Quinta do Lago is the dream which entrepreneur Andre Jordan realised in the early 1970s. This 2,000-acre luxury residential development was perhaps a bit ahead of its time, but now the “Manor estate by the lake” (to which Quinta do Lago roughly translates) is well and truly established.
Located fifteen minutes northwest of Faro airport, American architect William Mitchell raised the bar in terms of golf course architecture here at Quinta do Lago by importing American standard greens, tees and bunkers. The original and best course is now called the South and it opened for play in 1974.
The Quinta do Lago South course is certainly the most famous in the area and it has played host to the Portuguese Open on no fewer than eight occasions with Mark McNulty and Colin Montgomerie among the former title holders. Given its championship pedigree, this is also a course which will be enjoyed by the average handicap golfer. The fairways are relatively generous and the predominantly sandy but undulating ground flatters medium hitters.
With umbrella pine-lined fairways, bold bunkering and a splash of water features, the South course at Quinta do Lago is certainly an eye-catching layout and one which will appeal to discerning golfers.
In May 2020 the South course closed for renovations which took more than a year to complete. The layout was reseeded from tee to green with hybrid Bermuda grass, bunkers were refurbished, the lakes on #3 and #17 were upgraded and the fairway on #8 was softened with pine trees relocated to improve sightlines to the green. Trees were also removed behind the raised green on #16 to enhance the dramatic views across the lake below.
