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Tee Times Golf Hotels, Spa’s & Resorts – All thing related to hotels, spa’s, resorts and other accommodation for your golf holidays and breaks. The best hotels and resorts, spas, reviews, news, experiences and much more.

A Perfect Morning at Pine Cliffs Golf Course

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A review by our CEO, Mr. Carlos Ferreira — sharing his morning on one of the Algarve’s most celebrated coastal layouts.

This morning I had the pleasure of playing at the beautiful Pine Cliffs Resort golf course, and it truly reminded me why golf in the Algarve is considered among the best in Europe. From the moment the sun rose over the Atlantic coastline, the conditions were simply spectacular. Clear blue skies, warm sunshine, and a light ocean breeze created the perfect setting for an unforgettable round.

Tee Times CEO Carlos Ferreira

The course itself was presented in excellent condition. The fairways were immaculate, offering consistent lies throughout the round, while the greens were particularly impressive — fast, firm, and extremely true. Players had to be fully focused on every putt and approach shot, as the pace of the greens demanded precision and good course management. It was the kind of setup that rewards quality golf while still remaining enjoyable for players of all levels.

One of the most striking things this morning was the atmosphere around the course. There was a tremendous turnout, with close to 200 golfers enjoying the magnificent conditions throughout the day. Despite the high number of players, the pace of play remained surprisingly smooth and efficient. Our group completed the front nine in under two hours, which is excellent considering how busy the course was. Credit must go to both the players and the course management for maintaining such a good rhythm during peak conditions.

On the Green Pine Cliffs

Of course, no visit to Pine Cliffs would be complete without mentioning its breathtaking scenery. The dramatic red cliffs, the panoramic ocean views, and the beautifully maintained landscape make every hole memorable. Even between shots, it is impossible not to stop for a moment and appreciate the natural beauty surrounding the course. Few places combine championship golf and coastal scenery quite as effortlessly as Pine Cliffs. For anyone planning a golf break along this stretch of coast, Pine Cliffs is reason enough on its own.

Pine Cliffs Resort Aerial View

The signature par-3 sixth hole, famously played across the cliffs, continues to be one of the most iconic golf holes in Portugal. Standing on the tee box with the Atlantic Ocean stretching endlessly behind the green is an experience that never gets old. It is one of those rare holes where every golfer instinctively reaches for their phone or camera before taking the shot.

Today’s round perfectly captured what makes golf in the Algarve so special: outstanding weather, exceptional course conditions, stunning scenery, and a relaxed but vibrant atmosphere. Whether you are visiting Portugal for a golf holiday or simply looking for a memorable round by the ocean, Pine Cliffs continues to deliver a first-class experience.

After mornings like this, it is easy to understand why so many golfers return to Pine Cliffs year after year.

Golf South of the Tagus: The Lisbon Region’s Most Underrated Course Cluster

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Dunas, Torre, Montado, Aroeira, Quinta do Peru, Troia — six reasons to cross the river.

Most golfers heading to Lisbon look west towards Cascais and Sintra, or north towards the Silver Coast. The courses south of the Tagus rarely make the shortlist. That is a mistake worth correcting.

Dunas da Comporta: The Best Golf Course in the World

An hour south of Lisbon, on the edge of the Sado Estuary, Dunas Golf Course at Terras da Comporta has done something no Portuguese course has done before. Designed by David McLay-Kidd — the Scottish architect behind Bandon Dunes — and opened in October 2023, the par-71 layout across 84 hectares of natural sandy terrain is the closest thing to a links course in Portugal.
South Lisbon Comporta Golf CourseThe awards came quickly and have not stopped. Dunas was named World’s Best New Golf Course and Europe’s Best New Golf Course at the 2023 World Golf Awards. In 2024, it collected three more — World’s Best Golf Course, Europe’s Best Golf Course, and Europe’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility. It retained the Europe’s Best Golf Course title in 2025. It holds the number one ranking in Portugal on Top100GolfCourses.com and sits at number six in Continental Europe on the same list.

All of this within two years of opening. No course in Europe has made an entrance like it.

Torre: Sergio Garcia’s First Signature Course

Five minutes from Dunas, the Torre Golf Course opened in 2025 — the first complete design by 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia. The par-72 layout stretches to 6,575 metres from the back tees and draws heavily on Garcia’s favourite course, Valderrama. Small greens, tight fairways, risk-and-reward holes and short par-threes with real character.
South Lisbon Torre Golf CourseTogether, Dunas and Torre make Terras da Comporta a genuine 36-hole destination — two courses of Continental European Top 100 calibre, side by side, an hour from Lisbon. That combination did not exist two years ago.

Montado: Cork Oaks, Muscatel Vines, and an Island Green

Montado Golf Course lies on Portugal’s Blue Coast, around an hour south of Lisbon, close to the coastal town of Setúbal and the historic village of Palmela. The course unfolds beneath oak, olive, chestnut and pine trees, with creeks, natural lakes and muscatel vineyards winding around the layout — a setting that feels genuinely apart from the city, despite the short drive.
South Lisbon Montado Golf CourseThe signature hole is the 18th, where the green sits on an island and the round ends exactly as it should: with something at stake.

The course is in excellent condition and golfers are well looked after. For accommodation, the Crowne Plaza Caparica Lisbon — a DHM property on the Costa de Caparica — provides an excellent base, with attractive rates available for golf guests.

Aroeira: Two Courses, One Forest, One Very Good Reason to Stay Longer

Tucked in a pine forest adjacent to the coastal town of Caparica and just 15 miles from Lisbon, Aroeira features two golf courses. Frank Pennink’s Aroeira Pines Classic, which opened in 1973, was dubbed the “Wentworth of Lisbon” by the British press.
South Lisbon Aroeiras Golf CourseThe second course, designed by Donald Steel, occupies more uneven terrain with more water in play and is generally the tougher of the two. Aroeira is now part of the PGA portfolio — under new ownership that has invested considerably in both course conditions and service standards. Between them, the two courses offer enough variety to fill several days without moving your bags — and they are in better shape than ever.

Quinta do Peru: Quietly Exceptional

Set against the Arrábida Hills, Quinta do Peru was considered one of the top 10 golf courses in Europe by European Golf magazine and has hosted rounds of the European Challenge Tour. It sits between Sesimbra and Setúbal, routed across a high undulating plateau through more than 300 acres of pine forest, with views across the treetops and the Arrábida mountains as a backdrop.
South Lisbon Quinta do Peru Golf CourseIt earns its reputation quietly. The golfers who have played it tend to take care of the rest.

Troia: The One That Requires a Ferry and Rewards the Effort

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior and opened in 1980, Troia sits on a peninsula reached by a short ferry crossing from Setúbal, wedged between the Atlantic Ocean, the Sado Estuary and the Serra da Arrábida. When the Portuguese Open came to Troia in 1983, Sam Torrance was the only player to beat par for the championship.
South Lisbon Troia Golf CourseLike Aroeira, the course has since come under the PGA umbrella, with new ownership investing significantly in playing conditions and the wider visitor experience. The ferry crossing adds ten minutes and a considerable amount of anticipation.

From an award-winning course ranked the best in the world to a clifftop plateau with views across the Arrábida, the south of the Tagus offers some of the finest and most varied golf in Portugal.

Tee Times covers the full range of Lisbon golf holidays — courses, hotels, and tee times across all of the above.

MADEIRA IS GETTING A MAJOR MAKE-OVER

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MADEIRA IS ABOUT TO BECOME A VERY DIFFERENT DESTINATION

There is a moment in every destination’s story when it stops being a well-kept secret and becomes something rather more significant. For Madeira, that moment may be arriving sooner than most people expected.

The Madeira government has confirmed plans to open 36 new holes across the archipelago over the coming years. That is not a minor adjustment to the programme. For an island currently offering three golf venues and 63 holes, it represents a visionary transformation. And at the centre of that transformation is one of the most eagerly anticipated course openings in European golf.

A CLIFFTOP COURSE TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING

Ponta do pargo golf course madeira cgi render faldo design

The site of Sir Nick Faldo’s course at Ponta do Pargo was originally conceived more than fifteen years ago, before construction was halted by the global financial crisis in 2009. The dream did not disappear — it simply waited. Construction restarted, and the par-72 layout is now in its final stages, perched high on the clifftops of Madeira’s westernmost point with sweeping views across the archipelago and out to the Atlantic.

Faldo himself has been characteristically direct about what he found when he returned to the site. He described it as “a golf course designer’s dream” — a site where the natural landscape does much of the work, and where the designer’s role is as much about restraint as invention. Sustainability has been central to the process from the start. The decision to install Madeira’s native Kikuyu grass — which thrives on natural rainfall without irrigation — is expected to dramatically reduce the course’s water consumption throughout the year.

The course covers 120 hectares of natural landscape and will be supported by practice facilities including a driving range, short game area, a nine-hole pitch and putt course, and a clubhouse, restaurant and hotel. The opening is anticipated for 2027.

SANTO DA SERRA GETS EVEN BETTER

The oldest golf club in Madeira, Clube de Golf Santo da Serra already boasts three nine-hole loops — the Machico, the Desertas and the Serras — all designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr, and has hosted the European Tour’s Madeira Islands Open on ten occasions. An additional nine-hole layout will take it to 36 holes. The project will also include the construction of two new lakes for water collection and sustainable water management, with the stored water used to irrigate the course.

Santo da Serra golf course madeira couple fairway

It is worth noting that Santo da Serra does not arrive at this moment of expansion from a position of weakness. The course was recently named Portugal’s Best Golf Course in the Players’ Choice category at the 2025 Golfamore Awards — an honour decided entirely by golfers, based on more than 160,000 reviews logged across a voting pool of over 100,000 players. It also recently completed a €2.5 million investment programme aimed at enhancing the playing experience for both members and visiting golfers. A course that is already the best in the country, now adding nine more holes. Not bad.

PORTO SANTO JOINS THE EXPANSION

The expansion does not stop on the main island. Porto Santo Golfe — set on Madeira’s quieter sister island, famous for its seven-kilometre beach — is also in line for a new nine-hole addition. For golfers who have already played the existing 18-hole course, that is a significant development. Porto Santo has long been the kind of place you visit once, intend to return to, and somehow never quite manage. More golf holes may finally provide the decisive nudge.

THE DESTINATION RIGHT NOW

Madeira island golf destination Portugal

All of this is coming. But the case for a Madeira golf holiday does not require a building site. International rounds played across the islands rose by more than ten per cent in 2025, with Madeira’s four biggest overseas markets — Scandinavia, Germany, the UK and France — all posting growth. The destination earned the World Golf Award for World’s Best Emerging Golf Destination in 2025.

The Madeira Golf Passport remains one of the most popular ways to experience the destination, offering three rounds of golf at either Santo da Serra or Palheiro Golf from €290 per person, including complimentary transfers between hotel and course. For the value it represents — on an island with this much drama, this much scenery, and this much to do beyond the fairways — it is one of the better deals in European golf travel.

Tee Times covers Madeira in full, with tee times at Santo da Serra, Palheiro Golf and Porto Santo Golfe. Book now, before the word properly gets out.