Golf on the Algarve has become one of the region’s major attractions over the last thirty years and this southernmost province of Portugal is now home to dozens of excellent courses, located in spectacular scenery along this fantastic stretch of coastline.
Nowhere in Europe offers such a great range of terrain and challenges for players of all abilities, and although much of the surrounding countryside is famously arid, every course is set in its own oasis of greenery thanks to an excellent system of water management. Golf facilities in the Algarve are located close to the coast and few are more than a ten minute drive from the sea, making them easy to reach if you are holidaying by the beach.
View Larger Map
The Central Algarve is fast gaining a reputation as one of the world’s premier golfing destinations and deservedly so. Many courses have been designed by professionals and millions of Euros have been invested in first class facilities. Golf holidays in the Algarve are popular with groups of friends, looking for a week away from the bad weather, and are just a short flight from most UK airports. The season runs from autumn to early summer making golf in the Algarve the perfect spot to brush up your swing, when many courses back home are unplayable.
Regular visitors to golf courses in the Algarve will be familiar with the spectacular landscape and fantastic climate, while first time visitors will enjoy not just the fantastic golf in Portugal, but also the great seafood, welcoming people and excellent choice of rental accommodation in Portugal. To help you get the most out of your golf holiday in the Algarve, take a look at ten of its best courses here.
The Millennium Course, Vilamoura
Apartado 970
8125-507 Vilamoura
Tel +351 289 310 333
The final phase of the Par-72 Millenium course is now complete and the new front nine holes, designed by acclaimed course architect Martin Hawtree, join its back half on a delightful amble through spectacular pine forest and rolling parkland, close to the coast. Many of The Millennium’s holes are not just a delight to look at but also to play, and the course has a wonderful undulating charm, making many of its fairways deceptively tricky.
The Millennium offers a great mix of small lakes and bunkers, cannily positioned where you least expect. The cute Par-3s at the third and sixth make a delightful challenge while the Par-5s on the eleventh and final holes beckon big hitters with real Eagle opportunities.
The Laguna Course, Vilamoura
Oceânico Golfe
8125-912 Vilamoura
Tel +351 289 310 180
Consisting of the former south and east loops of what was the original 27-hole Vilamoura course, The Laguna stands in stark contrast to its nearby neighbours offering no pine cover whatsoever. Water hazards are an important part of the course, as the name suggest, and lakes have been incorporated throughout, dominating no less than eleven of its holes.
Close to the coast, much of The Laguna course has a links feel and its abundance of water makes it an important nesting ground for many species of Aquatic birdlife. The developers here are also working on an environmental park nearby and the course has a natural atmosphere, which makes it a pleasure to play. You will need accurate shots from the tees and fairways of La Laguna to avoid the wet stuff, while its open fairways are riddled with strategic bunkers and prone to the occasional gust from the sea.
The Ocean Course, Vale de Lobo
Vale de Lobo
8125-912 Vilamoura
Tel +351 289 353 535
One of the central Algarve’s older courses, The Ocean is actually two former 9-hole venues combined, both designed by Sir Henry Cotton – the man credited with introducing golf to this part of the world. Today, the old Orange 9 has been extended and joins the Green Course, to form one of the most picturesque and devious golf courses in the Algarve.
The course is an undulating stroll, taking players from the water’s edge up to the nearby cliffs and its narrow fairways require respect along with a steady arm. The Ocean Course is best known for its two most demanding holes, the eleventh and fourteenth, both par-4s which challenge players and call for concentration. Elsewhere, the fifteenth is virtually on the beach and the offshore breeze has to be considered at all times.
Pine Cliffs, Falesia
Apartado 644
8200-909 Albufeira
Tel +351 289 500 100
Part of the exclusive 5-star Sheraton cliff top resort, The Pine Cliffs Course sits above some of the finest beaches of the Central Algarve, close to the resorts of Albufeira and Vilamoura. The course is probably best known for its former president Nigel Mansell, who played reguarly when it was The Pine Cliffs Golf and Country Club. This is without doubt one of the most original courses in the region and, as the name implies, is built around the edges of beautiful pine woodlands. Designed by Martin Hawtree and opened in 1990, Pine Cliffs has been sympathetically incorporated into the surrounding countryside.
Pine Cliffs is not long and technical players will love its intricacies, which provide endless challenges regardless of handicap. The course begins with a couple of deceptively straight forward holes, down wide tree lined avenues to pristine greens, but from the third onwards time and patience are needed as Pine Cliffs is no place to hurry your shots. Beware the voracious ‘Devil’s Parlou‘.
The Pinhal Course, Vilamoura
Oceâncio Golfe
8125-912 Vilamoura
Tel +351 289 310 390
Inaugurated in 1976 and designed by the same team as the nearby Old Course, The Pinhal is part of the extensive Oceâncio golf complex and takes a gentle meander through pine forests riddled with ponds and streams. Extensive remodelling has seen several holes enhanced and lengthened while a new clubhouse and practice facilities make Pinhal a favourite with many.
Considered an open course, greens are small and the presence of water and bunkers make precision play essential. The first nine pass villa-lined fairways while the return is a more open affair, over rolling parkland close to the beach. Beware the tricky eighth hole, deceptively short at just 149 metres, it demands attention and a straight drive.
The Vila Sol Course, Vilamoura
Alto do Semino
8125-307 Vilamoura
Tel +351 289 300 505/522
Designed by Englishman David Steele and opened in 1991, The Vila Sol has been sympathetically designed to sit comfortably among the pine, cork, almond and oak trees which surround it. Vila Sol actually consists of 27-holes, divided into three sections, Prime, Challenge and Prestige, each with its own unique challenges, which combine to offer some excellent golf. Accuracy and a good iron choice are crucial, while its tight greens, make Vila Sol one of the most testing courses in the Central Algarve.
The Prestige is the shortest of the three courses, its narrow fairways and hungry bunkers require precision shots and controlled driving. The Challenge has the toughest terrain, especially around its greens, while the Prime offers Vila Sol’s longest holes and sharpest approaches. Vila Sol has a deserved reputation as one of the best maintained golf courses of the Algarve.
The Royal Course, Vale do Lobo
8135-864 Vale do Lobo
Tel +351 289 353 535
Combining original plans by Sir Henry Cotton, with state of the art course design from one of the sport’s leading developers, Rocky Roquemore, The Royal Course opened in 1997. Offering some of golf’s most endearing images, The Royal is set in rolling pine forest and grew from the existing Yellow 9, to become one of European golf’s best loved and well known destinations.
The course’s layout is a wickedly devious mix of challenges, which test every aspect of your game, gradually building to the narrow fairway and misleading green of its final hole. Highlights are the former seventh, now sixteenth, which provides one of the sport’s best known images – the spectacular cliff-top carryover, and the infamous ninth hole with its near island green surrounded by water.
The Old Course
Oceânico Golfe
8125-912 Vilamoura
Tel +351 289 310 341
One of the Algarve’s oldest and best known golf venues, The Old Course, in the heart of Vilamoura originally opened in 1969, but was completely renovated in the mid nineties. Borded by pine woods, the course gently rolls across parkland and has a very British feel. Recent improvements have elevated The Old to new heights without any major changes to its epic layout.
Beginning with two deceptively straightforward par-4s, followed by a real hole-in-one opportunity for straight hitters, the course gradually increases its demands. The back nine has three testing par-5s, including the memorable sixteenth, which runs to 522 metres. The Old Course at Vilamoura, with its unique blend of traditional layout coupled with state of the art design, now competes with the very best European golf venues.
The Victoria Golf Club
Apartado 970
8125-507 Vilamoura
Telephone +351 289 310 333
One of Central Algarve’s more recent additions, and one of its most attractive, The Victoria Course was opened in 2004. Designed by golf legend Arnold Palmer, its former owners planned it to be not just one of Portugal’s premier golf venues, but also one of its most exclusive. Laid out over essentially flat ground, the course consists of man made mounds, simulating a distant horizon, and a series of waterfalls and lakes, which combine to offer players a rich and varied landscape.
The Victoria is the longest golf course in the Algarve and each hole has at least 5 tees, making it ideal for players of all abilities, while its Par-72 championship layout stretches to a mammoth 6560 meters. You will need strength, stamina and cunning to beat its many water hazards and bunkers.
Quinta do Lago South Course
Quinta do Lago Golf,
8135-024 Almancil
Telephone +351 289 390 700
A regular venue for the Portuguese Open, Quinta do Lago comprises of two courses, making it one of the central Algarve’s biggest golf destinations. Both North and South courses are rated among Europe’s top two dozen golf venues and boast excellent facilities including practice areas and first class clubhouses.
Hard hitters love Quinta do Lago South with its big Par-5 holes offering the chance of birdies to the brave, while its shorter, Par-3s are exposed to the offshore wind, making them devilishly tricky to read. Moving anti clockwise in direction, the front nine favours the player who can draw the ball while the return is more about fade and avoiding the hungry lakes of holes 15 and 17.
If all this talk of superb golf courses has left you inspired, why not browse the range of holiday rentals in the Algarve today and book your perfect golfing holiday in Portugal.