Golf in Portugal

Please select a region in Portugal.

Anyone who knows anything about golf knows that Portugal is one of the most highly-regarded golfing destinations in the world. For years now, the country has been right up there with the very best when it comes to providing golf-mad holidaymakers with somewhere to escape to and enjoy a spot of sunshine golfing – and this shows absolutely no sign of relenting anytime soon.

Perpetual golfing hostspots, such as the Algarve and Lisbon, are now being supplemented by the up-and-coming likes of the central and northern regions, such is the demand heaped upon the country by golfing holidaymakers.

So where do you begin your golfing adventures in the country? It’s a tough choice that’s for certain, because there are so many fabulous places you could head to.

For instance, why not check out the Lisbon coast towards the Costa Prata, where you will find the marvellous Penha Longa golf resort as well as the fantastic Oitavos golf course, the latter being played along stunning jagged cliff-faces.

Head a little along the coast towards Estoril, meanwhile, and you will find seven tremendous different course layouts to have a go at. Aside from Estoril Golf Course itself – designed by Mackenzie Ross, incidentally – you can also tee it up at the likes of Estoril Sol, Quinta da Beloura and Quinta da Marinha.

Along the south coast in the holidaymakers’ hotspot of the Algarve, and the top courses include Sagres, Lagos and Albufeira. However, the pick of the bunch undoubtedly has to be Vilamoura.

Home to six courses of the very highest order, Vilamoura is to golf in Portugal what St Andrews is to golf in Scotland. In other words, it’s the country’s golfing capital and with very, very good reason.

The Old Course at Vilamoura was founded in 1969 by Frank Pennink, making it the second oldest course in the Algarve and, in the relatively short space of time since, it has cemented a place for itself in the annals of great holiday golf destinations.

It is a regular haunt on the European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, and it is nicely complemented by its less-famous but still more than worthy courses, namely Laguna, Millennium, Pinha, Victoria and Vila Sol.

And of course, the top golfing tracts in Portugal don’t end there. There are plenty to find wherever you look, so what’s to stop you from heading there and finding out for yourself what all the fuss is about. It’s time well spent, we assure you!