Vale do Lobo Royal Course
Golf at Vale do Lobo began in 1965, when Sir Henry Cotton was brought in to lay out the resort's first course, part of Trusthouse Forte and Costain's plan to build Portugal's first purpose-designed luxury resort. Two nine-hole loops opened in 1968 and 1972, and eventually became today's Ocean course. The Royal course as it stands opened in 1997, American architect Rocky Roquemore's reworking of Cotton's original drawings.
It's a par-72 layout of around 6,059 metres, rolling through pines and lakes, with some steep climbs on the back nine and a couple of doglegs. Water shows up on both nines, mostly visible from the tee. The 9th plays to a green that's almost an island. But the signature hole is the 16th, inherited from Cotton's original 1968 routing: a par-3 played along the coastal cliffs, often named among the most photographed holes in Europe.
The buggy is recommended here, and the resort backs it up with a driving range, an academy staffed by resident professionals, a clubhouse restaurant and snack bar, locker room and pro shop. Book a round on the course that gave the Algarve its most famous photograph, and pair it with its sibling, the Ocean course, next door.
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 Royal Course - latest comments and reviews
Simon Reece
2026-10-06
Superb. One of the best courses in the Algarve. Very friendly and welcoming team. Course in good condition. Excellent clubhouse if a bit slow with ordering drinks.
Kelly Bains
2026-10-05
Same as previous the range is limited and when busy the buggies are challenge but this tine we were early so it was easier
Søren Rasmussen
2026-10-04
greens not good, but my favorite course
Stuart Johnston
2026-09-26
Nice layout, fairways nice but greens particularly slow and lots of pitch marks. Signature hole 16 is spectacular.
Gill Forrester
2026-09-17
Not as good a Villamoura old course but it was an interesting course.
Simon Reece
2026-09-16
Best course in Vilamoura region. Just such a great experience. If I was critical, I’d say the greens needed a little attention, but don’t let that put you off.
Philip Leslie Martin
2026-09-16
Great conditions great service
John Ellis
2026-09-15
The course seemed a bit manufactured. Just puzzle pieced within the neighborhood. Conditions were good. Greens were much too small. Probably half the size of normal greens. Not unhappy but I wouldn’t recommend it to golfers. It’s a place to play golf but the course is nothing special.
Carole Drury
2026-09-15
Paired with two exceptionally good players so difficult to keep up with their pace
Bob Morris
2026-09-13
Greens were not the best
Paul Harwood
2026-09-07
Great course and club house.
Greens not in the best of order, but they had been sanded and people weren’t repairing pitch marks.
Ian Beattie
2026-09-01
Royal was OK, but greens were not great and a bit inconsistent - 3rd out of the 4
Tecnicals
*Parkland - Total except the 16th
*Undulated - With some steepish climbs on the back 9
*Buggy Recommended - yes
*Signature Hole - famous 16th , par3
*Water hazards - Yes on both 9's, easily seen from tees
*Tree Lined - Yes, with Pines
*Dogleg - Couple on the back 9
*Comments - Excellent course, one of Algarve's best
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