Hilton Vilamoura, Portugal Xmas Golf Week – 21st December 2019

The Hilton Vilamoura Hotel

Just 25 minutes from Faro Airport and situated within five acres of picturesque landscaped gardens, the Hilton Vilamoura Hotel is a perfect location for the Christmas tour.  Within the town and yet away from the hubbub.  The hotel rooms are modern and well equipped and enjoy views of the pools and gardens below.  Indeed, there are six large pools with cascading waterfalls; hence if the weather allows, we can enjoy a relaxing swim during our stay.  The hotel is ideally located for the golf courses that we are playing.  The hotel is also home to the ‘7 Seven Spa’, which features a range of luxurious treatments to sample and offers a haven way from the stresses of everyday life.  There are a range of dining options as well, which gives us plenty of choice for the evenings when we dine at the hotel.   With the quality of the accommodation, cuisine and facilities, we have the ideal retreat for the Christmas week.

THE GOLF COURSES

Dom Pedro Golf Club – Millennium Course

Boasting a unique position within the Vilamoura portfolio, it is often asserted that the creation of the Millennium course was pivotal in cementing the status of the Algarve as one of Europe’s most-visited and best-loved for golf.  Opened in the year 2000 and comprising nine brand new holes and a refurbished inward half, which had previously formed part of the original 27-hole Laguna course, this is a more open course that its neighbours, although holes 3 to 7 wind between pine trees.  The course is a super compliment to the other courses in Vilamoura that we will be playing.

Quinta da Lago – Laranjal Course

The Quinta do Lago’s Laranjal course is one of the finest courses in the Algarve and a favourite with clients in recent years.  The course, which was originally an orange grove, is a sanctuary for fine golf.  The narrow fairways and the well defined greens require concentration and accuracy to navigate what is a testing course laid out on a rolling and distinctive terrain. It is a par 72, 6,480 metres long, with five par 5s, eight par 4s and five par 3s, all set amongst umbrella pines, cork-oaks and orange trees, with a natural water course and five beautiful lakes.

Dom Pedro Golf Club – Old Course

Situated in the heart of Vilamoura this Frank Pennink designed Dom Pedro Old Course, is a parkland style layout is one of the oldest in the region and renowned all over the golfing world.  Often described as the Grande Dame of the Algarve courses, it meanders throughout impressive pine trees, the principal hazard, over gently undulating natural terrain. Although it opened in 1969, the course was completely renovated and modernised 27 years later although no major changes were made to the magnificent layout. This is one of the courses in Portugal that will always stay in the memory of visiting golfers.

Vale do Lobo Golf Club – Royal Course

The 18-hole championship Vale do Lobo Royal golf course, the sister course to the Ocean course, has combined several existing holes from the original Vale do Lobo course and introduced some special interesting new holes. The layout of the course requires skilful planning with a mixture of challenges slowly building up to a fine challenge on the 18th.  The famous Par 3 7th hole from the old days is now the spectacular 16th on the new course. The closing 18th is a tricky hole on which to finish, with its narrow fairway and a deceptive green.

Dom Pedro Golf Club – Victoria Course

The Dom Pedro Victoria Course is the flagship of the Dom Pedro Golf group and is geared up to host the most prestigious international professional tournaments. Thanks to an €18 million investment programme completed in 2004, the Victoria is one of Europe’s most ambitious projects. As a regular stop for The European Tour as the host of The Portugal Masters, The Victoria Course can count the likes of Lee Westwood, Shane Lowry, Andy Sullivan and Padraig Harrington amongst former champions at the Arnold Palmer designed golf course just moments from Vilamoura.