The best golf courses in Portugal

Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is widely regarded as Portugal's premier championship course. Opened in 2007 in the hills of Eastern Algarve, it offers an undulating landscape, panoramic mountain and ocean views, water hazards on eleven holes, and carefully manicured conditioning. The club is renowned for world-class service, luxury accommodations, and its challenging, memorable layout.

CostaTerra Golf & Ocean Club, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2024, is an exclusive, private championship course routed through pine forests, coastal dunes, and heathlands near Melides. Featuring breathtaking Atlantic views and blending harmoniously with protected natural landscapes, the course is a standout example of luxury golf integrated with nature, accessible only to members and their guests.

Palmares Golf (Praia Course) is the pure seaside 9 of the acclaimed 27-hole resort in Lagos, Portugal, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 2010. The Praia nine features authentic links golf with imaginative routing through dramatic sand dunes, sweeping ocean views, and exposure to the Atlantic breeze. It has become one of Portugal's most coveted and picturesque modern links experiences.

West Cliffs Golf Links, designed by Cynthia Dye, is a true links layout nestled along Portugal’s Silver Coast with spectacular Atlantic Ocean views from every hole. Opened in 2017, the course features natural sand dunes, undulating fairways, and sizeable bentgrass greens, making it a challenging and scenic destination for discerning golfers.

Quinta do Lago South Course is a renowned parkland layout in the Algarve, Portugal, designed by William Mitchell in 1974. A favourite with European Tour pros, it is famous for its strategic routing through umbrella pines and lakes with views over the Ria Formosa nature reserve. The course hosts major championships, including eight Portuguese Opens, and provides a challenge for all abilities.

Oitavos Dunes, designed by Arthur Hills, lies within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, blending pines, sandy dunes, and open coastal holes. Its links-style layout is renowned for integrating with the surrounding environment and offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Sintra Mountains.

Troia Golf Championship Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1980, is one of the most acclaimed layouts in Portugal and Europe. Nestled between the Sado Estuary and Arrábida mountains, it features 18 holes of scenic links-style golf, famed for challenging narrow fairways and small greens set among dunes and pine forest, providing breathtaking ocean views.

Dom Pedro Old Course, designed by Frank Pennink, is one of the most iconic courses in Portugal. Opened in 1969 and set among mature pine trees, it is renowned for its challenging parkland layout and consistent conditioning. Renovated in 1997, the course blends classic design with modern playability, offering a premier golf experience in the Algarve.

San Lorenzo Golf Course, designed by Joseph Lee and Rocky Roquemore in 1988, is situated in Quinta do Lago and regarded as one of Algarve's most beautiful and entertaining layouts. The course features undulating pine woodland, saltwater lagoons, and challenging holes that wind through the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, renowned for excellent maintenance and spectacular seaside scenery.

Ombria Golf Club, designed by Jorge Santana da Silva and opened in 2023, is a par 71, 18-hole course set amongst rolling hills and ancient rivers in the Algarve. Noted for its sustainable design and GEO Foundation certification, the course blends seamlessly into the natural landscape, offering a memorable and eco-conscious golf experience with modern amenities.