Over 300 days of sunshine a year, even averaging 5 hours a day in December and January, makes the Algarve a year-round destination. Portugal’s southern coastline is a perfect escape from Britain’s short and bleak midwinter days.
A dozen miles from Faro’s International Airport, where frequent flights from many of the UK’s regional airports land, the Victoria Golf Resort and Spa, managed by Accor, epitomises the very best of the Algarve.
Complimentary shuttles run the six miles from the resort into Vilamoura and its marina. The Algarve’s sophisticated take on a yachting scene that sails through the French Riviera, onto Marbella and throughout the Mediterranean. Vilamoura is a harbour of chic bars and chic cafes, perfect for watching the uber-stylish marine world pass by. A place for leisurely browsing boutiques and a base for heading out to sea for a dolphin-watching voyage or sailing along to the secluded beach and cave of Benagil.
Many visitors to the Algarve mix and match some of Europe’s best golf with the attractions of the Algarve: simply relaxing in a poolside cabana or on a sun-lounger, slipping onto a balcony’s daybed or seeking the shade of a quiet sofa. Or they hire a car to drive beyond Vilamoura’s golfscape of egg-yolk yellow bunkers, postage stamp greens and vibrant bougainvillea. On through the rolling hills past almond trees, olive groves and aromas of orange blossom. They ascend into villages with cobbled streets where locals whisper gossip over expressos at local cafesand where the aroma of freshly grilled sardines never quite fades.
Running complimentary shuttles, the Victoria Golf Resort and Spa gives golfers easy access to half-dozen superb golf courses. Nor do golfers need to travel with their clubs, sparklingly clean good quality clubs are available for hire. Buggies with GPS, following a cart track, direct visitors playing a new course, giving distances in yards or metres to the next flag. An ice-box keeps drinks cool and you can top-up on drinks and snacks from a passing cart. In summer heat you are welcomed back to the clubhouse with chilled flannels presented on a silver platter.
The famed Old Course Vilamoura, opened in 1969, is probably the most challenging of the local courses. It is immaculate. “Made by God, sculpted by humans”, is the motto of a championship course of umbrella and Aleppo pines, vibrant oleander, calling Syrian warblers and flawless fairways, mown every-single day.
Greens are voraciously guarded by banks and bunkers; yet this is an eminently playable course. Hit a ball into the trees and you will find it. Falling disinfecting pine needles clear undergrowth. Nor does the rough have Scottish thistles or impenetrable Kentucky blue-grass. Typically, the Old Course represents the relatively forgiving nature of the Vilamoura courses. Hit an errant drive and you’ll probably lose a stroke rather than a ball. Course marshals keep an eye on play, ensuring that no group dawdles.
Each course has its own distinct character. The course at the Els Club, formerly the Victoria, has some lengthy holes that challenge big hitters, while water hazards are often more popular with white wading birds than golfers. On terrain where Mediterranean and Atlantic landscapes coalesce, crosswinds may also throw in another variable into golfers’ planning.
Pinahal, echoing the Old Course with impeccable emerald fairways, has fairways winding past villas that echo traditional Portuguese architecture: terracotta tiled roofs, shaded terraces, mini-towers nodding to Moorish heritage, bright white walls reflecting the strong sunlight and flashes of blue azulejo tiles. Play on the Algarve and the old saying, “Golf is a good walk spoiled”, frequently and probably incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain, could become redundant. Spend a week or two around the Algarve’s courses, practicing putting, hitting on the driving range, possibly with some professional coaching and your golf could simply become a great walk with less drives hooked, less putts missed.
At the end of the day, there is always a highlight dinner. Typifying Algarve cuisine, chefs at the Victoria Golf Resort and Spa turn their eyes to the sea. The fish of the day – perhaps sea bass, sea bream, red snapper or turbot – is filleted at the table. These are ingredients that can be given an Asian twist too in the Sensai Restaurant; perhaps sashimi on a bed of ice and salad or sushi coated with Algarve almonds. And what better accompaniment from an extensive wine list than a Portuguese vinho verde? Youthfully crisp with the merest hint of green.
Portugal’s Algarve has evolved into a place where championship fairways sit comfortably alongside marinas, beaches, historic villages and an increasingly sophisticated culinary scene. The region’s enduring appeal lies in its variety. Visitors can spend a morning tackling pine-lined fairways, an afternoon sailing past sea caves or wandering through hilltop villages, and an evening lingering over freshly landed seafood and Portuguese wine.
Find out more
To book your next golf holiday, or get more information from our Silver Travel Advisors, call 0800 412 5678.
