If you know your double bogey from your birdie and the tee from the rough, then this is for you

There are so many amazing reasons why you should choose the Algarve, on this page, we are adding one more into the mix – world-beating golf courses. There are over 30 golf courses across the Algarve (we are talking about 35 of them!) spanning East to West - professional courses, those ideal for testing any amateur golfer as well as for enjoying a game with your mates.

EASTERN ALGARVE

• Quinta do Vale: The 18-hole Quinta do Vale Course is located to the north of Castro Marim. It is a relatively new course designed by Ballesteros and takes advantage of the charming natural setting overlooking the Guadiana river. The course incorporates many doglegs, wide fairways, strategic hazards and bunkers to challenge both amateur and professional players.
• Castro Marim Course: The 27-hole Castro Marim Golf Course is located north of Castro Marim next to the Spanish border. It has three, 9-hole segments, The Guadiana, The Atlantic, and The Grouse all with well-placed bunkers claiming many loose shots!
• Benamor Golf: The 18-hole course is located a few kilometres east of Tavira, was designed by Sir Henry Cotton, completed in 2000 and offers some of the best mountain and sea views the Algarve has to offer. This is a great par 71 course of 5,500 metres, offering a pleasant experience to players of all standards. Water hazards and sand bunkers are located to test strategy and the Penn A4 greens and tees are simply superb. The driving range, Putting Green and large Putting Course offer excellent practice facilities.
• Monte Rei Golf & Country Club: It is all about the experience when you visit Monte Rei, from the service and hospitality to the quality of the course. The vistas of the Serra do Caldeirão mountains to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south are amazing and the clubhouse boasts super Portuguese cuisine.
• Quinta da Ria Resort: This is a well-known golf attraction in the Algarve, boasting two spectacular 18-hole courses, Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima. It is located around 30 minutes from Faro Airport and the courses were designed by Rocky Roquemore. Both are of a Championship character and provide an enjoyable challenge for most players.

CENTRAL ALGARVE

• Balaia Golf Course: Opened in April 2001 this small, attractive 9-hole course offers the opportunity to improve your iron shots and short game. It carries the title of Executive Course and is located at the back of the Balaia Village Holiday Complex in Albufeira. A course to test the ability of a golfer to control shot length and direction.
• Pine Cliffs: The course has 9-holes and is well-maintained. Located on the clifftop near Albufeira, it is managed by the Pine Cliffs Hotel, a Luxury Collection Resort. The challenging prize of the course is its 9th hole played from the tee over a ravine with beautiful views down onto the sandy beach. This hole has been given the local nickname of the 'Devils Parlour.' This small and beautiful course, set among the pine trees, presents a very pleasant and charming round of golf.
• Salgados Golf Course: The 18-hole course is set on the flat lands behind the sandy beach of Praia de Gale. The environmental nature of the course is associated with a typical Links Course but with the added asset of the sun! It is open to the elements with little vegetation, lots of water hazards and requires a technically skilled player to achieve a good result.
• Laranjal Golf Course: This is one of the newer courses and is located close to Quinta do Lago. It has many lakes and obstacles, narrow fairways and the well-defined greens require good concentration and club accuracy. The Laranjal course has five par 5s, eight par 4s and five par 3s.
• Pinheiros Altos: The 27-hole course is situated in Quinta do Lago. It has gained a solid reputation for providing an enjoyable game within the golfing world and is known for providing a mental challenge due to well-placed hazards. There are three independent circuits of nine holes, Pinheiros (Pines), Sobreiros (Corks) and Oliveiras (Olives.)
• Quinta do Lago North Course: Located within the luxury estate of Quinta do Lago this course has four great par 5 holes requiring power and accuracy. The course tends to favour the golfer who can draw the ball.
• Quinta do Lago South Course: This 18-hole championship course is located in Quinta do Lago and was redesigned in 2014 - the original course was used several times for the Portuguese Open. The course favours the long hitter but requires the player to pick a particular route to score well. An enjoyable game experience for players of all standards.
• San Lorenzo Golf Course: This course, located in Quinta do Lago, enjoys a reputation for the excellent condition of its fairways and its attractive views around the lake. Many years ago it was ranked as the second-best course to play in Europe. Water and good hole layout provide the hazards that play a big part in players having to select the right club and hit with care.
• Ocean Golf Course: The Ocean Golf Course in Vale do Lobo is a sister course to the Royal. The fairways tend to be narrow and accuracy is imperative when playing. The course wanders through pine trees with wonderful views of the sea between the homes lining the sides of the fairways. Some of the holes take you along the cliff top with the Atlantic as the backdrop.
• Royal Golf Course: The 18-hole championship course is a sister to the Ocean Course. This course has combined several existing holes from the original Vale do Lobo Course and introduced some special interesting new ones.
• Old Course: Located in Villamoura the course finds itself situated amongst impressive pine trees and set out over gently undulating terrain. The Old Course adheres to the strict environmental policies followed by all Dom Pedro courses and makes for a wonderfully peaceful round.
• Victoria Golf Course: The championship Victoria Golf Course is in Vilamoura and is laid out over virtually flat terrain covering some 90 hectares and includes a series of constructed mounds to emulate the outline of inland hills on the horizon. The series of beautiful lakes and waterfalls also help to provide an attractive background whilst playing the course. The Victoria Course is used every year for the Portugal Master, which is an event on the European Tour and at present is the longest 18-hole golf course in Portugal and promises to be a notable course in Europe.
• Vila Sol Golf Course: The 27-hole Vila Sol Golf Course is located next door to Vilamoura. The course is divided into three circuits of nine holes, Prime, Challenge, and Prestige.
• Laguna Golf Course: The 18 holes have been laid out over level ground and have open fairways. The Laguna Course can be likened to the challenges that are provided by a normal Links course. However, there are many water hazards with strategically placed bunkers in open terrain. These factors combined with the occasional strong wind make for an interesting round.
• Millennium Golf Course: The 18-hole course in Vilamoura is a pleasure to play except for possibly the Par 3 sixth with its lake on the left of the fairway waiting for erring balls.
• Pinhal Golf Course: Located in Vilamoura, it is laid out through the pine forest and set back from the tourist beach area. The outward nine holes wander through holiday villas that line the fairways. The well-positioned bunkers make the course very enjoyable for players, testing their choice of clubs and accuracy.

WESTERN ALGARVE

• Gramacho Golf Course: Located near Carvoeiro, this was originally a 9-hole course which was extended and redesigned to become a very interesting 18-hole one. The course covers undulating terrain with olive, almond and carob trees and is designed for players to be technically accurate and to know which club to choose before hitting the ball.
• Vale da Pinto Golf Course: The course is well laid out and it is an interesting and challenging one to play. Set in a truly Algarve landscape with almond, olive and carob trees decorating the fairways with some of the olive trees reputed to be in the region of 1,500 years old.
• Amendoeira Golf Resort: Designed by Nick Faldo, The Faldo Course is one of two courses on the resort and is challenging - as you may expect. The O’Connor course is widely regarded as the easier of the two but that does not alter its quality.
• Silves Golf Course: This 18-hole course is the latest course belonging to the Pestana Group and is surrounded by typical Algarve fruit orchards and farms. The course has been designed to test the quality of hitting a well-directed ball using the correct choice of club. This point is immediately emphasised as you stand on the first tee faced by two water hazards flanking the fairway.
• Alto Golf Course: This is an 18-hole course located close to the fishing village of Alvor. It is considered a good test of the ability of the player with strategic bunkers, dog-legs, elevated greens and well-placed trees. A further noteworthy challenge is the par 5 on the 16^th which is considered to be one of the longest holes in Europe.
• San Antonio Golf Course: Originally named the Parque da Floresta Golf Course it is in Budens. The architect has created a fascinating and challenging course that is unique in style. There is a tendency for golfers to return for another round to master the more demanding holes. Golfers may find the topographical nature of the fairways as much of a playing challenge as the actual layout of the course.
• Espiche Golf: Located within a nature reserve just five minutes from Lagos, this is an eco-resort that has been perfectly integrated into the surrounding natural environment and offers a unique and authentic experience. The 18-hole, par 72 golf course was designed to integrate effortlessly into the surrounding Algarve countryside.
• Boavista Golf & Spa Resort: The 18-hole Boavista Golf Course is located close to Lagos. It offers two distinct sections of play providing a variety of attractive and interesting holes and promises a sensible game for the average player. Umbrella pines, blossoming almond, fig, palm and olive trees line the rolling fairways, weaving their way between water hazards and carefully placed bunkers.
• Palmeres Golf Course: The 27-hole course has been totally transformed by the American course designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. The 27 holes are laid out on the side of a south-facing hill overlooking the Bay of Lagos. It is questionably the most attractive location of all the golf courses in the Algarve. The views as you play your round are often quite breathtaking. There are three 9-hole circuits, the Alvor Course, the Lagos Course, and the Praia Course.
• Ãlamos Golf Course: This is one of the newer courses to open in the Algarve. Located just north of Portimão, the 18-hole course is laid out as a neighbour to its sister course the Morgado Golf Course. The fairways meander through a 980-hectare estate with small valleys. The large greens place a demand on good putting skills as they are often raised above the fairway approach and involve several levels.
• Morgado Golf Course: The course is situated to the north of Portimão and is the sister course to the Ãlamos Course. The Morgado Course is laid out in a large 980-hectare estate through undulating small valleys. It has generous fairways and large greens, which demand good putting skills.
• Penina Championship Golf Course: The course is the grandfather of all courses in the Algarve and permanent memory of its architect and active promoter, Sir Henry Cotton. It was originally paddy fields for rice that have been converted into a flat challenging course, especially for the stronger player.
• Penina Resort Golf Course: The 9-hole course was constructed as an independent golf course located across the road from the Hotel Penina. It was previously known as the North Course and was conceived by Sir Henry Cotton. The length of the golf course is 1,851 meters and is perfect for the beginner with easy-to-play holes and one or two interesting features.
• Santo Antonio Golf: This is an impressive course that has been the stage for the Europro Tour. Situated near the fishing village of Salema, close to Sagres this is an undulating course with some sloping fairways, well-bunkered greens and was designed by Pepe Gancedo, one of Spain´s most famous architects.