Pinheiros Altos Golf Course located within the well-known Quinta do Lago estate, within the golfing world it is known as providing a mental challenge due to well placed hazards. Bordering the 18,300 hectares of Natural Park of Ria Formosa which provides a habitat for many species of birds and has much interesting vegetation.|Pinheiros Altos is a combination of 27 holes composed by three groups of 9 holes named Oliveiras (Olives), Pinheiros (Pines) and Sobreiros (Corks), respectively. This highly original and distinctive course possesses completely opposing characteristics. The original 18-hole course of Pinheiros Altos was well-known for its contrasting nines. While the first 9-hole are over rolling sandy undergrowth with gentle pine trees, the shorter second 9-hole runs through hills dotted with lakes that present the main obstacle for the golfers on this course.
Duncan Malyon
2025-05-24
Lovely round of golf. Very helpful staff
Barry Winter
2025-05-22
Pinheiros Altos Golf Course Review – May 2025
Our group of six from the UK played Pinheiros Altos in mid-May, taking on the Olives and Pines nines in that order. The course is set up as three distinct 9-hole loops, and while it offers a varied and interesting layout, there were some clear highs and a few unfortunate lows during our visit.
The Layout – Olives & Pines:
If you’re planning a round at Pinheiros Altos, make sure the Olives nine is included—it’s the standout of the two we played. It’s tight, tree-lined, and full of water hazards that demand accuracy and control. The 8th hole on Olives is particularly memorable, featuring a stunning island green that provides both challenge and spectacle.
The Pines nine, once you cross the road, opens up significantly and offers a more scoreable layout. It’s less punishing off the tee and easier to manage overall. We were told it’s the members' preferred nine—and it’s easy to see why. It’s more forgiving and ideal for those looking to post a good number.
Pros – Staff & Facilities:
One of the real highlights at Pinheiros Altos was the staff. Everyone we encountered was friendly, helpful, and clearly cared about making our experience enjoyable. The starter was excellent, and we even had the club captain wave us through as we played the second nine—fantastic touch and a reflection of the relaxed, welcoming culture.
The clubhouse was also excellent, serving great food with a veranda that overlooks the Olives course—a perfect spot to relax post-round.
Cons – Course Condition:
Unfortunately, course conditions let the experience down. The greens were in poor shape, littered with pitch marks and signs of disease. Despite this, oddly enough, they were among the fastest we played on the trip—possibly due to being cut very short, which may have contributed to their poor health. Fairways also showed signs of wear, and it was clear the course is in need of some focused maintenance.
The third nine was closed for maintenance during our visit, but we did see hollow tining and other work being done, which is encouraging. Hopefully, this signals a broader effort to improve the overall conditioning of the course.
Final Thoughts:
Pinheiros Altos has huge potential with its varied layout, standout holes, and excellent staff. If the course conditions were improved, this could easily become a top-tier option in the Algarve. As it stands, it’s a mixed bag—but one worth revisiting in the future to see how it progresses. It might just be worth a return visit next year if the maintenance work pays off.
Kevin Tuohy
2025-05-19
Played Olives & Pines, had the course to ourselves, course in good condition, service great. Top marks all round.
Chris Pyatt
2025-05-16
Generally excellent considering the cost of the round and buggies. The greens were true. The sand levels in the bunkers was inconsistent but on the whole very happy. Enjoyable.
Jan Nel
2025-05-10
Fairways needs to improve greens and approaches fine
Geoffrey Green
2025-05-08
Very friendly staff, course really good condition and good challenge. All the different birds on the estate were an added bonus. We played Pines course twice and each of the other two once over two days. Loved it.
Paul McAlister
2025-04-23
Very easy to make the booking and the staff at Pinheiros Altos were very helpful. The course is quite tight which isn’t a bad thing but had me changing my way of playing. Take plenty of spare balls… quite a bit of water ????.
Only area of improvement I’d recommend would be to rake the bunkers a bit more. Some are lacking a sandy surface to play off.
The absolute result today was playing 18 holes without seeing anyone else. Billionaires golf day.
David Laird
2025-04-06
Better condition than last year.
Nicholas Georgevic
2025-04-03
Played Pines and Corks. Olives a much better 9 - Corks the clearly inferior 9 of the 3. In ok condition but not one of the better courses in Quinta, albeit the cheapest to play.
Elizabeth von Werra
2025-03-31
Nice courses, friendly personnel
Ralph Püschner
2025-03-24
Toller und abwechslungsreicher Golplatz. Sehr spannendes Design. Service ist sehr freundlich und unkompliziert. Top Platzpflege. Abstände unter den Flights waren gut organisiert.
Absolut empfehlenswert.
Horst Hubig
2025-03-12
Toilettenanlagen müssen besser gereinigt werden. Aber auch teilweise unbedingt erneuert werden.
*Flat - the old back nine Oilves
*Undulated - Mainly on Pines & Corks
*Dogleg - yes, but nothing acute
*Tree Lined - On Pines & Corks loops
*Exposed -
*Buggy Recommended - If Essential
*Water hazards - Several lakes
*Parkland - Yes
*Signature Hole - The 8th on the Corks , probably the most dificult par5 in Portugal
*Comments - Nice mixture of trees and lakes , allways in good condition .
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