Posted by 
When it comes to care-free golf holidays Portugal can guarantee sunshine year round and a huge mix of great courses to play. This introduction to the most popular golfing region in Portugal – the Algarve – covers the area’s key courses to play.
For a fuss-free golf holiday Algarve has the broadest selection of courses anywhere in the country. The hub of all golfing is the town of Vilamoura. Within a short drive of the town there are numerous golf resorts and courses with Oceanico have over 10 resorts of their own.
The pick of the resort courses is the Vilamoura Old Course. This is one course that is favored by visitors because of its mature greens that play consistently all year round and the fine landscaping that continues from the fairways to the rough and to the water obstacles.
Of the independent clubs, the Vale Do Lobo Royal & Ocean courses are both beautiful and a challenge. Located parallel to a 5 kilometer beach on one side and a nature reserve on the other side, the Royal has hosted the Open numerous times. This fact means the greens are fast and sometimes hard to read and the fairways can make for a narrow target on some of the par-4s.
The central Algarve has many more courses to pick from including the Pinheiros Altos (a favorite with locals) and the Vila Sol golf clubs, both of which are pleasant courses for any amateur with wide fairways and great vistas.
The western Algarve coast is where the ocean breeze starts playing a big part on links/open style courses. Hillside courses like Boavista or the Parque Da Floresta provide some great panoramic views of the area and both feature a great mix of holes to play, with many playing across slopes.
Nearby the Oceanico Faldo course is a unique experience. Designed as a desert-style course the open undulating fairways, well placed dunes and wok like bunkers provide a real challenge (and a necessity at times for low trajectory ball flight to avoid being caught by the wind).
In terms of trouble free golf holidays Portugal has become the ideal destination for European golfers seeking a good mix of courses. It may not have the golfing heritage of the British & Irish courses but there is no doubting the hard work that has gone into the course architecture has really paid off with some world class courses.
