Spend Your Golf Holidays At Portugal
Portugal has been long known for its beautiful beaches, ideal climate, and relaxed lifestyle, but it is also a spectacular place to spend a Golf Holidays.
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With hills, white cobblestone streets and a massive castle looming above, Lisbon has been considered the San Francisco of Europe and is an ideal place to start. From there, a trip to the Algarve coast to enjoy the fresh seafood, crystal-clear waters and spectacular rock formations provide travelers a host of activities to complement their rounds on some of the most picturesque golf courses in Europe.
So when you’re looking to hit the links in Portugal, be sure to check out this lineup.
Oitavos Dunes
Cascais
Located on the most westerly tip of Europe, Oitavos Dunes Golf Club mixes wondrous views of the Atlantic Ocean with a magnificent backdrop of the Sintra Mountains. The course was designed by renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills. The course is a perfectly natural course located on an elevated piece of land overlooking the ocean and features lush, well-groomed fairways to accompany the lightning-fast greens. Perfect for a quick walk on the greens wearing your favorite golf shirt.
Rated by Golf Magazine as one of the top 100 courses in the world, the par-71 tract measures just over 6,300 metre from the back tees and features a mix of woodland style and links-type holes.
Quinta do Lago, South Course
Algarve
One of the most exclusive golf experiences in all of Europe, the Quinta do Lago Resort features three golf courses located as part of the Natural Park of Ria Formosa. Known as the Jewel of the Quinta do Lago crown, the South Course, designed renowned architect William Mitchell, has hosted eight Portuguese Opens and was listed as one of the top five courses in Golf World magazine’s listing of the Top 100 golf course in Continental Europe in 2018.
A favorite among European Tour professionals, the South Course is one of the most famous in the area and has seven times played host to the Portuguese Open. Even with the championship pedigree, the par-72 layout features pine-lined fairways, bold bunkering and several water features providing an eye-catching layout for golfers of all skill levels.
Monte Rei Golf Club
Vila Nova de Cacela, Algarve
The Monte Rei Golf Club is one of just a few Jack Nicklaus “Signature” design courses in Europe, and is the first in Portugal. Located away from the concentration of courses in the Albufeira area, Monte Rei is set in the picturesque foothills of the Eastern Algarve, with sweeping views of the Serra do Caldeirão mountains to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.
The par-72 course measures 6,567 metres from the Tournament Tees and features numerous water hazards along with some highly strategic bunkering, creating a challenge for even the best of players. While Monte Rei is a public course, the club’s attention to detail and service provides guests with a private-club feel.
San Lorenzo Golf Club
Quinta do Lago, Algarve
In order to play the San Lorenzo Golf Club, guests must stay at the Dona Filipa Hotel and even such, the course is one of the most popular in Portugal. Located on the southeast corner of Quinta do Lago, the Bermuda grass fairways wind throughout an undulating pine woodland that borders the estuary and saltwater lagoons.
The 18-hole, par-72 course was designed by American golf architect Joseph Lee and is laid out in a figure-eight pattern with the magnificent San Lorenzo Clubhouse at the heart.
Vale do Lobo, Ocean Course
Algarve
Algarve’s oldest golf resort, Vale do Lobo is the largest luxury resort in Portugal. The 18 holes at Vale do Lobo were built in the early 1960s, but the original layout was split in two to form the Ocean and Royal courses.
The Ocean Course provides a solid, sandy layout and is the more open of the two nines. The handful of ocean holes, which is the source of the name are beach holes that will lead you closer to the sea than any other course in Algarve. Holes are flanked by umbrella pines and eucalyptus trees, with the greens set in beach-front sites and even features a links-type hole.
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