DESTINATION GUIDE
"Right, same again next year?" Before the transfer back to Faro had even left the resort, we'd already agreed on coming back.
We've been going to the Algarve as a society for six years now. Different hotels, different months, slightly different arguments about handicaps — but the courses stay largely the same because frankly, once you've played Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Penina, you've played some of the finest parkland golf in Europe. Here's an honest rundown of what's actually worth your money and what isn't.
The one everyone wants to play, and for good reason. Immaculate conditioning, wide corridors off the tee that make you feel like a better golfer than you are, and views over the Ria Formosa nature reserve that make you want to stop and take photos instead of playing. It's expensive — you'll be looking at £150-200 a round in peak season — but if you're only playing one marquee course, this is the one. Book direct and book early; tee times go months in advance in July and August.
The 16th hole. That's all you really need to know. It's a par 3 across two clifftops with the Atlantic below and it will either be the best hole you've ever played or the most expensive — depends entirely on whether you find the green or the sea. The rest of the course is demanding and varied, and the conditioning is consistently good. Slightly more character than Quinta, slightly fewer camera phones on the fairway. Our group has a love-hate relationship with it. We keep going back.
Henry Cotton designed it and it shows — this is old-school Algarve golf, flat, tree-lined, strategic. Not as visually dramatic as the cliff-top courses but genuinely one of the best tests of accuracy in the region. Green fees are noticeably more reasonable than the marquee names, and if your society includes a few mid-to-high handicappers who find the exposed layouts punishing, Penina is kinder while still being excellent.
Peak season (July-August) is expensive, hot — genuinely uncomfortable hot for some golfers — and busy. September and October are the sweet spot. Same sunshine, emptier tee sheets, prices 20-30% lower. If your society has any flexibility on timing, go in October. You'll thank yourself.
Plan your Algarve trip in 60 seconds.