Best golf courses: Algarve, Portugal

Algarve, Portugal: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in this country or region. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key for the rating definitions.
3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Cotton, Henry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Sir Henry Cotton (1907-87) designed the course at Alto Golf in 1986; the course opened in 1991.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Faldo, Nick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Nick Faldo

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
O'Connor Jr, Christy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Christy O'Connor Jr.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Cotton, Henry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Sir Henry Cotton (1907-87) designed the course at Benamor in 1986; the course was completed and opened for play in 2000.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Swan, Howard

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Howard Swan

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Murray, Terry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Terry Murray designed all three nines: Guadiana & Atlantico nines (opened 2000) and Grouse-nine (2008).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Fream, Ronald

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Ronald Fream (designed the opening four and closing five holes).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

A Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
European Golf Design

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

European Golf Design

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Setubal
da Silva, Santana

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Setubal

Designer

Jorge Santana da Silva

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Pennink & RTJ II

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Original design by Frank Pennink (1975). Extended to 27-holes and redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Jr (2011).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Cotton, Henry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Sir Henry Cotton

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Hawtree, Martin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Martin Hawtree

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Fream & da Silva

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Original 18-holes designed by Ronald Fream (1989). Additional-nine (holes 4 to 7 of Pines, and 2 to 6 of Corks) designed by Jorge Santana da Silva (2010).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Roquemore, Rocky

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Rocky Roquemore

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Roquemore, Rocky

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Rocky Roquemore

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
da Silva, Santana

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Jorge Santana da Silva

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Mitchell & Lee

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Holes 1-5 and 15-18 were designed by William Mitchell (1974). Holes 6-14 designed by Joseph "Joe" Lee & Rocky Roquemore (1989). Major revamp by Beau Welling & Paul McGinley (2014).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Mitchell, William

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

William Mitchell

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Ballesteros, Seve

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Seve Ballesteros

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Vasconselos & Graves

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Pedro Vasconselos (1994) with later improvements by Robert Muir Graves.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Lee, Joseph

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Joseph "Joe" Lee

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Portimao
Fream, Ronald

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Portimao

Designer

Ronald (Ron) Fream

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Cotton, Henry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Original design by Sir Henry Cotton, with later changes by Rocky Roquemore (2003).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Cotton, Henry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Original design by Sir Henry Cotton, with later changes by Rocky Roquemore (1997).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Lee, Joseph

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Joseph "Joe" Lee

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Hawtree, Martin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Martin Hawtree

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Pennink, Frank

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Original design by Frank Pennink, with later modifications by Martin Hawtree.

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Pennink, Frank

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Original design by Frank Pennink; later modifications by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1985).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Arnold Palmer

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Faro
Steel, Donald

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Faro

Designer

Donald Steel

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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