and water hazards. In the distance are the large hills separating the Algarve from the rest of the country.
Address: Alto do Semino, 8125-3-7 Vilamoura
Tel: 289 300 505
Fax: 289 300 592
Description: Eighteen holes, 6189 metres, Par 72
Designer: Donald Steel
Green fees: £54, nine holes £34
Location: Take the Vilamoura turn off from the EN125 west of Faro.
Click here to return to top of page
Pine Cliffs Golf Course
This course is perched on a cliff top above Falesia, one of the Algarve's most stunning beaches. The 5 Star Sheraton Algarve Hotel overlooks the umbrella pine trees lining the fairways.
The most testing hole is the dog-leg sixth with its small landing area for the drive. The second shot is uphill to a backward sloping green with bunkers in front.
Address: Sheraton Algarve Hotel, Praia da Falesta 82000 Albufeira
Tel: 289 500 100
Fax: 289 501 950
Description: Nine holes, 2274 metres, Par 33
Green fees: £42
Location: Seven kilometers east of Albufeira on the coast. Turn left off the EN125 for Acoteias, west of the Vilamoura turn off.
Click here to return to top of page
Salgados Golf Course
One of the newest courses in the Algarve, it was once an aircraft landing strip and wetland area beside a bird sanctuary.
It has been compared to both a Scottish links course and a water-filled Florida course, and if you enjoy water challenges this course is for you.
The par 4 seventh is rated amongst the best holes in Portugal. The final three holes decrease in difficulty, allowing golfers to ease up after a testing first 15.
Address: Vale do Rabelho, 8200-917 Apartado 2266
Tel: 289 591 111
Fax: 289 591 112
Description: Eighteen holes, 5640 metres, Par 72
Green fees: £28, nine holes £15
Location: Six kilometers west of Albufeira. Turn off the EN125 at Guia.
Click here to return to top of page
Vale de Milho Golf Golf Course
A perfect little par 3 course for beginners and holidaymakers. The longest hole is 164 metres and only irons are needed.
The second hole has a pretty stone wall-lined stream into a large lake. The approach to the green is protected by trees and a bunker.
In the clubhouse you can practice your swing and have it analysed by computer. Visitors can take home videos of their action with professional advice voiced over the top.
Address: Apartado 1273, Praia do Carvoeiro
Tel: 282 358 502
Fax: 282 358 497
Description: Nine holes, 929 metres, Par 27
Designer: David Thomas
Green fees: Nine holes £11
Location: Near Carvoeiro off the EN125
Click here to return to top of page
Vale de Pinta Golf Course
Architect Ronald Fream has used the natural valleys and hillocks to great effect, with nearly all of the century-old olive trees preserved.
Deep greens are protected by 59 bunkers and five sets of tees for each hole allow for different skill levels.
The beautiful third is a dog-leg left, set out from the raised tee. Those trying to cut corners through trees and bunkers will find themselves faced with a treacherous split level green.
Address: Quinta do Gramacho, 8400 Lagoa
Tel: 289 340 900
Fax: 289 340 901
Description: Eighteen holes, 5861 metres, Par 71
Designer: Robert Fream
Green fees: £40
Location: Near Carvoeiro off the EN125
Click here to return to top of page
Alto Golf Course
The course, which was Sir Henry Cotton's last before he died, is built on gentle rolling hills amongst vineyards close to the coast. Views of the sea are matched by views of the Monchique hills behind. The 10,000 trees and shrubs on the course attract many species of bird.
The opening par 3 immediately puts an emphasis on accuracy. The par 4 fourth is played across a valley with a lake to the right, featuring a difficult approach shot to a sloping green. The double dog-leg par 5 fifth is appropriately nicknamed The Serpent.
Another well-named hole is The Giant sixteenth, 660 yards if played from the championship tee. If a player informs the clubhouse beforehand and successfully scores a birdie at The Giant (also known as The Henry Cotton Challenge), he or she will have their name engraved on a special plaque.
Address: Caixa Postal 1, Alvor 85000
Tel: 282 416 913
Fax: 282 401 046
Description: Eighteen holes, 6125 metres, Par 72
Click here to return to top of page
Penina Golf Course
The late Sir Henry Cotton's masterpiece and the course by which he wished to be remembered. Built on rice paddies, Penina is unusually flat for the Algarve.
The par 4 second hole features a long water hazard all the way down the left hand side, which eventually crosses the fairway just before the green. Only straight long driving will allow players to go for the green on the second stroke. Anything else and you will be taking one putt for a par.
There is also a nine hole resort course with some testing holes, and an Academy course for beginners or practice.
Address: PO Box 146, Penina, 8502 Portimao
Tel: 289 420 200
Fax: 289 420 300
Description: Eighteen holes, 5826 metres, Par 73
Designer: Sir Henry Cotton
Green fees: £45, nine holes £25, buggy £27
Location: Four kilometres west of the Portimao and Alvor turnoffs on the EN125.
Click here to return to top of page
Palmares Golf Course
Palmares is an unpretentiousness club set on picturesque hills overlooking the beaches below.
Reminiscent of British courses, it includes a line of five pure links holes between the railway and the beach, with the upper holes set in almond and fig groves.
The most challenging hole is the 550-metre fifth. It is tackled by driving along a thin fairway, after which you can choose to play over the trees direct to the green or play around and take your chances on a single putt.
The course’s famous Almond Blossom Tournament takes place each February.
Address: Meia Praia, Apartado 74, 8600-902 Lagos
Tel: 289 762 953
Fax: 289 762 534
Description: Eighteen holes, 5614 metres, Par 71
Designer: Frank Pennink
Green fees: £32, nine holes £17
Location: The course is at the far end of the beach after you turn off the EN125
Click here to return to top of page
Parque de Floresta Golf Course
This challenging course with its dramatic scenery lies amongst gently rolling hills. It features a number of short holes such as the 120-yard 5th, which has a green sloping away on all sides.
The 9th and 15th holes are tough, with the 9th described as one of the most difficult holes in Europe. Prepare for a drive over a Portuguese garden and a third shot over a creek to a plateau. Success at the par three 15th requires a tee shot across a chasm to a well-bunkered green.
Guests can use the tennis courts, lawn bowling green, gym, outdoor pool and nature trails.
Address: Vale do Poao, Budens, 8650 Vila do Bispo
Tel: 289 695 333
Fax: 289 695 157
Description: Eighteen holes, 5670 metres, Par 72
Designer: Pepe Gancedo
Green fees: £35, nine holes £20
Location: Between Budens and the Sagres turn-off on the EN125.
Click here to return to top of page |
