Best golf resorts in the Algarve

Possibly one of the best golf destinations in Europe, the Algarve is home to sun-kissed courses, beautiful beachside hotels, and of course, a superb range of all-encompassing resorts with everything you need on-site. The south-facing rugged, rocky coastline is littered with exceptional places to visit, with plenty of stunning beaches and picture-perfect towns to explore on your trip.

From Amendoeira to Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, we break down the six best golf resorts in the Algarve… enjoy!

Hidden away next to the Monchique Mountains, in Silves (Algarve), Amendoeira Golf Resort is an exceptional four-star resort, perfect for your next Portuguese golf holiday. There is a great mix of modern, self-catering accommodation options on offer, from two-bedroom apartments to three, four and five-bedroom villas – ideal for larger groups. Other facilities across the resort include two outdoor swimming pools, a gym, football pitches and tennis courts.

The resort is also home to two of the best golf courses in the Algarve. The Faldo Course was designed by Sir Nick himself and due to the privileged location of the course, includes cacti, holm oaks, olive trees and desert bunkers. The shorter O’Connor Course is a great contrast to Faldo’s design, with orange groves, more water hazards, and its own self-proclaimed ‘Amen Corner’. A really beautiful golf course which only adds to the allure of this exceptional golf resort.

Monte Rei is a beautiful resort located in the eastern region of the Algarve, 20-minutes north-east of the small, historic town of Tavira. The venue offers an excellent array of accommodation options, bars and restaurants, and most importantly, one of the best golf courses in Portugal.

This par-72 Jack Nicklaus design really is breath-taking, with a list of ingredients that make it one of the Golden Bear's greatest layouts – an abundance of water hazards, extensive bunkering, elevated tees, plenty of doglegs, and natural undulations throughout. The club comes complete with excellent practice facilities and a golf academy – everything you need to warm up for a world-class course.

Inspired by traditional Portuguese architecture, the Monte Rei Villas do a great job at matching the high standard set by the golf course. For smaller groups, we would recommend the linked villas. These are one, two or three-bedroom properties, with terraces, outdoor areas and shared communal pools. And for larger groups, then the unlinked villas include three and four-bedroom properties with fully equipped kitchens, extensive gardens, terraces, and even their own outdoor swimming pool.

To add to this, guests can make full use of the on-site bars and restaurants, including Monte Rei Grill, The Academy Café, poolside Veranda, and the Vistas Rui Silvestre restaurant, which is Michelin starred and a must-visit.

Situated within stunning natural scenery along the Algarve’s iconic coastline just 20-minutes from Faro Airport, Vale do Lobo is perhaps the best golf, beach and spa resort in the country. The relaxed, outdoor lifestyle is an active holiday-makers dream, with two brilliant golf courses, spa and fitness club, tennis courts, football, cycling… the list is endless. And what’s more, guests can stroll down to the local Vale do Lobo beach within minutes, true paradise.

There are 36-holes that make up Vale do Lobo golf club – the Royal Course and Ocean Course. The latter is perhaps the lesser-known of the two layouts, but don’t let that put you off as this track is incredibly varied. As per its name, there is a picturesque selection of ocean holes, some of which are links-like, as well as some which are played between umbrella pines and eucalyptus trees. The universally loved Royal Course is an original Henry Cotton design dating back to the 60s and is often ranked within the top 100 in Europe. This layout is home to the iconic 16th, a clifftop par-3 and one of the most photographed par-3s in the world.

Away from the sports facilities, the resort is also home to a cosmopolitan mix of shops, bars and restaurants, as well as a luxury collection of two and three-bedroom apartments. This is an excellent resort and is also located within close proximity to the heart of the Algarve, Vilamoura, which has a great selection of bars and restaurants with the famous marina at its centre.

Situated adjacent to Dona Filipa and Vale do Lobo, just 20-minutes from Faro Airport, Quinta do Lago is a developing resort town made up of private villas, several well-appointed hotels, a couple of great bars and restaurants, and three of the best-kept golf courses in the Algarve. The North, South and Laranjal courses make up Quinta do Lago Golf, which is a club famous for its Ria Formosa Natural Park backdrop and beautiful umbrella pine trees, as well as its great practice facilities. Each course blends effortlessly into the natural environment and have all had extensive refurbishments within recent years.

There are varying accommodation options, but special attention must be placed on The Magnolia and Hotel Quinta do Lago, which has been a ‘Leading Hotel of the World’ since 1988. The latter is a five-star hotel with a private beach, beautiful coastal views and plenty of restaurants, all within easy reach of the surrounding courses. In contrast, The Magnolia is a unique Miami-style boutique hotel, with 74 sleek guest rooms, three suites and seven exclusive cottages. Here, guests will be extremely well taken care of, with a complimentary shuttle to the Quinta do Lago courses.

Outside of the hotels and courses, the resort town has a myriad of things to enjoy. For those looking to venture outside of their accommodation for food, then Bovino, QDL’s resident steak restaurant, Casa do Lago, the local seafood restaurant, and The Shack Bar & Grill will more than suffice. You really can’t go wrong with any three of these. Away from the essentials of your break, we’d recommend some downtime at the local Quinta Shopping Centre, Praia da Quinta do Lago, and also a visit to Faro old town or Vilamoura marina – which are both within a short transfer away.

Situated in amongst other popular resorts just outside of Faro, Dona Filipa Hotel & San Lorenzo Golf Course is a five-star resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and famous Algarve coastline. The hotel blends traditional Portuguese charm, with 154 rooms ranging from classic twins to premium suites, high-class service, and four restaurants and bars.

The Kamal is the flagship restaurant and international buffet, whilst the Dom Duarte is for gourmet lovers. For a casual drink, then we’d recommend Duques Lounge Bar and/or The Pool Bar, which as the name suggests overlooks the outdoor swimming pool. In addition to this, there are tennis courts, a beach club, a spa & wellness centre, and most importantly, San Lorenzo Golf Course.

San Lorenzo is a truly brilliant track located within the Ria Formosa Estuary and Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, with a couple of fairways played along saltwater marshes. The beautiful natural environment also features iconic umbrella pines, for which the Algarve has become so famous, plenty of lakes on the back-nine and is always kept to a high standard. For a complete golf package, pair San Lorenzo with Pinheiros Altos, which offers 27-holes of olive trees, lakes and perfectly rolling fairways.

As far as value goes, not much can compete with Pestana Gramacho Residences, with both self-catering and B&B options on offer. Consisting of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, and two, three and four-bedroom villas, these stylish private residences are the perfect home away from home for your next golf trip, with exceptional golf right on your doorstep.

The choice of golf on offer at Pestana Gramacho Residences is possibly better than any other resort in the Algarve, with three courses included as part of the resort, two of which are on-site, and the use of two other tracks which are part of the Pestana collection – Pestana Alto Golf Course and Pestana Vila Sol Golf.

Gramacho Golf Club and Vale de Pinta are the two courses located on-site, which weave in and out of the Residences which surround the resort. Both layouts use imported Bermuda grass, strategically placed bunkers, ornamental lakes, and fairways lined with a combination of carob, fig, almond and olive trees. The third course, Silves Golf, is situated 20-minutes away at the foothills of the Monchique mountains – with beautiful mountain views throughout and surrounding countryside of cork and citrus farms.

The local picturesque fishing town of Carvoeiro is a great place to visit during your golf trip, with a beautiful beach (Praia de Carvoeiro), great boat tours, hiking trails and more. All in all, Pestana Gramacho Residences is a fantastic stay & play resort for the more relaxed Algarve lifestyle.