# Golf at Quinta do Lago: umbrella pines and the Ria Formosa lagoon > Quinta do Lago is a residential estate in the Algarve, on the edge of the Ria Formosa natural park, some twenty minutes from Faro airport. It has four 18-hole courses open to visitors by reservation: the South Course, host of eight Portuguese Opens, the North Course, the Laranjal and San Lorenzo. The best months run from February to May and from October to November. - Golf guide • Portugal • Algarve - Airport: Faro (FAO), 20 min transfer - Ideal stay: 4–7 nights - Best season: February – May, October, November - Updated 11 October 2026 - URL: https://www.golftripplanner.fr/en/destinations/portugal/quinta-do-lago/ In 1971, the developer André Jordan bought a 550-hectare estate of umbrella pines between Almancil and the lagoon, owned by the same family for more than three centuries. Within three years he had the lake dug, a wooden footbridge thrown across to the beach and 27 holes laid out by the American William Mitchell. Half a century later, Quinta do Lago remains an estate of discreet villas, pine woods and fairways, where the Ria Formosa comes right up to the edge of the greens. Golf is the reason the place exists. Three courses belong to the estate, the South, the North and the Laranjal, and a fourth, San Lorenzo, slips in at its western end, along the lagoon. All are laid out on sandy, rolling ground, lined with pines, ponds and pale bunkers; the sea breeze complicates matters more often than length. Four courses a few minutes from one another: you can change layout every day without spending more than ten minutes in the car. Away from golf, life is divided between the beach, at the end of the footbridge, and the paths of the Ria Formosa, where you come across egrets and flamingos. Faro, with its old town and ramparts, is twenty-five minutes' drive away: enough to devote half a rest day to the historic centre, or to stay inland, at the palace of Estoi, for those who prefer old stone to villas. ## The courses ### Quinta do Lago South Course Architect: William Mitchell · Opened 1974 · 18 holes · Par 72 The estate's historic course, designed by William Mitchell and opened in 1974: par 72, about 6,500 metres, fairways lined with umbrella pines, a few stretches of water and views over the Ria Formosa. It has hosted the Portuguese Open eight times; Colin Montgomerie won here in 1989 by eleven shots, at 24 under par, including a round of 63. Renovated in 2020 and 2021, with new hybrid Bermuda grasses and rebuilt bunkers, it remains generous off the tee and above all calls for good iron play into well-defended greens. The star course of the trip. Official website: https://quintadolago.com/en/golf/golf-courses-south/ ### Quinta do Lago North Course Architect: William Mitchell, Joe Lee; Beau Welling & Paul McGinley (2014) · 18 holes · Par 72 The North combines William Mitchell's third loop of nine holes with holes added by Joe Lee in the early 1990s. Beau Welling, with Paul McGinley, Europe's 2014 Ryder Cup captain, rebuilt it entirely in 2014: greens, tees, bunkers and irrigation. Four sets of tees per hole make it playable for every level, and closely mown green surrounds invite chip-and-run shots. Par 72 and known for its par 5s, it is often the course players prefer for warming up. Signature hole: The 12th, a par 4 running alongside a lake of about one hectare, is the hole people talk about back in the clubhouse. Official website: https://quintadolago.com/en/golf/golf-courses-north/ ### Quinta do Lago Laranjal Architect: Jorge Santana da Silva · Opened 2009 · 18 holes · Par 72 Opened in 2009 on a former orange grove, hence its name, the Laranjal is the work of the Portuguese architect Jorge Santana da Silva. Par 72, 6,480 metres from the back tees, it has an unusual mix of five par 5s, eight par 4s and five par 3s. Five lakes, umbrella pines, cork oaks and a few surviving orange trees shape a highly manicured parkland course, with rolling fairways and crisp greens. Further inland than the South, it asks for precision rather than power and suits steady players well. Official website: https://quintadolago.com/en/golf/golf-courses-laranjal/ ### San Lorenzo Golf Course Architect: Joseph Lee · Opened 1988 · 18 holes · Par 72 Designed by Joseph Lee and opened in 1988, San Lorenzo is run separately, by the hotel group behind the Dona Filipa, at the western end of Quinta do Lago. Par 72, it traces a figure of eight over sandy, rolling ground: the opening holes cross the pine forest, then the course runs alongside the marshes of the Ria Formosa, a haven for birds, with the beach and the Atlantic as a backdrop. The fairways are Bermuda grass. Top100golfcourses ranks it among the best courses in continental Europe. Signature hole: The 18th, a par 4 of more than 365 metres, with water all along the left and a green almost surrounded by water, ends the round on a committed shot. Official website: https://sanlorenzogolfcourse.com/golf-course **Concierge tip:** The estate's three courses are booked through Quinta do Lago, San Lorenzo through its own club: line all four up together, several weeks ahead for spring and autumn, and bring your handicap certificate. Keep the South for the middle of your stay, and play San Lorenzo on a still morning to make the most of the closing holes along the lagoon. ## Where to stay ### Hotel Quinta do Lago The estate's only seafront hotel, on the edge of the Ria Formosa, linked by the wooden footbridge to the beach, where it keeps an area reserved for its guests. Rooms look onto either the garden or the sea: ask for a sea view, with a balcony over the lagoon. Dinner at Brisa do Mar or Ca' d'Oro, a nightcap at the Laguna Bar; all four courses are a few minutes away. ### Conrad Algarve On the approach road to Quinta do Lago, a large 154-room hotel inspired by an 18th-century Portuguese palace, with five pools, a spa and a beach club. Every room has a balcony: ask for one on the pool side. Gusto by Heinz Beck, which holds a Michelin star, has its own entrance and a terrace above the pool; order the chef's fagottelli carbonara. The clubhouses are less than ten minutes away. ### Pousada Palácio de Estoi A restored 18th-century palace in the village of Estoi, above Faro, blending neoclassical, neo-rococo and Art Nouveau styles. The lounges and restaurant occupy the palace; the 63 rooms are in a contemporary wing, around a pool that looks out to the sea and the serra. Formal French gardens and the Roman ruins of Milreu are close by. Allow half an hour to the courses: an option for those who prefer history to the beach. ## Where to dine ### Casa do Lago On the shore of the Quinta do Lago lake, facing the Ria Formosa with the Atlantic in the distance, a nautical-looking dining room and a terrace over the water. The menu follows the catch and the season: fish, seafood and local produce, open for lunch and dinner. The natural place to replay the round at sunset, a glass of white wine in hand. ### Gigi's A wooden house set on the dunes, on the far side of the footbridge across the lagoon. Gigi's is a Quinta do Lago institution: fish and seafood, feet almost in the sand, and long lunches facing the ocean. Open during the day only: keep it for an afternoon without golf, after an early tee time, and linger at the bar next door. ## Beyond golf ### The Ria Formosa Protected as a natural park, this network of lagoons, marshes and barrier islands stretches along the coast on either side of Faro. Some 30,000 birds pass through every year, flamingos and egrets included. From Quinta do Lago, sandy paths follow the lagoon between the courses; on foot, by bike or by kayak on the lake in the early morning, you enter another world within minutes. ### Faro's old town Behind the Arco da Vila, Faro's Cidade Velha is enclosed within its ramparts: cobbled lanes, low houses and a cathedral of medieval origin. A little further on, the Carmo church houses the Capela dos Ossos, an 18th-century bone chapel. Half a day is enough, and the boats to the islands of the Ria leave close by. ### Estoi and Milreu Some ten kilometres north of Faro, the village of Estoi has kept its palace and, right next door, the Roman villa of Milreu and its mosaics. A quiet visit for a late afternoon, to combine with dinner at the pousada. ## When to go Golf is played all year round at Quinta do Lago, but spring, from February to May, and autumn, from October to November, offer the best balance: mild weather, courses in good shape and low light over the lagoon. They are also the most sought-after months. Summer is hot and very popular with families; play early in the morning then. Winter stays mild, with a few days of rain and wind. ## Getting there Faro airport (FAO), linked to Europe's major cities, is around twenty minutes' drive from Quinta do Lago. A hire car or private transfer is useful: the courses are close to one another, but the estate stretches over several kilometres and Faro is twenty-five minutes away. From Lisbon, allow about three hours by road. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best golf course at Quinta do Lago? The South Course, designed by William Mitchell in 1974 and renovated in 2020-2021, is the benchmark: it has hosted the Portuguese Open eight times. San Lorenzo, next door, is often cited among the finest in the Algarve. ### Can visitors play the golf courses at Quinta do Lago? Yes. The South, the North and the Laranjal are booked online through the estate, San Lorenzo through its own club. Book early for spring and autumn, and bring your handicap certificate. ### Which airport is best for a golf trip to Quinta do Lago? Faro airport (FAO), around twenty minutes' drive from the estate. It is also the airport for Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura. ### How many days do you need for a golf trip to Quinta do Lago? Four to seven nights: enough to play all four courses, replay one, and keep a day for the Ria Formosa or Faro's old town. ### When is the best time to play golf at Quinta do Lago? From February to May and from October to November. Winter remains mild and playable; summer is hot and busy, with early-morning rounds. ## Your golf trip: Quinta do Lago Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you. https://www.golftripplanner.fr/en/#contact