Faldo’s course at Amendoeira calls for golfers to play strategically, avoiding the desert scrub bunkers, rocky outcrops, wandering water hazards and olive trees that lurk in wait for errant shots.
Faldo’s course at Amendoeira calls for golfers to play strategically, avoiding the desert scrub bunkers, rocky outcrops, wandering water hazards and olive trees that lurk in wait for errant shots.
4.5
A stunning course set on hilly, undulating terrain, with excellent par 3s and a real sense of theatre as you climb up to elevated tees and drop down to greens below.
It’s a little rugged in places compared to its sister, the O’Connor, which is the flatter, gentler track. This is the hillier of the two, and that’s much of its charm. There are some big climbs along the way, and the playing-down holes are excellent. Take a buggy. It’s too long and too hilly otherwise.
It’s an excellent test of golf and feels genuinely unique. A desert-style aesthetic, with cacti, wild herbs, holm oaks and olive trees, and crushed-limestone scrub bunkers, plus views out to the Monchique mountains. Both length and accurate positioning are required; miss the fairway and you can end up in waste areas, rocky outcrops or scrub with no real shot.
Pace of play can be a bit poor likely due to its popularity as group holidays - and the higher handicappers will find it punishing.
Overall, I would recommend - particularly on a stay and play.
James Williams
Rating Breakdown
Strategy
Green Complexes
Variety
Facilities & Amenities
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
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Portugal's golf scene has undergone a dramatic transformation. A course outside the Algarve claims the number one position, whilst six new entries reshape the rankings and historic venues stage remarkable comebacks. The 2026 Update Top 50 reveals unprecedented movement across all regions, with Lisbon & Central emerging as the nation's new powerhouse. View the complete Top 50 Golf Courses of Portugal Ranking 2026 Ranking Update: A Historic Reshaping With approximately 86 eighteen-hole courses spread across five distinct regions, Portugal continues to deliver exceptional quality relative to its modest course inventory. The 2026 Top 50 represents the most volatile ranking in the country's modern history, with only four courses maintaining their previous positions. A deeper-than-ever panel of well-played locals and international contributors helped make this the best yet. 2026 Top 50 At A Glance Power Shift at the Summit Terras da Comporta (Dunas) is in the number one position, marking the first time since 2008 that a Lisbon & Central course has claimed Portugal's top ranking after a full ranking refresh. Monte Rei (North) holds at number two after a fifteen-year reign as undisputed champion, whilst Quinta do Lago (South) surges three places to third, reclaiming the podium and establishing itself as the Algarve's premier traditional resort course. Six Dramatic New Entries The 2026 rankings welcome six courses, all entering the Top 25: UPDATE - 22 Jan 2026 - Troia Golf – Robert Trent Jones Snr's 1980 design returns triumphantly after resolving conditioning issues from early 2025. The course has new ownership and management, and in 2026, it will be closed for play. We had it ranked 4th upon the release of the ranking. As soon as we know more, we will update the ranking. #8: Pinheirinho Comporta - formerly known as Herdade do Pinheirinho #10: Terras da Comporta (Torre) – The second Comporta layout establishes the region as Portugal's premier new destination #13: The Els Club Vilamoura – Ernie Els Design brings modern championship standards to the crowded Vilamoura market #18: Montado Hotel & Golf Resort – Continues Lisbon & Central's emergence as golf's growth region #21: Ombria Golf Course – Fulfils 2023's prediction as the anticipated Algarve newcomer The Biggest Climbers Pine Cliffs Resort: Enters the Top 50 at #38 Quinta do Vale: Up 16 places to #32, proving Seve Ballesteros's vision endures Vilamoura Golf (Millennium): Up 14 places to #31 Boavista and Benamor: Both enter the Top 50 at #40 and #45, respectively Salgados Golf Club: Up 12 places to #37 Dom Pedro (Pinhal) and Dom Pedro (Laguna): Both up 10 places, strengthening Vilamoura's portfolio Best Portuguese Golf Courses by Region Lisbon & Central firmly establishes itself as Portugal's quality leader despite the Algarve's numerical dominance. The Silver Coast and Comporta corridor – anchored by West Cliffs, both Terras da Comporta layouts, and Praia D'El Rey – forms one of Europe's most exciting coastal golf destinations. Algarve maintains the majority of the Top 50, demonstrating depth across western resort clusters (Vilamoura, Vale do Lobo, Quinta do Lago) and eastern championship venues (Monte Rei, the Quintas da Ria and de Cima). Quinta do Lago's three-course portfolio places all layouts in the Top 20, whilst Vilamoura's renaissance sees five courses ranked, including The Els Club's impressive top 15 debut. Porto & North contributes just one ranked course, but Estela Golf Club's rise to #11 proves quality over quantity. The links layout north of Póvoa de Varzim remains the finest golf north of Lisbon. Madeira & Porto Santo and Azores together provide four island courses, led by Santo da Serra at #24 and Furnas at #22. These Atlantic outposts offer distinctive golf within spectacular volcanic and subtropical settings. What the Rankings Tell Us Lisbon & Central's Renaissance The capital region's emergence represents Portuguese golf's most significant geographical shift in two decades. With Terras da Comporta (both Dunas and Torre), West Cliffs, Herdade do Pinheirinho, Oitavos Dunes, and Praia D'El Rey all positioned in the top thirteen, Lisbon's coastal corridor now rivals the Algarve for championship pedigree. The Silver Coast's clifftop terrain and Comporta's duneland provide dramatic settings that contrast sharply with the Algarve's more manicured resort aesthetic, generally speaking. Monte Rei's Graceful Transition Jack Nicklaus's only Portuguese design, Monte Rei's #2 position and Continental Europe Ranked status confirm its historic pedigree. The heavily sand-protected holes around attractive water hazards remain Portugal's purest championship test. Vilamoura's Four-Course Surge All four previously ranked Vilamoura courses climbed positions, whilst The Els Club debuts at #14. This collective rise seems to indicate continued improvement across the resort's five-course portfolio well-received by the panel. Historic Summary of Portugal’s Rankings 2014: Establishing the Foundation Portugal's Top 40 emphasised quality over quantity, with Monte Rei commanding the summit and the Algarve providing the lion's share of ranked courses. Royal Obidos entered at #20 as Seve Ballesteros's final architectural work, whilst Palmares climbed following Robert Trent Jones Jr's comprehensive remodel. The eastern Algarve quintas – Monte Rei, Quinta da Ria, and Quinta de Cima – established the region as Portugal's championship heartland. 2016: Mid-Decade Momentum The fifth edition maintained Top 40 structure whilst showcasing that all ten elite Portuguese courses occupied Continental Europe Top 100 positions. Oceanico (now Dom Pedro) Old climbed to third, Royal Obidos surged seven places to thirteenth, and Vale do Lobo Royal, Estela, and Vale da Pinta all made appreciable gains. Troia rose two places to fourth after addressing earlier conditioning concerns. 2018: West Cliffs Sensation Rankings expanded to Top 50 despite just 87 clubs operating nationally. Cynthia Dye's West Cliffs made a sensational debut at #2, having already crashed into Continental Europe's Top 100 at #16. The clifftop design generated immediate superlatives and established the Silver Coast as a premier destination. Quinta do Lago South rose to ninth, Vilamoura Victoria climbed to nineteenth, and Estela advanced to twenty-first. 2020: Steady Evolution With only 75 facilities supporting just over 15,000 registered golfers, Portugal maintained Top 50 status whilst placing eleven courses in Continental Europe's Top 100. Monte Rei announced its South course under Nicklaus Design construction. Palmares, Quinta do Lago South, and Quinta do Lago North all rose two places, whilst Ribagolfe (1) surged fourteen places to #29. Four courses debuted: Santo Estêvão, Ribagolfe (2), historic Estoril, and Quinta do Vale. 2023: Expansion and Anticipation In the eighth edition, Palmares climbed to third, Quinta do Lago Laranjal advanced to tenth, continuing its steady ascent since 2012, and Vilamoura Victoria rose to sixteenth. Vale do Lobo Ocean soared eleven places whilst Quinta da Ria rebounded eight positions. The rankings teased four imminent debuts – Ombria, Costa Terra, Pinheirinho, and Terras da Comporta (Dunas) – all described as making "substantial impact" on future rankings. That prediction proved accurate. Planning Your Portugal Golf Trip Portugal's compact geography allows for a remarkable variety of courses within modest driving times. Faro airport provides direct access to eastern Algarve champions Monte Rei, Quinta do Lago's three-course complex, and the Quintas da Ria and de Cima. Combine these with The Els Club Vilamoura and Dom Pedro Old Coursefor a week exploring championship pedigree alongside resort convenience. Lisbon's coastal corridor deserves dedicated attention. Terras da Comporta's two courses will eventually pair with Troia, whilst the Silver Coast delivers West Cliffs, Praia D'El Rey, Herdade do Pinheirinho, and Royal Obidos. Oitavos Dunes and both Aroeira layouts complete a Lisbon hub within an hour's drive of the capital. Porto & North rewards adventurous golfers with Estela, the nation's finest northern links, whilst Madeira and Azores offer distinctive Atlantic golf on island escapes. Santo da Serra and Palheiro showcase Madeira's subtropical splendour, whilst Furnas provides the Azores' volcanic drama. Looking Ahead Portugal's golf market shows signs of maturation after decades of resort-focused expansion. The new entries at Comporta, Pinheirinho, Montado, and Ombria suggest that the focus has shifted toward distinctive sites and architectural pedigree rather than quantity. David McLay Kidd's work at Comporta and Ernie Els's Vilamoura contribution exemplify this quality-first approach. Portugal's position within Continental Europe's elite appears secure, with 10-15 courses now in the discussion as Top 100 Europe contenders. As the golf world seeks authentic experiences beyond heavily manicured resort golf, Portugal's coastal drama, Comporta's duneland, and the Silver Coast's clifftop settings position the nation perfectly for sustained growth. View the complete Top 50 Golf Courses of Portugal Ranking
More Portuguese resorts for your consideration We embarked on our resort golf feature last January and thought we could maybe publish five or six articles for this topic. It turns out now, a year later, we’ve produced more than a dozen write-ups, with scope to revisit a few more mainstream European countries that still have more to reveal. Over the next couple of months, we’ll dive back into the Spanish Costas and take another look at France and Italy, but first we’re going back to the west side of the Iberian peninsula to sunny Portugal. We’ll start in the north, near Porto, then travel down past Lisbon before finishing in the south coast Algarve region. Vidago Palace Vidago Palace was built by King Carlos I in the early 1900s but it never became the monarch’s intended summer retreat as he died before it was completed in 1910. Instead, this regally appointed building became a hotel and in 1936 a 9-hole course (designed by Philip Mackenzie Ross) opened for business. In 2010, after a 5-year refurbishment of the entire property, the course re-emerged as an 18-hole layout with six of the original holes intact. The hotel boasts 60 guest rooms (41 Classic, 16 Superior, 3 Privilege), along with 6 Junior Suites and 4 Suites. In addition, there are 4 bars and restaurants, with breakfast served in the stunning Winter Garden on the ground floor. The spa offers hydrotherapy and thermal treatments, complemented by indoor and outdoor swimming pools. All told, Vidago Palace is a magical place to visit, presenting visitors with a unique journey back in time to a forgotten era of elegance and grandeur. Bom Sucesso One of 28 worldwide golf facilities in the European Tour Destinations roster, the resort of Bom Sucesso lies near the medieval town of Óbidos, with an 18-hole layout designed by Martin Ebert when he worked with Donald Steel. Holes on the golf course occupy a property close to the Lagoa de Óbidos, where fairways weave between substantial residential clusters, with water coming into play at a couple of holes. Accommodation comprises a range of 77 fully equipped villas and townhouse – created by 23 masters of contemporary architecture – which are set around the resort. They all feature a private furnished patio and access to an outdoor swimming pool (private or shared). There’s also a variety of other sports on offer, including 4 tennis courts, 2 padel courts and a multi-game court. CampoReal The course at Dolce CampoReal Lisboa is located around a 45-minute drive north of the capital in the Torres Vedras district, and it’s another early millennium production from Martin Ebert when he and design partner Tom Mackenzie were with Donald Steel’s company. Host venue for the LET’s Ladies Open of Portugal in 2010 and 2011, CampoReal is a fine test of golf, with holes laid out across rolling terrain. The hotel has 151 guest rooms and suites available for stay and play golfers and these extend to 133 deluxe and superior deluxe rooms, 11 suites and 7 premium rooms. There’s also self-catering apartment, townhouse and villa options outwith the main hotel building. The spa includes signature massages by therapists and a “water circuit” with sauna, jacuzzi and Turkish bath. Aroeira Aroeira Golf Resort on the Setubal Peninsula incorporates the Pines Classic course (formerly known as Aroeira 1) and Challenge course (renamed from Aroeira 2) and both 18-hole layouts are routed around a sandy-soiled pine forest which lies only a couple of kilometres from the golden sands of Praia Fonte da Telha. Both courses staged editions of the Ladies Open of Portugal between 2002 and 2004 and the Open de Portugal on the men’s professional circuit was also held at the older Pines Classic in 1996 and 1997. The nearby 4-star Aroeira Lisbon Hotel opened a couple of years ago now and it’s already established a reputation as one of the best in the area. The accommodation amounts to a total of 66 double rooms in three varieties (standard, pool view and garden view), plus a couple of large suites. Massage therapists operate in the hotel’s wellness centre and there’s a handy shuttle service to both the clubhouse and the Aroeira Beach Bar. Morgado Russell Talley designed the course at Morgado Golf & Country Club when he worked with European Golf Design twenty years ago. This 36-hole golf facility is run by NAU Hotels and Resorts, who also operate another 18-hole course (called Álamos) at the same location near Portimão on the Algarve coast. The par 73 Morgado layout was first to appear here – with the par 71 Álamos unveiled three years later in 2006 – and this course hosted three editions of the Open de Portugal from 2017 to 2019. The on-site 4-star hotel has 98 air-conditioned guest rooms in total – 16 Standard (30m2), 52 Superior (36m2), 25 Deluxe (88m2) and 5 Duplex rooms composed of two rooms connected by an internal staircase – and the buffet restaurant can seat 90 residents. There’s also a lobby bar with terrace and a clubhouse snack bar. During the summer, all four outdoor swimming pools are popular, especially the two that are reserved for children. Salgados The Salgados course is situated 30 kilometres east of Morgado, laid out within a coastal Nature Reserve near Albuferia, where the palm-fringed fairways are set around quite a few large and testing water hazards. It’s also owned by NAU Hotels and Resorts so if you like alternative styles of golf then combining games at Morgado and Salgados is a great idea. All sorts of exotic birds reside in the small lakes, ponds and streams that are strung out along this stretch of the Algarve shoreline and if you factor in the fresh sea breezes that often blow in off the Atlantic then it can be quite a challenge to try and finish with the same golf ball that you first teed up on the 1st hole. The 5-star Salgados Palace hotel is positioned next to the course, with 228 guest rooms that range in size from 41 to 148 square meters. All the rooms – whether it’s a standard double, double with pool/sea view, or one of the various suites – have space, light and view in common. The spa has a 15-metre heated relaxation pool, jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath and there are four outdoor swimming pools. If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
The Algarve – still Europe’s #1 for resort golf It doesn’t seem like six years since we were in the Algarve to celebrate 50 years of golf in the region, publishing a news item entitled Golf in the Algarve – Sir Henry Cotton’s Legacy. In that article, we mentioned how the Championship course at Penina Hotel & Golf Resort really kick started a golf explosion that endures right up until the present time – evidenced by the fact that in only a few short months the very latest Algarve residential golf project will be unveiled at the new Ombria resort near Loulé. PENINA A number of alternative European resort destinations – such as the Canary Islands, the Spanish Costas and Turkey – have emerged since the mid-1960s and each location now enjoys repeat business from large groups of dedicated golfers who return regularly to revel in playing golf with the sun on their backs. The Algarve, which led the way more than half a century ago, still holds its own against all its competitors and with continued investment both on and off the golf courses, the south of Portugal is still as sought-after as it ever was. Of course, covid-19 wreaked havoc with the golf industry over the last two years and government restrictions resulted in many would-be travellers remaining at home. However, it didn’t stop us from making a trip at the end of November with the European Golf and Travel Media Association to attend the annual congress of the Confederation of Professional Golf which was held this year, rather appropriately, back at Penina. This allowed us to reacquaint ourselves with an old favourite before running the rule over quite a few other resorts in the region. One of the leading golf magazines recently published a Top 100 European resorts listing and no fewer than ten of these chart positions were taken by Algarve golfing destinations so that gives a good indication of the quality in the southwest corner of the Iberian peninsula. In particular, the affluent “Golden Triangle” area – situated between Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura and Almancil – is home to more than a dozen top class 18-hole layouts, most of which we managed to visit during our recent week-long excursion and an earlier trip back in September. QUINTA DO LAGO Some would argue that Quinta do Lago sets the standard for all the others to emulate in the Algarve. It’s not that long since a multi-million-euro renovation was carried out on the North course and a similar large investment was made to upgrade the South course after it was closed down for much of last year due to covid. Both courses share the same chic new clubhouse and, for those looking at convenient stay and play possibilities, the recently opened 74-bedroom Magnolia hotel is only a quick 5-minute drive away. The Laranjal course lies 5.5 kilometres to the northeast of the main clubhouse and if you want to fine tune your game before playing then the practice facilities are absolutely top drawer here. Quinta do Lago has also just introduced a new sports hub, called The Campus, where a variety of health and fitness options are available – including a state-of-the-art gymnasium, tennis courts, swimming pool and large playing field – along with other health, fitness and wellness offerings. VILAMOURA Acquired from the Oceânico Group in 2016, the five golf courses now operated by Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection are served by three 4-star hotel properties – the Vilamoura, Marina and Portobello – which collectively supply more than 600 rooms for the visiting golfers who are shuttled to and from the various clubhouses on a daily basis. Dom Pedro markets the Arnold Palmer-designed Victoria (host venue for the Portugal Masters since 2007) as its flagship layout but the original Old course, dating back to the late 1960s, still remains a firm favourite for many. It may be stuck in something of a time warp (on and off the course) but there’s a certain aura to the place that makes it so appealing to golfers who appreciate classic golf course design. The Pinhal is another older layout with a similar feel to the Old, due to the large number of umbrella pine trees that line the fairways, and it’s complemented by a newly updated practice area, studio and fitting centre which are real assets to the resort. The Millennium and Laguna layouts share the same clubhouse, with the latter closed at the moment due to a major refurbishment that won’t be finished until later this year. SAN LORENZO JJW Hotels & Resorts, owners of Penina, also manage another two golf facilities to the east side of Quinta do Lago at the 18-hole San Lorenzo Golf Course and the 27-hole Pinheiros Altos Golf, Spa and Hotels complex. Golfers looking for accommodation can stay either at the hotel group’s 5-star Dona Filipe Hotel or the 4-star Formosa Park Apartment Hotel on the west side of Quinta do Lago and there are plans to construct 144 suites and 38 luxury apartments at the new Royal Algarve Hotel & Spa. Designed by American Joe Lee in the late 1980s, the San Lorenzo course has been well regarded in the industry for a long time now (it’s currently #9 in Portugal and #49 in Continental Europe) and we were not disappointed with what we found here (apart from maybe the controversial finishing hole) but the Pinheiros Alton course really surprised us with the quality of the newest nine (the Corks, designed by George Santa da Silva) which blends in wonderfully with Ron Fream’s original Pines nine. VALE DO LOBO Vale do Lobo is the last of the “Golden Triangle” resorts to be included in this review. One of the earliest tourist developments envisaged for the Algarve in the late 1960s, it initially featured an 18-hole course designed by Henry Cotton but this was reconfigured in the late 1990s by Rocky Roquemore who added extra holes to fashion two new layouts, the Royal and the Ocean. The former course is largely hemmed in by elements of intense real estate, with the latter occupying more open ground to the west of the property. The two courses each boast spectacular coastal holes; on the cliff tops at holes 15 and 16 on the Royal then alongside the beach at holes 14 and 15 on the Ocean course. A composite course was utilised when the Open de Portugal was played here two years running at the start of the new millennium, employing 13 holes from the Royal and 5 from the Ocean. AMENDOEIRA Further west, towards Portimão, the Amendoeira Golf Resort at Alcantarilha is another former Oceânico development that was acquired by Spanish company Kronos Homes in 2018. The firm also invested at Palmares (see below) and a decision was made to immediately update the clubhouse infrastructure at each location as a starting point in rejuvenating the golf operations. The two 18-hole courses at Amendoeira, the Faldo and O’Connor, are as different to one another as you could ever imagine at a 36-hole club; the Faldo occupying quite hilly terrain with the O’Conner laid out on a flatter landscape with more water in play – and they’re complemented by a floodlit 9-hole par three Academy course which is totally unique to golf in Portugal. The gymnasium has also just been significantly upgraded to complete an already impressive list of sporting amenities that includes two large pools, six Savannah tennis courts, a FIFA-standard five-a-side Astroturf football pitch, and a 90m x 120m natural grass field of 90m x 120m which has been used for warm weather training camps by the likes of Ajax Amsterdam. PESTANA The Pestana Group manages nearly a hundred hotels and various residential units across fifteen countries so it’s a big player in the Portuguese tourism and leisure sector. It has six courses in its portfolio: one near Lisbon, Vila Sol beside the Pinhal course in Vilamoura, and four situated close to Portimão at Vale da Pinta, Gramacho, Silves and Alto (which was one of the last courses designed by Henry Cotton). Apart from the accommodation options available on site at each of these resorts, there are also a dozen other Pestana hotels and aparthotels (mainly around the small seaside resort of Alvor) within easy reach of Portimão’s quadruple course grouping. For golfers who are on more of a tighter budget, all of these Pestana courses provide excellent value for money. PALMARES For those who might prefer a slightly quieter location, away from the more mainstream hustle and bustle, there are a couple of high-class outliers at either end of the Algarve. Positioned between the Bay of Lagos and the Alvor Estuary, Palmares Ocean Living and Golf has recently unveiled an enormous new clubhouse, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects RCR Arquitectes. The Palmares Beach House between the 27th hole green and the driving range offers 20 rooms overlooking the golf course and owners Kronos Homes have plans to build another 5-star hotel close to the clubhouse. The original Frank Pennink-designed course at Palmares was totally revamped by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 2010 and it’s well worth setting aside a full day to sample all 27 holes at this classy resort. MONTE REI An hour’s drive to the east of Faro airport, close to the Spanish border, lies the residential community at Montei Rei Golf & Country Club, where a fabulous Jack Nicklaus Signature design course has been in play since 2007. A luxury hotel and spa are planned for this development, along with another 18-hole layout. Monte Rei has been our national #1 for a while now. So there you have it, a brief overview of the top resorts in the Algarve, where a warm welcome, outstanding accommodation and excellent off-course amenities are guaranteed. And with 300+ days of sunshine annually, the climate’s perfect for golf at a popular destination which is still the #1 choice for hundreds of thousands of visiting golfers in the 2020s. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
