Vidago Palace Golf Course

Vidago Palace is home to a well-rated and pleasantly testing parkland golf course, laid out in the grounds of the opulent Vidago Palace Hotel. Far removed from the busy courses of the Algarve, here at the opposite end of the country, you'll find one of Portugal's lesser known gems.

The first four holes, played within the century-old park, lead you down into the picturesque Oura Valley. Here the holes occupy a mix of open and more tree-lined environments. A good-size stream (Ribeiro do Reigaz) meanders past several fairways and greens on its way through the property.

In contrast to the flatter "valley floor" front-nine, the back-nine contains much more elevation change as you traverse the western slope of the wooded valley. The last three holes on the back-nine are played at the layout's highest elevations, with lovely views of hills and villages beyond the Vidago Palace estate.

A hallmark of this course are the walls supporting the teeing grounds, all built of local pink marble stone. Also noteworthy are the many centuries-old trees that give the layout its natural parkland feel, and an array of interesting estate buildings you'll see along the way.

Pick of the holes: from the original nine-hole Mackenzie Ross layout, the stylish par-3 3rd requires a shot over the Ribeiro do Reigaz to find the opulently large, well bunker-defended green. Some may prefer the tight and testing up-and-over rolling par-5s at 15 and 17 (a bit contrived?), or the downhill par-3 18th, which arrives at the back of the grand hotel via an impressively terraced teeing-ground.

Stay&Play at Vidago Palace: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.