Portugal Golf Holidays

Europe’s Best Again: Tee Times Collects Two World Golf Awards in Egypt

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Two trophies, our focus title kept, and a heavier bag for the flight home.

The World Golf Awards went to Africa for the first time this year, and Tee Times went with them. At Madinaty Golf Club, on the eastern edge of New Cairo, on the evening of 7 November 2026, Tee Times Golf Holidays was named Europe’s Best Golf Tour Operator for the second year running, and Portugal’s Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator for good measure. The hand luggage was heavier on the way home. (World Golf Awards)

Two Trophies and a Title Defended

Director Carlos Ferreira went up to collect both awards in front of a room full of hoteliers, course owners, tourism boards and fellow operators from every corner of the golfing world. Tee Times went to Egypt with four nominations, including a first-ever tilt at World’s Best Golf Tour Operator.

The winners are decided by votes from golf industry professionals, the media and the travelling public, which is why this one means so much to the team. It extends a run that began in Vilamoura in 1993 and has so far brought Portugal’s Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator in 2020 and 2021, Portugal’s Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator in 2022 and Europe’s Best Golf Tour Operator 2025. To everyone who voted a very heartfelt: Thank You. (Golf Business News; World Golf Awards)

Tee Times director Carlos Ferreira receiving a World Golf Awards 2026 trophy on stage at Madinaty Golf Club, Egypt
Carlos Ferreira on stage at the World Golf Awards Gala Ceremony, Madinaty Golf Club.
Golf Before Gala

The weekend began with arrivals on Thursday 5 November at The St. Regis New Capital, the official hotel, followed on Friday by the networking golf day on Madinaty’s Championship Course. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed it, Troon manages it, and in 2022 it hosted the Asian Tour’s first visit to Egypt. A ten o’clock shotgun start sent the whole field out at once, which is rather the point. (World Golf Awards)

Networking golf is a curious discipline. Business is discussed between shots, cards are swapped on the tee, and nobody admits to their real handicap. Carlos made good use of the day, sharing fairways with the people who run the courses and hotels our clients play and stay at. That evening the welcome reception and barbecue back at The St. Regis carried the conversation on, smart casual and in no hurry.

Carlos Ferreira of Tee Times talking with two guests during the World Golf Awards networking golf day at Madinaty Golf Club
Talking shop at the networking golf day.

Saturday morning brought the World Golf Awards Classic, again on the Championship Course, before coaches carried guests back to Madinaty in the evening for cocktails at seven and the gala dinner and ceremony at eight. The dress code asked for suits, jackets and cocktail dresses. Shorts, as predicted, did not make the cut. (World Golf Awards)

Chris Frost, Managing Director of World Golf Awards, called the first African edition “a landmark moment for us”. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Robert Trent Jones Jr., whose designs span more than 300 courses in over 50 countries, including the one the guests had been playing all weekend. There are worse ways to honour an architect than handing him a trophy on his own course. (Golf Business News; Breaking Travel News)

Group photograph of the World Golf Awards 2026 winners at the Gala Ceremony, Madinaty Golf Club, Egypt
The class of 2026.
A Big Night for Portugal

Portugal was named World’s Best Golf Destination again, and Portuguese names kept appearing on the big screen all evening. The Silver Coast took World’s Best Emerging Golf Destination, Terras da Comporta won World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility and Quinta do Lago was named World’s Best Golf Academy Venue. Madeira claimed two world titles of its own: Santo da Serra for the best par 3 hole and Palheiro for the best panoramic clubhouse. (World Golf Awards)

At European level, the Old Course Vilamoura was named Europe’s Best Golf Course, which pleases us more than most, since it sits on our doorstep. Palmares won Europe’s Best Golf Clubhouse, PGA Aroeira the eco-friendly title and Quinta do Lago Europe’s Best Golf Venue. At home, Monte Rei was named Portugal’s Best Golf Course and Praia D’El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort Portugal’s Best Golf Hotel.

Play the Winners

Trophies look fine on a shelf, but they look better as a fixture list. An Algarve golf holiday can take in the Old Course, Quinta do Lago and Monte Rei in a single week, while the Silver Coast pairs Praia D’El Rey with Royal Óbidos and West Cliffs, about an hour north of Lisbon. On Madeira, Santo da Serra and Palheiro come with Funchal’s restaurants in between.

Our team has been booking these courses for more than three decades and knows which tee time suits which flight, which hotel suits which group, and where to eat on the night off. Tell us how you like to play, and we will put the winners together for you.

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Browse our Portugal golf holidays and let Europe’s Best Golf Tour Operator — two years running — take care of the details.

Lagoa Wine Tourism Forum Goes Iberian

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Two days, two countries and one rather sensible idea.

Lagoa has spent the past four years quietly making the case that the Algarve has more to offer than beaches and birdies. On 12 and 13 November 2026 the Lagoa Wine Tourism Forum returns to the Centro de Congressos de Lagoa for its fourth edition, and this year it has invited the neighbours. Spain is coming to dinner.

2026 Lagoa Wine forum Iberian Edition

What the Forum Is About

Organised by the Algarve Tourism Board and the Município de Lagoa as part of the INOVA ALGARVE 3.0 programme, the Iberian Edition brings together wine producers, hoteliers, academics and tourism authorities from both sides of the border. The agenda treats wine as a reason to visit a place: its links with food, culture and local identity, and how a region builds a wine brand that travellers actually remember.

The conference sessions are free to attend. A separate paid ticket covers the experiences, which include lunch and visits to local wineries. The programme and both kinds of ticket are available through BOL.

Why a Golf Blog Cares

A fair question. This is a trade event, and most of our readers would rather debate a putting line than tannin structure. But the reason the forum exists matters to anyone planning an Algarve trip: the region is pushing hard to make wine a year-round draw, encouraging visitors inland and outside the summer peak. (Portugal Resident)

Couple enjoying red wine on an Algarve winery terrace, with a golf bag beside them and vineyards behind

That happens to be the season for Algarve golf holidays too. From November to April the fairways are at their best and the roads at their quietest. More cellar doors open to visitors means more to do on the rest day — and a better answer for the non-golfing partner than “there’s a nice pool”.

Lagoa: Two Courses and a Lot of Vines

Lagoa is one of the Algarve’s four wine DOCs, alongside Lagos, Portimão and Tavira, and the municipality is home to some of the region’s best-known estates. Last year’s forum took delegates to Arvad Wines and to Morgado do Quintão, a family estate near Carvoeiro where old vines and a long lunch table do most of the talking. (The Portugal News)

Aerial shot of Vale da Pinta golf courseAerial shot of Gramacho Golf Course

The golf is equally close at hand. Vale da Pinta and Gramacho sit side by side above Carvoeiro. Ronald Fream designed Vale da Pinta, which opened in 1992; Gramacho began life as a nine-holer and was extended to 18 by Fream with former world number one Nick Price. Vale da Pinta is the headline, threading its way through olive and carob trees; Gramacho, with 27 greens for its 18 holes, is the friendlier complement. Neither is far from a decent glass of red. (Visit Portugal) (Portugal Golf)

Where to Stay

Pestana Carvoeiro Golf Resort puts you between both courses, which makes the first tee time painless. Tivoli Carvoeiro, host of the forum’s previous two editions, sits on the cliffs above the village with the Atlantic for company.


Pestana Carvoeiro Golf Resort beside the Vale da Pinta and Gramacho courses
Pestana Carvoeiro Golf ResortTwo courses, no commute

Tivoli Carvoeiro on the clifftop above Carvoeiro and the Atlantic
Tivoli CarvoeiroClifftop views, forum pedigree

Vila Vita Parc resort gardens at Porches
Vila Vita ParcGrand gardens, its own vineyard

For something grander, Vila Vita Parc at Porches takes its wine seriously enough to own a vineyard — Herdade dos Grous, in the Alentejo, admittedly, but nobody is checking passports at the cellar door. (Vila Vita Parc)

Browse our Algarve golf holidays and pair a round at Vale da Pinta with an afternoon among Lagoa’s vines.

Canopy by Hilton Vilamoura: Hilton’s Boutique Brand Drops Anchor at the Marina

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New name, new look, same five courses next door.

Hilton has chosen Vilamoura, the long-standing heart of Algarve golf holidays, to launch Canopy by Hilton in Portugal, and the former Dom Pedro Marina is the hotel getting the makeover. Canopy by Hilton Vilamoura doesn’t open until September 2027, but rooms for stays from 15 September 2027 can already be booked. For once, golfers who plan ahead are rewarded for it.

Generated rendition of the upcoming Canopy Hotel in Vilamoura

From Dom Pedro to Canopy

The Dom Pedro Marina has long been a familiar base for golfers in Vilamoura. It’s a short stroll from the marina and 500 metres from Praia da Vilamoura. Its owners, Details Hospitality (part of Arrow Global), are now turning it into Canopy by Hilton Vilamoura: 155 rooms, a spa, an outdoor pool, a fitness centre and Canopy Central, the brand’s restaurant and bar. (Hospitality Net)

Generated rendition of Canopy Common areaGenerated rendition of Canopy standard room

Canopy aims for boutique rather than big-box: easy-going service, comfortable rooms and a strong local flavour. Think of it as Hilton without the conference lanyards.

genereated rendition of Canopy SuiteGenerated rendition of Canopy restaurant
Five Courses on the Doorstep

Details built the new hotel in partnership with Vilamoura Golf, which is a polite way of saying the golf is the point. Frank Pennink’s 1969 Old Course leads a line-up that also includes Pinhal, Laguna, Millennium and The Els Club Vilamoura. All five are a few minutes from the lobby.

Our golf package includes a free shuttle to the first tee, preferred tee times between 9:00 and 11:00 on selected dates, a free pull trolley and 10% off in the pro shop. There’s VIP treatment on arrival too, which after the Faro taxi queue will feel thoroughly earned.

After the Eighteenth

The marina’s waterfront restaurants are a five-minute walk away. That means grilled dourada, a cold carafe of vinho verde, and yachts you can pretend to be shopping for.

Vilamoura Casino is just round the corner, for anyone whose short game needs a different kind of gamble.

Vilamoura marina on a summer evening, Algarve, with waterfront restaurants and moored yachts

Why Book Now

Stays open from 15 September 2027. That’s the start of the Algarve’s autumn golf season, when the courses are in prime condition and daytime temperatures sit in the mid to high twenties. A launch discount is available on bookings confirmed by 31 March 2027.

There’s also something to be said for being among a new hotel’s first guests: fresh rooms, staff keen to impress, and bragging rights over the rest of the four-ball. Nobody will believe you only went for the golf.

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Browse our Algarve golf holidays and reserve your room at Canopy by Hilton Vilamoura for autumn 2027.