Western Algarve By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Published 2 June 2026 At a glance Where are the best golf holiday destinations for 2026? For 2026 we keep returning clients to five destinations that reward both the golf and the time off the course: the Algarve for its concentration […]
Choosing where to play in 2026 is the most enjoyable decision a golfer makes all year. The right destination is never simply about the scorecard — it is the warmth of the welcome at the end of the round, the table waiting for you afterwards, and the sense that everything has been arranged so you need only think about your tee shot.
Drawing on more than four decades of arranging golf travel, we have gathered the destinations that consistently delight our clients for the year ahead — from the championship fairways of the Algarve to a refined long weekend on France’s Opal Coast. Every resort and course below is one we know first-hand, and every trip is shaped entirely around you, from
The Algarve: Portugal's championship heartland
No region rewards a golfer quite like the Algarve, where a string of celebrated courses sits within easy reach of one another beneath reliable southern light. The Penina Golf Course at Penina Hotel & Golf Resort near Portimao — Sir Henry Cotton’s mature, tree-lined masterpiece — remains a rite of passage, while Vilamoura offers a wealth of golf from the elegant Vila Gale Ampalius. Further east, Tivoli Carvoeiro at Carvoeiro pairs clifftop views with easy access to the resort courses, and the AP Cabanas Beach & Nature Hotel near Tavira makes a serene base for the quieter eastern Algarve. It is a destination we return groups to year after year, and one we tailor precisely to the standard of golf you are looking for.
Costa del Sol & Sotogrande: sun-soaked, year-round golf
For dependable warmth and golf of genuine pedigree, southern Spain is hard to better. Around Sotogrande and Alcaidesa, the Fairmont La Hacienda Costa del Sol places you among some of the finest fairways on the coast, while the SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort brings a design-led, restorative edge to the post-round hours — pool, spa and table all of a piece with the golf. This is a destination that plays beautifully when British courses are under water, which is precisely why it features so heavily in our winter itineraries. We match the hotel and the tee times to your group’s appetite, whether that is a serious golfing week or a gentler, more indulgent few days.
Where our specialists would stay in Western Algarve
Madeira & Gran Canaria: dramatic island golf
For something more theatrical, the Atlantic islands deliver golf with a backdrop few places can rival. On Madeira, the Pestana Casino Park in Funchal — with its Oscar Niemeyer architecture and harbour views — is the ideal base for the island’s clifftop courses, played in mild air almost the whole year through. Gran Canaria, meanwhile, offers true winter warmth: Kumara Serenoa at Maspalomas gives you sunshine, space and golf within the dunes when the season elsewhere has long closed. Both islands suit the golfer who wants the round to be only half the pleasure.
Le Touquet & Lisbon's coast: a refined European escape
Not every golf holiday calls for a long flight. Le Touquet, on France’s Opal Coast, is the most civilised of long weekends, with the grand Hotel Barriere Le Westminster anchoring the town’s golf, dining and Belle Epoque charm. And on the Lisbon coast, the Vila Gale Cascais opens the door to two of the country’s outstanding layouts — the windswept links of Oitavos Dunes Golf Club and the polished Quinta da Marinha — within minutes of the hotel. These are destinations for the golfer who wants the trip to feel like a proper escape, easily reached and beautifully appointed.
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
Is my money protected when I book a golf holiday with Golf Planet Holidays?
Yes. We have arranged golf travel since 1981, and your money is held in trust with PTS until you return home, so it is fully secured throughout. When you add flights, your trip is also ATOL Protected — giving you the reassurance of a financially safeguarded holiday from the moment you book.
Why choose a tailor-made trip over a standard golf package?
A package fixes the hotel, the courses and the dates around the cheapest common denominator. We do the opposite: we build the itinerary around your group — the standard of golf you want, the hotel you would actually choose, the tee times that suit you, and the meals and rest in between. The result fits you, not the other way around, and often for less than you would expect.
How much should I budget for a 2026 golf holiday?
Our tailor-made holidays start from around
Do you arrange flights, or is it golf and hotel only?
Our core trips are arranged on a ground-only basis — hotel, golf and the arrangements in resort — which gives you complete flexibility on how you travel. We are very happy to add flights as an option, at which point your holiday becomes ATOL Protected. Many clients prefer this approach, particularly when flying from regional airports.
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.
