You Must Play Portugal!

How would like to be lounging on a clubhouse veranda, engulfed by fiery pink bougainvilleas with a carafe of chilled, local white wine and a postcard-like scene of whitewashed stucco villas and deep blue ocean in the distance?

That’s just one of the many settings you’ll experience in Portugal, where golf is not just about birdies and low scores. It’s a multi-dimensional experience that attacks your senses on and off the course.

You can play golf in and around Lisbon, one of Europe’s most dynamic cities, and along the  Algarve, the stunning stretch of coast with its series of quiet , sandy coves framed by turquoise water and broken up by reddish cliffs and sandstone rocks. Not surprisingly, when drop in more than 20 golf courses amid the awesome Algarve backdrop, you’ve got one of the most desirable places in the world to tee up.

To fully immerse in the urban Portuguese good life, a visit to the coastal capital of Lisbon, however short or long, is a must. Dubbed the “San Francisco of Europe”, Lisbon has hills, white cobblestone streets, quaint trams and a large suspension bridge. Adding to its appeal is a massive castle overlooking the Old Town and a fantastic selection of dining and shopping opportunities. It’s a very walkable city and there’s some great golf near the city.

The three-hour drive from Lisbon to the Algarve takes you through a eucalyptus forest, past centuries-old farms with ancient stone houses, and finally alongside magnificent ocean cliffs.

Premier Golf’s “Best of the Algarve” package allows you to enjoy the region to its fullest. It includes 6 nights accommodations at the celebrated Dona Filipa Hotel, full breakfast daily, 5 rounds of golf (San Lorenzo, Vale do Lobo Royal and Ocean Courses, Vilamoura Old and Quinta Do Lago South) and other amenities.

Occupying a beachfront setting on the Vale do Lobo beachfront on the Algarve about 15 minutes from Faro International Airport, the Dona Filipa offers guests beauty and convenience. The 5-Star hotel’s rooms feature classic Portuguese décor with pastel tones, terracotta flooring and elegant appointments. Surrounded by picturesque golf courses and pinewoods, guests are afforded beautiful panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean from their room balconies. The amenity menu includes two restaurants and a lounge bar, a heated outdoor swimming pool, massage and beauty treatments and a beach club.

With its fantastic wines, sumptuous seafood restaurants, great shopping in Lisbon and on the Algarve, Portugal is ideal for a couples golf trip or a golf group that wants to incorporate great dining and sightseeing to compliment the days spent on the fairways.