Western Algarve By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Published 2 June 2026 At a glance Is Amendoeira Golf Resort worth it for a golf holiday? Yes — for golfers who want two genuinely contrasting championship courses in one place, Amendoeira Golf Resort near Alcantarilha is among the most rewarding […]
Tucked into the rolling hills above Alcantarilha, a short drive inland from the western Algarve’s beaches, Amendoeira Golf Resort is one of Portugal’s most complete golf destinations. Two championship courses — the bold, desert-styled Faldo and the gentler, classically routed O’Connor Jnr — sit side by side, giving you genuine variety without a single transfer. It is golf at its most considered: space, silence and two very different examinations of your game.
As a tailor-made operator, we treat Amendoeira not as a fixed package but as the centrepiece of a week shaped around you — the right stay, the right tee-times, and a handful of the Algarve’s finest neighbouring courses woven in. Below: the golf, where to stay, when to come and roughly what it costs.
The golf: two courses, two characters
Amendoeira’s appeal is the contrast at its heart. The Faldo Course is a striking, target-golf design that threads emerald fairways through swathes of natural scrub and rock — strategic, exposed and genuinely demanding, asking you to think your way around rather than overpower it. A short hop away, the O’Connor Jnr Course is its warmer counterpart: a flowing, parkland-style layout with generous lines and a rhythm that rewards a settled swing. Playing both across a week gives you the rare pleasure of two distinct tests from a single base. We also build in rounds at the Algarve’s most celebrated courses nearby — the storied Penina Golf Course at Portimão and the handsome Morgado Golf & Country Club among them — so your golf has range as well as quality.
Where to stay: refined bases across the Algarve
The beauty of a tailor-made week is that your bed needn’t sit on the fairway. Many of our guests prefer the polish and dining of the coast, with golf arranged inland and along the shore. Near Carvoeiro, the Tivoli Carvoeiro commands a dramatic clifftop setting; further east in Vilamoura, the Hyatt Regency Vilamoura Algarve, Vila Gale Ampalius, Dom Pedro Marina Boutique Hotel & Golf and Crowne Plaza Vilamoura put you at the heart of the region’s golf scene. For something quieter and more design-led, Palmares Beach House Hotel near Lagos and The Magnolia Hotel at Quinta do Lago are both gems, while the storied Penina Hotel & Golf Resort and the elegant Dona Filipa Hotel at Vale do Lobo carry a timeless, old-Algarve grace. We match the hotel to your taste and your golf, not the other way around.
Where our specialists would stay in Western Algarve
When to go, and how to play your week
Spring and autumn are the Algarve’s golden seasons — warm, dry and uncrowded, with courses presented at their best. Winter is mild and a genuine bolt-hole from the British cold, while summer rewards early starts and unhurried afternoons by the pool. A well-judged week here is unhurried: perhaps three or four rounds across Amendoeira’s two courses and one or two neighbours, with rest days for the coast, the seafood and a glass of something cool. We set the pace, the tee-times and the order of play so the golf flows and nothing feels rushed.
Why tailor-made beats a package
A package fixes your hotel, your courses and your dates to suit the operator. We do the opposite. Trading since 1981, we shape every Amendoeira itinerary around your group’s handicaps, tastes and budget — securing preferred tee-times, pairing the resort with the right neighbouring courses, and choosing a hotel that genuinely fits. It is ground-only by design, so accommodation, golf and transfers are arranged to your week, with flights available as an ATOL-protected add-on if you’d like us to handle those too. The result is a trip that feels made for you, because it is.
Our specialists’ favourite stays in Western Algarve
What our golfers say
4.997 reviews
Happy to praise Golf Planet Holidays for arranging a great 7 day trip to the Algarve, staying at the excellent Quinta Da Lago hotel. Transport arranged to and from the airport to the hotel and to golf was always …
Frequently asked questions
Where is Amendoeira Golf Resort, and how far is it from the coast?
Amendoeira sits inland near Alcantarilha, in the rolling hills of the western Algarve. It’s a short drive — typically under twenty minutes — to the beaches around Carvoeiro and the coast, making it easy to combine quiet, championship golf with refined seaside stays. We arrange all transfers as part of your itinerary.
Which courses can I play around Amendoeira?
The resort’s own Faldo and O’Connor Jnr courses are the headline, offering a desert-style test and a parkland round respectively. We commonly pair them with the Algarve’s finest neighbours, including the celebrated Penina Golf Course at Portimão and Morgado Golf & Country Club, building a week with real variety.
Is my money protected when I book?
Yes. Golf Planet Holidays has traded since 1981, and your money is held securely in trust with PTS until you return home. Where you add flights, those are ATOL protected. It means your tailor-made golf holiday is financially safeguarded from the moment you book.
Can you arrange flights, or is it ground-only?
Our holidays are ground-only by design, which keeps your accommodation, golf and transfers flexible and tailored to your dates. If you’d like, we can add flights as an ATOL-protected option and handle the entire trip end to end — the choice is yours.
Come and play with us
Wherever you're travelling from, you're welcome on a Golf Planet hosted tour — a small group, a host with you from the first tee to the last, and every round, transfer and dinner taken care of. You just bring the clubs.
