Vale do Lobo Ocean Course
Vale do Lobo's Ocean Course carries the pedigree of few others in the Algarve: it was shaped by Sir Henry Cotton, a three-time Open Champion and the first professional golfer ever knighted for his service to the game. Two of his original nine-hole layouts, opened in 1968 and 1972, were finally combined into today's eighteen in 1995, completing a vision he never got to see finished.
The course builds gradually, its fairways undulating past a protected nature reserve before easing down toward the Atlantic. Everything sharpens on the closing stretch. The 11th and 14th, both testing par 4s, deliver some of the finest views in the region, and the par-3 15th plays right along the beach, close enough to hear the sea over your backswing. It is a round that rewards shot-shaping over brute force, exactly the kind of test Cotton favoured, and one that guests consistently rate among their Algarve favourites.
Facilities include a full driving range, a resident academy, and a clubhouse restaurant well placed for a post-round drink with a view. The Ocean Course sits alongside its sister course, the Royal, giving golfers a natural two-round pairing without leaving the resort. For anyone chasing that classic Algarve postcard, holes along the water, sea breeze in play, Cotton's design still delivers it.
Reception: 6:45am to 7pm(Summer) / 6pm(Winter)
Golf Clubs: Standard
Club House: With Restaurant and Snack bar
With driving range
With an Academy
Trolleys: Manual and Electric
With locker room
Pro Shop: 6:45am to 7pm(Summer) / 6pm(Winter)
Golf Lessons: Resident professionals
With putting green
Juniors: Up to 16 years oldVale do Lobo Ocean Course - latest comments and reviews
Steven Munns
2026-07-12
Excellent course. Quite open, but challenging.
Julie Cobley
2026-07-09
Very good but exceptionally busy , no car park spaces at 10.15am
Tim Bailey
2026-07-05
Lovely course, and typically quieter than the Royal.
Adam Robinson
2026-07-03
Slow track, tock plus 5hrs
Francois Petit
2026-06-24
Very nice
Pat Wallace
2026-06-18
Course and greens excellent but we hired buggies but it felt like a waste of €100 as there were restrictions to where you could take the buggies, so much so that I did just over 12000 steps
Neville Hudson
2026-06-16
We really enjoyed the ocean course as we have before, but we done it on a twilight and it was a 5 hour round which spout it a bit
Steven Morement
2026-06-15
Great experience and facilities,beautiful holes along the coast line
Gavin Tucker
2026-06-08
Easy booking and very helpful service
François De Witte
2026-05-29
Beautiful course, but challenging grassroots
Derek Hughes
2026-05-21
VdL Ocean was in great condition, pleased to see the reintroduction of high standards displayed by all the staff which sets a course and resort like this apart from others.
Warren Shekyls-Youn
2026-05-19
Lovely course and enjoyed by all. However the restrictions on buggy access was bit disappointing with no access for first 100 metres sometimes and same for greens meant we spent much time walking and feel we might have been as quick with trollies. Will still come back
Tecnicals
*Parkland - Mainly Parkland, with 5 links style holes around the coastline
*Undulated - More so on the back 9
*Mixt Course -
*Buggy Recommended - Essential
*Signature Hole - 11th
*Water hazards - Few holes on the front 9
*Tree Lined - A few Eucalyptus and Cork trees strategically placed
*Exposed - On the links holes
*Dogleg -
*Comments - Excellent course, hard to do 36 points
Use our interactive map to choose and book your preferred golf courses.
