San Lorenzo – home to our 2025 NEW YEAR CELEBRATION EVENT!

A Greencard Golf Tour favourite for many years and is back on our schedule for 2021, San Lorenzo is one of the most popular golf courses in Portugal ranked in the top 5 in the Algarve and the top 50 in Europe.

San Lorenzo is a spectacular parkland layout the course winds its way through a parkland layout in a figure of eight that skirts towards the rugged Atlantic coastline.

There are several inland water hazards that seem to draw an errant shots towards a watery finish. Our golf expert team rated the dogleg 6th, 12th and of course the famous 18th as the most demanding holes on this Championship course.

Please be aware that the San Lorenzo golf course is only open to guests staying at the nearby  5 star Dona Felipa Hotel – find out more about our New Year Golf Celebration at the Dona Filipa & San Lorenzo Golf Club

Oitavos Dunes

The world-class Oitavos Dunes is a stunning natural links golf course based on the Lisbon coast, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  Compared to some other courses on our list this is a relative newcomer however the setting and challenge of the holes provide a true golfing experience to remember.

In a similar way to traditional UK links courses every hole at Oitavos Dunes is influenced by the winds gusting off the sea, meaning you’ll have to place an emphasis on strategy and accuracy rather than power to plot your way to the fast paced and contoured greens which further add to the challenge.

The par 5 8th is possibly the toughest of the holes on the outward nine playing into the prevailing wind and littered with hazards.  The back nine includes the 14th that’s generally regarded as one of the best par 3s in the world.

We’ve included this exceptional golf course on previous Greencard Golf Tour events and look forward to visiting again soon.

Royal Course, Vale do Lobo

Vale do Lobo is arguably the Algarve’s most renowned golfing resort. There are two courses on the estate the Royal and it’s sister the Ocean.

Both offer dramatic views and a great golfing experience but of the two it’s the Royal that gets our vote as one of our favourite golf courses in Portugal.  If you haven’t been fortunate enough to play the course yet you will undoubtedly recognise at least one of it’s holes. The cliff hugging 16th is one of the most photographed golf holes in the world and In a similar way to the island hole at TPC Sawgrass it’s a challenge any golfer will want to take on.

Vale Do Lobo is one of the most upmarket resorts in the Algarve and the quality of it’s golf courses is matched by the level of service you can expect in the clubhouse and throughout the grounds. This is certainly a bucket list golfing experience!

Penha Longa Atlantic South

Penha Longa Atlantic South is another one of Europe’s highest-ranking layouts, located within the fabulous Penha Longa Resort near Sintra the course is about 30 minutes drive from Lisbon.  The Penha Longa Resort is built on the site of an ancient monastery built in 1355 and you can still see some of the original buildings scattered across the estate.  It is now part of the Protected Landscape Area of Sintra and Cascais which is why we rate it highly on the playing experience

As the name suggests there are views across the Atlantic Ocean as you wind your way up and down the hills around the southern side of the clubhouse.  The holes here offer the best vantage points of the surrounding ocean side towns of Estoril and Cascais and out over the Atlantic.

The course is a real test even on a still day but when the wind blows in off the mountains it can become a struggle in places and some days you’ll be as pleased to leave with a par as would normally be with an eagle!

That’s not to say you won’t enjoy a round here because there are some stunning holes including the signature and unique 6th where the green is protected by a lake and behind are the remains of a medieval arched wall and castle tower.  Those who have played here will also remember 15 and 16.  The par 3 15th because of the 155m carry required over the water and the 16th, which is rated as the hardest hole on the course. Here you’ll need your longest club off the tee to get across the valley followed by accurate approach shots into a very narrow green.

Penha Longa Atlantic is definitely a course to include if you are looking for a golf holiday away from the Algarve region and should be on your bucket list of best golf courses in Portugal.

Praia D’El Rey

The high class resort at Praia D’El Rey Golf and Beach Resort will host our 2021 Silver Coast Classic in Portugal during which we will play two rounds on the highly rated Praia D’El Rey golf course.

The resort is approximately one hour from the Portugese capital Lisbon within the “Silver Coast” region.  This is an area which is fast becoming a challenger to the Algarve as home to some of the best golf courses in Portugal. Along with Penha Longa, Aroeira and West Cliffs, Praia D’El Rey is a stunning golf course and shouldn’t be missed off your list of courses to play when you are in the area.

A visually stunning golf course Praia D’El Rey will appeal to lovers of links golf as it skims along the rugged Atlantic coastline and the success of your round will be influenced by the gusting winds that blow in off the Ocean.  Designed as two loops of nine the course is designed to use the natural landscape by mixing holes that meander through the lush vegetation with those that grab hold of the coastal edges and provide amazing sea views through some incredible white sand dunes.

Deep and strategically placed bunkers are a major feature of Praia D’El Rey and you will do well to not find yourself with sand wedge in hand on a few occasions during your round!

As for holes to look out for you’ll be thrown immediately into the challenge of the par 5 2nd which is protected by a water hazard the aforementioned bunkers and the ever-present rough.  The par 4 5th will challenge those who are shorter off the tee but the best of the front nine are possibly saved for last with a cracking par 3 8th which will require a carry over a large lake followed by the 9th which is uphill into a narrow green protected on the way by nine bunkers!

But is is perhaps the back nine that our panel found most appealing especially the run from 12 to 15 that stretch along the coastline which Golf World called “one of Continental Europe’s most invigorating sequence of holes” and if they haven’t fired up your golfing juices then wait for the massive 620 yard par 5 17th where you’ll have to hope you don’t get a day where you are playing into the breeze!

All in all this is a great golfing layout, one we enjoyed playing and think you will too. Just the setting alone is worth inclusion on our list and the signature stretch of holes on the back nine will live long in the memory.