Viceroy at Ombria Algarve stay and play golf break review

My recent stay at the Viceroy at Ombria Algarve was a delight.

Ombria is situated in the centre of the Algarve area of Portugal. Less than three hours flying time from Paris and London, it is ideally located to provide access to the golfing hotspots that have evolved in this region. A short 20-minute drive gives access to several superb beaches too.

The climate here is outstanding, offering an average 320 days of sun per year.

Why I Was Excited to Visit Ombria in The Algarve

I left an unpleasant, rainy, wind-swept Manchester on the 06:40 flight to Faro. After a 30-minute transfer from the airport to the hotel, I quickly unpacked, changed into shorts, and started my first enjoyable round of golf at the on-site course for an 11:00 am tee time.

Buggies are required by all players, and the fleet offers excellent GPS devices fitted to them so there is no need to worry about taking distance devices with you. This is a new facility and was not in the registry of courses for my watch, so this was a real benefit.

The facility offers a real time scoring facility for all members of a group. This is another fun feature, especially if travelling and competing with mates. Being able to watch in real time what your group is scoring, or not as the case may be, adds another dimension to the golfing fun.

Given its level of complexity, expect the rounds here to average around four hours per group. I examined the course usage since opening and there have been many repeat visitors. A great validation of the golfing experience offered at Ombria, which has been rated positively by reviewers on Golfshake.

I was eager to play here as I knew that it had been awarded the prestigious World Golf Award for the best new golf course in Europe in 2024. Facing tough opposition in this event, I had high expectations. I was not disappointed.

Viceroy at Ombria Algarve Review

The hotel is the ultimate relaxation package for the discerning traveller. There are excellent spa and swimming pools with sun decks with views that are simply a delight. 

There are geothermal heating systems in place, car parking shades are all supported by solar panels, and a drainage system exists around the entire hotel village complex to allow any rain that falls to be captured in the nearby lake for later use. 

The setting and landscape that surround the venue are protected from further development by stringent laws.

The golf clubhouse is housed within a mock castle type structure. This was because a previous landowner had a house built in this style and it was adopted into the overall course and hotel designs.

The site is modelled upon a village community with a range of meeting areas around the site that allow access to the several bars and restaurants. I had the opportunity to sample a wide range of food and wine offerings, and they were excellent. 

The wine library is superb with sommeliers able to manage a wide range of cocktails and wines to suit every budget.

I was delighted to be able to experience a wine tasting that concentrated entirely on wines from the local region and they were superb. They are not widely available as most of the grapes grown nearby are made into wines that are then eagerly bought up by the local hotel industry. The versatility and quality of these products was a genuine surprise.

There are six excellent restaurants or cafes on the site offering a range from fine dining to regular cafe fare. I enjoyed sampling the food and wine offered at ‘Solalua’, which means sun and moon. ‘Casa e Fora’ is the terrace type restaurant that serves the golf course. Multiple sports screens are provided in the bar area to add to that modern clubhouse feel. I also enjoyed the Ombria Kitchen, especially the sea food provision.

Locally produced foods are a major theme at the hotel and there is an excellent relationship between the local community and the venue as evidenced by the number of events that both attend with glee. This was great to see at first hand with an outside cinema night followed by stargazing from the highest points of the castle clubhouse.

There is so little ambient light pollution in the area due to its location that it is perfect for stargazing.

The site has been developed from a host of linked parcels of land that were previously cultivated by local farmers. The sunny climate ensuring that each of those farmers created a series of drainage ditches and streams linked to the river that traverses the site to service each of those parcels of land. The site is also blessed with several natural springs, and these were developed to support the agriculture and its hydration needs.

I liked the fact that some of the mechanisms operating these springs had been left in place and incorporated into the design of the course. Watch out for the one at the side of the 18th green complex under the trees. 

What Makes Golf at Ombria Special

The formation of the holes follows the previous land structure because access to water is so important when creating a golf course of this quality and consistency. I applaud the way the ecology of the area has been protected and enhanced by the golf course and the hotel. 

This is an area of extreme natural beauty, and it is only right that the golf course is managed and maintained in a manner that supports this.

The signature course was developed by Jorge Santana da Silva, who adopted a sustainable approach to complement and enhance the existing landscape. The layout integrates ancient rivers, longstanding trees and natural springs. 

It also makes excellent use of some severe elevation changes. Due to these and to ensure pace of play this is a buggy only course. This in no way diminishes the golfing experience as some of the elevated tee boxes would be almost unplayable given the steepness of the gradients to the 3rd and 5th tees. I would not like to climb the 3rd, then play the 4th, only to have to walk back up to the 5th tee box! 

Using a buggy is not affected by this and the views across the valley and the golf course are sublime.

To safeguard the surrounding biodiversity, efforts have been made to minimise resource consumption, with construction limited to less than a quarter of the total resort area.

The greens and fairways have been designed to integrate harmoniously with their environment, including initiatives to restore native tree and plant species.

The course’s integration around historic rivers and mature trees has resulted in recognition by the GEO Foundation through formal certification.

Ombria certainly deserves the tagline awarded to it by the owners of "Carved in Nature" as it is presented in a wonderfully natural manner. I have not come across designs by Santana da Silva before but was not at all surprised to discover that he was a partner of Robert Trent Jones. He cleverly used the offset tee box to great effect on several of the golf holes. This gives the visually deceptive appearance of having less room to play the tee shot by angling the tee slightly away from the intended line of play. 

Trees intimidate from several of the tee boxes. However, reasonably struck shots are not affected but it is a clever visual trick by the designer as it makes players of all levels take that little bit extra care off the tee.

Golf Course at Ombria Review

The opening holes are played from an elevated position with water hazards clearly and obviously in play down the right flank of the hole. The green is tucked over yet more water and this is not an easy introduction to the round. 

The 2nd hole also follows the meandering track of the river with strategically placed bunkers adding to its difficulty. This is a cracking risk and reward golf hole.

The 3rd tee box offers stunning views from its elevated position towards a ribbon fairway that is also well bunkered, while the 4th tee box complex provides a range of distance options as they progress further up the gradient.

This is followed by another short hole again played from a highly elevated tee box. There are eight different tee options on this hole offering alternate angles into the green that is well bunkered and protected by water to its rear. Another example of excellent use of the existing landscape by the architect and his team.

Hole 6 as a par 5 offers a little respite requiring accuracy off the tee to avoid the water or bunkers to the elbow of the dogleg. The 7th is another of the challenging short holes requiring navigation of both water and a range of bunkers. 

The 8th is a beauty requiring strategic play off the tee. The green is only 295 metres from the championship tee box. For me it is all about putting the tee ball into a position for a confident and full-blooded shot into a tiny green over water and the river. Check out the shallow river for the amount of golf balls that languish in a watery grave to illustrate those who have misjudged the distances prior to your arrival. 

The 9th hole is another cracker requiring a tee shot over water to a thin ribbon fairway followed by a shot into a tiny green that is protected by a single bunker and a host of water to its left side.

Beginning the back nine, the 10th is imposing from the tee box due to an avenue of trees that are placed to either side. Note again the slightly offset tee boxes to maximise the visual impact of this clever construction.

The 11th is great with boulders and rocks forming the framing of the hole. The greens need no bunker protection due to the undulations built into them. Check out the views from this tee box as you wait to play. They are stunning!

The offset tee box is repeated on hole 12. This is a par 5 played over 550 metres. Again, clever strategic play is needed to succeed here as the landing areas are well policed by hazards and the slope of the fairway. The green is tiny and a par here is a significant achievement needing accuracy from every shot.

The views from the 16th tee are breathtaking when preparing for a difficult tee shot that needs a left to right shape to offer any chance of reaching the green in regulation.

The final short hole, the 17th, is another interesting challenge. 

The 18th tee box requires a short drive up the hill to another elevated tee complex and on each of the three occasions I played this hole it caught me out. A risk and reward hole of 295 metres with a sharp dogleg right to left towards a well-protected green down the hill. I struggled to select the correct strategy for this hole and paid the price on my scorecard for it each time. 

I am not sure if it was because I played the hole poorly, but I felt that this hole was a little out of place in the context of the round. The rhythm of the round on the back nine up to this hole was smooth. This hole does not finish close to the clubhouse, so you are not faced with the issues of a gallery of friends waiting for your return. 

This is not a major criticism, but I have thought about this layout several times since I played and want desperately to challenge myself with it again. I like a golf course that makes me think about its structure and layout long after I have returned home. I like Ombria, it was great fun!

Why You Should Experience Golf at Ombria

This is a very high-quality resort golf course that is maintained and presented to the highest standards. It is also a very enjoyable challenge with many of the holes leaving a clear memory of their design.

The service standards by all the staff I met were exceptional and I totally understand why the venue attracts so many repeat customers. 

I know that many visiting golfers are including Ombria golf course as part of the wonderful package offered with Algarve golf. However, having had a stay at the Viceroy hotel, I would suggest that this also needs to be considered when planning your next trip.

The accommodation is simply superb, and the overall package stands comparison with other five-star golfing venues. There are some excellent package deals currently available. I have no hesitation in recommending a visit to the venue for a stay and play visit.

For more information, please check out https://www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/ombria-algarve and our travel partners Golfbreaks for the best offers available right now.