Vale do Lobo Golf

Vale do Lobo opened in 1968 with a 27-hole layout by Sir Henry Cotton, and the resort now has two 18-hole courses. The Royal was reworked by Rocky Roquemore from Cotton’s drawings and reopened in 1997. It is par 72 and 6,059 metres, with water at the 6th, 9th, 16th and 17th. Its par-3 16th, a carry of more than 200 metres over the red cliffs to a green above the beach, is one of the best-known holes in Europe.

The Ocean Course is made up of two of Cotton’s original nines. It is par 73 and runs through pines and along a nature reserve before dropping towards the Atlantic, with sea views from the 11th and 14th and a par 3 at the 15th alongside the beach. It is shorter than the Royal and generally considered the easier of the two. The club has a golf shop and practice areas, and guests at the Dona Filipa have a shuttle to the courses.