The rapidly rising star of European golf, a golf holiday in Portugal gives you plenty of cracking options.Golf in Portugal can be split geographically into two regions: the famous Algarve and the up and coming Lisbon Coast. Both offer an array of beautiful golf courses that have resulted in Portuguese golf holidays gaining the excellent reputation they now have. A great climate, superb cuisine and wonderful golfing means that golf holidays to Portugal are here to stay, so take advantage before they got too popular!

San Lorenzo - Quinta do Lago

Situated in the Quinta do Lago resort and forming part of the Ria Fromosa Natural Park, a round of this course begins with an enticing but almost unreachable par 5 before continuing to the three following holes along rolling, pine-fringed fairways. From the fifth hole, however, the most extraordinary part of San Lorenzo begins, offering wonderful views over the Atlantic Ocean.

At hole 8 the course turns back inland, facing the largest of the lakes. For the next four holes, the course turns seaward again, ending with a remarkable par-4 hole, where the waters of the second lake surround the green.

Quinta do Lago Ocean & Royal - Quinta do Lago

One of the world’s most famous golf courses, Quinta do Lago, part of a resort area favored by members of the international jet set, borders the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Its four nine-hole loops offer sufficient flexibility to allow four, 18-hole combinations, making Quinta do Lago a well-diversified challenge.Identical terrain on all four courses relies on the natural characteristics of sandy soils covered by pine trees, heather and other wonderful wildflowers.

Vale do Lobo

Opened in 1966, Vale do Lobo today serves as the centerpiece of a luxury holiday resort, just 15 miles from Faro International Airport. Its rolling fairways run over sandy ground past eucalyptus, pine, olive and orange trees. From the original 18 holes, golfers have spectacular views of the sea.

The par-3 seventh hole (yellow) really stands out, with 218 meters from a championship tee over three fantastic cliffs, without doubt creating one of the most photographed golf holes in the world.

Vila Sol

Situated at the heart of one of the Algarve’s most developed resort areas between Vilamoura and Quinto do Lago, Vila Sol is a picture postcard of Portuguese golf. This course, which winds through an immense pine wood, where fig trees, oaks and almond trees also feature, is the work of the famous English architect Donald Steel. It is a typical inland golf course of the British school, posing a test of the golfer’s strategic skills.

Vilamoura Old Course

This is the oldest of the three Vilamoura courses that form part of a luxury resort development close to fantastic beaches. The course designer Frank Pennink wanted to create a course in the Algarve that would remind players of those beautiful, challenging inland British courses.

Opened in 1969, the verdant fairways of the course run through surrounding pine trees. This is a very attractive course, with a great variety of holes. The par 3 holes are all different and visually very beautiful, representing the toughest challenge on the course. They require careful selection of irons and near-perfect ball control.

Estoril

One of the oldest and best known golf courses in Portugal, Estoril played a pioneering role for developing golf in Portugal, hosting the Portuguese Open Championship between 1953-1972. The original course layout, designed by Mackenzie Ross, has gone through a number of alterations. The architect made use of pine trees and eucalyptus, which together, with the uneven terrain, make this course challenging in terms of accuracy rather than distance. A short course, Estoril covers 5,200 meters for a par 69, but it provides an engrossing challenge. Internationally known, hole 16 consists of a par 3 and 184 meters.

Penha Longa - Sintra

This fabulous 18-hole course is situated in Sintra, only 20 minutes from Lisbon. It forms part of the Protected Landscape Area of Sintra and Cascais in a region full of historic monuments and wonderful hotels. Robert Trent Jones II, the architect of Penha Longa, designed it to best take account of the steeply sloping terrain and excellent views of the surrounding mountain landscape and the sea. This means that the first three holes, along with the final three, are laid out in a valley, wooded with pines and studded with granite outcrops. Host to the Portuguese Open Championships, golf professionals unanimously voted Penha Longa as one of the best courses on the European circuit (maximum handicap 24 ladies/gentlemen).