Palheiro - Madeira & Porto Santo - Portugal

This was my first experience of golf on the island of Madeira, and it was most certainly an unforgettable one. The rolling hills surrounding Funchal offer spectacular scenes as you battle the slopes of Palheiro Golf Club.

We teed off at the crack of dawn, and even with the 30 degree midday temperatures, we had to wrap up as the sea breeze hit hard and the dew was still fresh on the fairways to give us a brisk welcome. It's a constant battle with club selection here with the wind coming in hard and severe elevation changes on every hole - a real test of golfing ability!

The highlights of the round for me came for me during the front 9 on holes 3 and 6. The 3rd is a severely downhill par 3 offering a panoramic view over the city played 180 yards from the Whites but only needed a 9 iron - truly one to take in. The 6th is a long but reachable par 5 with a green that's heavily guarded with bunkers. It was a tester that rewarded those who went after it.

The course was a joy to play - admittedly, conditions could be better, and if you can only play one round, be sure to try Santo de Serra, but it was a really enjoyable round. I'd definitely recommend stopping by here if you get the chance to play twice on your break!

** A note on the club - if you are staying in a hotel in Funchal, the chances are you can get a hefty discount from them, so be sure to book before playing!

exspensive, fairways shaved. bad tees, terrible bunkers,overall a lousy experience, not worth the money, and whats more the management dont seem to care.

A good course located in the hills overlooking Funchal. Played on a very wet day and the course was still in great condition, although our group found that most of the holes were very samey, needing straight, but not long, tee shots. We played all three Madeira courses on our trip and this course is rightly ranked the lowest of the three, but that certainly does not mean it is one to miss.

Palheiro is a wonderful course set in the madierian hills. The views from the clubhouse are outstanding over Funchal(the capital). The course is tree-lined and has many changes in elavation and is a tough test. It is a much nicer course than the one used for the european tour event(madeiran open) which is a nice layout but is not well kept at all. I struggle to see why the european tour does not use this course instead. The members make you feel very welcome and it is a great day out. Played here 3 times whilst on holiday and would definately play here again if i come back.

Played Palheiro a couple of times when visiting Madeira a few years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the course which sits next to the Botanic Gardens. The first time I played it I could only manage a few holes as the course was shrouded in low cloud. But when I returned the following day it was bathed in warm sunshine such are the vaiaries of the Madeiran weather. Well worth playing if in the area. For me it has similarities to the West course at La Manga.