Golf Courses in the Algarve
Close to Formosa Park Apartment Hotel

Quinta do Lago North Course

The Quinta do Lago North Course terrain provides a superb surface for golf… boasting perfect, sandy soil and an array of umbrella pines trees. In the spring, the rough is covered with a blanket of wild flowers, heather and gorse.

The Quinta do Lago North Course fairways and tees are covered with a mixture of Bermuda hybrid and cool season grass that provides year round, top quality swards.

The greens at Quinta do Lago North Course are sown with Penncross creeping bentgrass, giving a fast, true putting surface.

The bunkering is incomparable both on the fairways and the surrounding greens, and gives the course a big advantage over many other golf courses.

Holes 6 to 14 were designed by Joseph Lee with the collaboration of Rocky Roquemore – the famous US golf architects – and opened in 1989.

Famous male and female players who have experienced this course (including Ryder Cup and Curtis Cup team members), have all been euphoric with praise about playing there.

Quinta do Lago South Course

Designed by William Mitchell and opened in 1974, the Quinta do Lago South Course was used eight times for the Portuguese Open Championship between 1976 and 2001. Quinta do Lago South Course has also hosted many large professional and amateur championships.

Quinta do Lago South Course is a favourite golf course for many tour players… and offers a multitude of possibilities to reach the exceptional greens.

Each hole however, has one easy route and the player who sees this – and has the skill to follow the designer's intention – can produce sub-par figures.

The course is an enjoyable experience for players of all standards. However, it is also a course that favours the long hitter… so it requires a skilled golfer to score truly well.

Although the front and back nines are both anti-clockwise loops, the first nine favours a draw, while the second favours a fade from the tee. An enjoyable experience for players of all standards.

Vale do Lobo Ocean Course

The Ocean Course of Vale de Lobo which hosted the Portugal Ladies Open in 1987 (part of the WPG European Tour), has vastly matured since its inauguration in 1966.

Designed by legendary golfer, Sir Henry Cotton, the course originally had just 18 holes. In 1972 however, a loop of nine holes was added… and the 5,493 metre Ocean Course now boasts a range of stunning sandy fairways running alongside a huge variety of pine, olive, orange and eucalyptus trees.

Vale do Lobo, the focal point of a sophisticated tourism complex, is only 20km away from Faro International Airport. The Ocean Course also has a good sized 245 metre practice area that offers excellent training conditions.

Vale do Lobo Royal Course

The 6,175 meter long Royal Golf Course in Vale do Lobo, has championship tees and is a lot more difficult than the Ocean Course. This is due to its longer holes, interrupted terrain and the amount of water and sand obstacles it has.

The Royal Golf Course was originally designed by Sir Henry Cotton, but trademark features by Rocky Roquemore, who re-designed a few areas on the course, are clearly visible. The US architect, now very active in Portugal, has been responsible for the increase in size of the yellow course.

The high point of the Royal Golf Course is its famous Par 3, one of the most photographed in the world because of its unique conditions. To play this hole from the championship tee, you need to make a 218 metre shot over three spectacular cliffs, in order to cross an expansive lake and reach the green. Golfers also need to be very wary of the water hazards on the 6th, 16th and 17^th, where careless play can be unforgiving.