Golf Holidays in Algarve

Possibly the most popular golf resort across the Algarve (and perhaps Portugal as a whole), the Quinta do Lago resort combines fabulous facilities with some spectacular golfing experiences that are as much a joy as they are a test of your game.

All three courses at the resort (North, South and Laranjal) offer amazing golf, immaculate presentation and their own unique challenges. In fact, if you only played at Quinta do Lago on your holiday, you’d be in for a treat every time you stepped out onto the course.

But if we had to choose, then the South course is probably the pick of the bunch. A host to the Open de Portugal on multiple occasions, it plays as you’d expect from a tour standard championship course. However, there’s more than enough forgiveness out there to ensure that this can be enjoyed by all golfers of all handicaps.

A fabulous golfing experience, at a fabulous venue in the heart of the Algarve.

Opened in 2007, this Jack Nicklaus designed course has fast become a proper gem and a regular favourite for returning visitors to the Algarve.

It’s a little bit off the traditional track, located up towards the more sedate, but really quite beautiful town of Tavira. And make no mistake, this course is worth the visit.

Beautifully maintained, the course benefits from some of the most spectacular mountain scenery that you’ll find anywhere in the country. And with plenty of water and interestingly placed bunkers throughout, you can be assured of an amazing golfing test.

Every hole has been intrinsically designed to challenge without ever seeking to demoralise, meaning golfers of all levels can enjoy rather than endure their day on the course. A course whose reputation grows year after year, this is one that should feature high on the must-play list.

This is one of the golf resorts that arguably put Algarve on the map as a golfing destination back in the late sixties, early seventies. And, with its two high-end courses snaked around one of the region’s largest luxury complexes, it retains plenty of appeal to today’s golf tourists.

Another former destination for the Open de Portugal, the Royal Course on the resort has gone through a number of renovations over the years to ensure that it retains its popularity and continues to offer a true golfing challenge.

It’s nothing if not spectacular to play, with sweeping views out across the Atlantic, and rolling fairways as easy on the eye as they are challenging to find from the tee.

Without a doubt, the signature hole, that perfectly encapsulates golf at Vale de Lobo, is the 16th. A breath-taking par-3 on the very edge of the sandstone cliffs requires a knee-trembling shot across the sheer gorges to a target close to 220m away.

It's a course worth playing just for this one moment.

If you’re looking for a resort to immerse yourself in quality, challenging golf with luxury, pampering and high-end amenities at your fingertips, then welcome to Mar Menor. In the heart of the picturesque region of Murcia in the South-East of the country, Mar Menor offers not one but SIX championship courses.

Crafted by golfing luminaries such as Dave Thomas and the legendary Jack Nicklaus, this is a golfer’s resort, offering a new challenge every day of your stay. With the luxury of the resort’s 5-star hotel and just an hour from Alicante airport, Mar Menor is a perfect base for a golf break in Murcia, whether for a week or a weekend.

Benefitting from a stunning sandy seaside landscape and the marshland of the adjacent bird sanctuary, San Lorenzo is an elegant course that’s a real treat to plot a path around.

As scenic as it is testing, the fairways are bordered by umbrella pines and the greens are protected by strategically positioned bunkers and natural water hazards. A course that requires concentration and thought. If you’ve got your driver working, then there are good scores to be found.

Rated highly by locals and golf tourists alike, San Lorenzo offers exceptional golf for your group thanks to its natural beauty and clever design. And, just a short drive from Faro and popular resorts like Vilamoura, it’s also ideally accessible.

Another course that dates back to the start of the Algarve golf boom, Dom Pedro’s Old Course was first established in 1969 and has long held a warm place in the heart of local and visiting golfers to the region.

One of the high-quality courses in the Vilamoura area, the old course of the Dom Pedro resort still takes some beating and should be considered a must-play for those staying nearby. The kind of course that will keep you swapping tales of joy and woe as you sip your wine around the marina, well into the night.

Success largely depends on your start when you play Dom Pedro Old Course. Find the fairways over the opening holes and scoring can be good. But things can get tricky soon after. Each exquisite hole offers a true, but fair, test of your game. From sloping greens, ball-catching bunkers and ponds, and doglegs that can spell trouble if your accuracy wavers.