The first thing you notice when you land at Faro in late October is the light. It is soft and golden, the kind of light that makes a 9 a.m. tee time feel like a reward rather than an early start. Twenty-five minutes later you are in Vilamoura, and there are five Algarve golf courses within a short drive of your hotel.
That is the whole appeal of this corner of the Algarve. You do not need a car full of maps or a complicated plan. You need clubs, sunscreen and a sensible idea of which course to play first.
The Old Course opened in 1969 and is still the one most regulars talk about. Tall umbrella pines frame narrow fairways, and the course rewards placement far more than power. Leave the driver in the bag on a few holes and you will thank yourself on the back nine.
It is a lovely way to shake off the travel and remember why you booked the trip.
After the tight corridors of the Old Course, Laguna and Millennium feel like a deep breath. Both are more forgiving off the tee, with water coming into play on several holes. They suit mixed groups well, which is why so many society trips build their week around them.
If your group has a wide spread of handicaps, this is the day nobody comes home grumpy.
Vilamoura's marina is one of the largest in Portugal, and it is a pleasant place to do very little. Have a slow breakfast, then walk east along the coast to Praia da Falésia, where the orange and red cliffs drop straight onto the sand.
In the afternoon, drive 20 minutes inland to Loulé. Its old market hall is full of local cheeses, honey, almonds and dried figs, and it is a good reminder that the Algarve is more than resorts.
The Els Club Vilamoura, the course many still know as Victoria, is the big one. It hosted the Portugal Masters on the European Tour for years, and in 2026 it welcomed the PGA TOUR Champions for the first Portugal Invitational. It is long, wide and exposed to the wind, and the closing holes around the lakes will test even confident ball-strikers.
Play it in the morning, when the breeze is lighter, and save your best scoring for the front nine.
Pinhal brings you back into the trees, with elevation changes and glimpses of the sea from the higher holes. It is a quieter, more thoughtful round and a nice way to finish the golf before your last evening at the marina.
Very little, if it is set up properly. The main things that can go wrong on a golf week are tee times that do not line up with transfers, or a hotel that turns out to be a 40-minute drive from the first tee.
This is where using a local specialist makes a difference. Tee Times, a Portugal-based golf travel agency with more than 30 years in the business, puts together Algarve golf holidays that pair Vilamoura hotels with rounds on the courses above, often with transfers included. Having one point of contact for hotel, golf and transport takes most of the stress away.
Five rounds, one rest day, and you are never more than 15 minutes from your bed. It is hard to think of a simpler or more enjoyable golf week anywhere in Europe.
