This golf resort should be on your 2025 bucket list

If you like your upmarket golf haunts, then you’re going to love this popular golf resort.

The one in question? Quinta do Lago. An incredible Algarve venue, it’s just a short drive from the quaint little town of Almancil, some 35 minutes from Faro airport, meaning it is perhaps the most accessible resort for British holidaymakers.

The resort is undergoing somewhat of an upscale renovation surge, with expensive villas being built on a seemingly regular basis. But, for golfers, it’s heaven. There are three world-class courses here, and they are deserving of their status and their reputation in every way.

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THE NORTH COURSE

The reopening of the North Course in 2014 following a massive revamp drew a lot of attention, as it is normally the South Course that gets all the love and insta snaps. It was the work of US architect Beau Welling, who is now working with Tiger Woods on Bluejack National in Texas. The course is lengthy but also roomy, and it’s best advised to take a buggy. Water comes in most notably at the 12th, a long, trepidatious turn around a massive lake leaving an unsettling leap to reach the green.

THE SOUTH COURSE

For many, this is the jewel in the crown. It was incredible even before its outrageous £7 million upgrade. There are holes here that mimic the surrounds of Augusta National, with tall pines and no rough. It is hugely imposing from the tee and has a real premium feel, especially to the back nine. Massive greens, huge white bunkers, dog-legs, and all in pristine year-round condition.

LARANJAL

This is the third and youngest course and completely different from the other two. It’s located a ten-minute drive from the first tee of the South and is routed through an orange grove, which makes for some tricky shots if you’re offline. A number of the greens include false fronts, which can fool your approaches. It is by no means the lesser of the trio, just a different set-up, and was incidentally named Portugal’s Best Golf Course back in 2011.

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THE CAMPUS

As previously mentioned, there is development throughout Quinta do Lago, which includes a multi-million-pound state-of-the-art sports facility. This place is heavy on tennis, and a number of football clubs have camped here for their pre-season. Big tip? The Danos restaurant here is one of the best places for some post-golf evening bites in the area, as the interior is decked with multiple TVs showing live sport.

Three world-class golf courses – and many more within a short drive – plus world class accommodation and excellent gastronomy, means Quinta do Lago gives you everything you could ever wish for when it comes to a golf escape, and all so close to the nearby Faro airport. It represents the very best of Portugal’s Algarve, and you won’t be disappointed.