The perfect base for your next Algarve golf holiday

The Algarve region in Portugal has become the premier destination in Europe for golf holidays and it is clear to see why.

With over 300 days of sun a year and natural rolling terrain beside coastal ridges, the region immediately caught the attention of golf architects during the popularity surge of resort golf in the late sixties.

There are now around 20 courses considered championship standard in the region, and Hotel Vila Gale Ampalius is in prime position to access these beautiful tracks.

The hotel is located in Vilamoura, a resort town in central Algarve, just 30 minutes away from Faro Airport.

While not a standalone golf resort, the hotel includes a golf desk, providing information on the surrounding courses and shuttle transport for easy access, making it a popular destination for golfers looking to tackle multiple courses in the area.

Here is why Vila Gale Ampalius is a great choice for your next golf break.

Accommodation

The Hotel Vila Gale Ampalius has 357 rooms and suites, including 84 junior suites. Inside, each space is set up with comforts such as air conditioning, satellite TV, a fridge, and a minibar. 

Many rooms extend out onto balconies, some looking toward the seafront, bringing in the coastal setting. 

Room service runs around the clock, and the accommodation is arranged in a mix of layouts designed to suit different group sizes, from individual travellers to families and larger parties sharing.

Restaurants & Bars

Vila Gale Ampalius brings together two restaurants, two bars, and a coffee shop under one roof. The main restaurant, Versátil, handles most meals with a mix of international dishes and traditional Portuguese cooking. For something more informal, Massa Fina offers an à la carte menu built around artisanal pizzas.

In the warmer months, the Pool Bar operates with a focus on freshly prepared cocktails, often made to order with seasonal fruit. As the evenings cool in winter, the Euphoria Bar becomes a quieter space for a drink after dinner or a relaxed nightcap.

Alongside these, the Vila Gale Café provides a more casual option during the day, serving coffee and lighter bites such as wraps, bagels, tapas, and other simple snacks.

Spa & Leisure

Hotel Vila Gale Ampalius offers a range of leisure facilities on site. Outside, there is a main swimming pool area, while the Satsanga Spa boasts an indoor pool, sauna, hydromassage pool, and Turkish bath for time to replenish your energy between rounds of golf.

For those looking to stay active, the hotel also includes a gym, tennis courts, and a games room. If you fancy getting a head start on your playing partners, sneak off to the putting green and by the time you hit the course the putter will be automatic.

Let's now take a look at just some of the best golf courses you can play in the area.

The Old Course, Vilamoura

Opened in 1969, the Old Course, located in Vilamoura, is the second oldest in the Algarve. 

The Old Course is located inland, with tall umbrella pines framing nearly every hole creating narrow corridors which require pinpoint accuracy off the tee.

This created a traditional parkland feel, which was the ambition of course designer Frank Pennink who wanted to create a course evoking the feel of inland layouts familiar to the wave of British tourists travelling to Portugal.

Measuring 6,254 yards, the course is not particularly long but is a true plotters course where poor positioning is penally punished. The narrow treelined fairways are an intimidating sight and force players to carefully ponder club selection and make creative escapes from trouble.

For example, on the par 4 10th, pine trees obscure the landing area and an elevated green demands a pinpoint approach, while on the par 3 16th the fairway becomes increasingly narrow towards a small green protected by large bunkers.

The woodland surroundings create a feeling of peaceful seclusion, putting the Old Course in a unique position among other courses in this region and certainly worth exploring.

Quinta do Lago North 

The North Course at Quinta do Lago is a championship parkland layout in the Algarve. 

Opened in 1974 by William Mitchell, the course was redesigned in 2014 by Beau Welling in collaboration with former European Ryder Cup star turned broadcaster, Paul McGinley.

The modifications transformed the North Course into a strategic tournament-style layout emulating championship courses in the states, with pristine and undulating fairways, along with risk-and-reward opportunities, through reachable par fives and driveable par fours.

Notably the 473-yard par 5 11th is reachable in two solid shots. However, the corridor of pines and well-placed bunkers along with an approach onto a tiered green makes this trickier than the scorecard suggests.

The North Course is not crazy long, but every hazard is intentional, making you constantly ponder over club selection and strategy.

Quinta do Lago South

Located inside the protected coast nature reserve, Ria Formosa Natural Park, the South Course at Quinta do Lago is one of the most prestigious in the whole of Portugal. 

Hosts of the Portuguese Open on eight occasions, it has true championship pedigree and, similar to the North Course, the challenge is routed in strategy and accuracy rather than distance.

While some of the fairways are forgiving, the umbrella pines lining the course, along with strategic bunkering and elevation changes mean a specific route is often required to get from tee to green efficiently.

Not to mention, course architect William Mitchell brought American standard greens to Quinta do Lago, so for British tourists used to the greens at their local municipal, this is bound to be a source of frustration.

The signature par 3 15th is truly a work of art, with a 180-yard carry over water, it’s not one for golfers suffering from aquaphobia.

Pinhal

With similar characteristics to the nearby Old Course, Pinhal was another project of Frank Pennink, who opened the course in 1976.

The parkland track features the signature Algarve umbrella pines which frame the fairways, with elevated terrain providing panoramic views of Vilamoura stretching towards the Atlantic.

Legendary golf architect Robert Trent Jones, with world renowned courses such as Spyglass Hill, Hazeltine and Bellerive Country Club on his resume, was called to refine Pinhal to bring it into the modern era.

Compared to the Old Course, Pinhal’s wider fairways make it more accessible for mid-high handicappers, and Jones preserved this playability while adding more jeopardy, through strategic bunkering and tactical doglegs.

With Pennink’s philosophy and Jones’ refinement, Pinhal has become a course that remains interesting without the raw difficulty, instead, decision making is the key to avoid trouble and golfers of all levels are capable of making bad ones!

The signature 13th hole is a perfect example of this innovation; an uphill endurance testing par five with blind shots from the fairway requiring astute judgement. 

Those are just some of the courses available - with numerous others to pick from, including the likes of Millennium, Laguna and Pestana Vila Sol.

Location

Vilamoura is a polished resort town with a large marina where you can find high-end restaurants, plenty of bars and daytime activities to keep you busy around your golfing schedule.

For a beach day, Praia de Vilamoura is located beside the marina where you can relax during the day or try some water sports with jet skis, paddleboards and kayaks all available for hire. 

If you are keen to venture beyond resort crowds, then head east down the coast where you’ll reach Quarteira, a vibrant and authentic town with local cafes rather than beach clubs and a bustling seafood scene.