On the fringes of the amazing landscape of the Ria Formosa Natural Park lies Pinheiros Altos, and excellent golf course that was originally designed by the American, Ronald Fream for its opening in 1992.
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0800 043 6644On the fringes of the amazing landscape of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, and adjacent to the Formosa Park Hotel, lies Pinheiros Altos, and excellent golf course that was originally designed by the American, Ronald Fream for its opening in 1992.
The original 6,615 yard layout, comprised of the “Pines” and the “Olives” course, received a welcome boost when the renowned Peter McEvoy and Howard Swan reworked many of the holes, sharpening up the design and modernizing it to meet the demands of the modern game. The predominant characteristic of Pinheiros Altos is that the two nines are vastly different in character; the outward half winds through the lovely pine trees, traversing the sandy turf of the coastline, while the closing stretch is distinctly more undulating, and is punctuated with a number of challenging water hazards.
A further 9 hole course, the “Corks” was opened in 2008, designed by George Santana Da Silva. The course is the longest of the three and contains a particularly tricky eighth hole.
Pinheiros Altos is also fortunate to have a fantastic practice centre, helping to underline it as a quality golfing destination, perfect for a round during your next trip to the Algarve.
STATS
Designed by: Ronald Fream (Pines and Olives), George Santana Da Silva (Corks)
Opened for play: 1992 (Pines and Olives), 2008 (Corks)
Par: All courses are a Par 36
TEES
White tees: 9182 metres (10,041 yards), Par 108, SSS 108
Yellow tees: 8600 metres (9405 yards), Par 108, SSS 108
Blue tees: 7931 metres (8673 yards), Par 108, SSS 108
Red tees: 7381 metres (8072 yards), Par 108, SSS 108
Signature Hole: Hole 8- Olives Course, Par 3, 136 yards, SI 9
This 27 hole championship course boasts many holes worth mentioning. On the Corks course, is a hole which is known around Pinheiros Altos to leave a dent in many promising rounds. The par 5 eighth amounts to 580 yards and contains a double dogleg, making it almost impossible to reach the green in two, and leaving for a challenging par. The Pines course contains the ninth, a beautiful par 3 travelling over water, onto a McKenzie green. When the pin is near the right side of the green, the hole becomes particularly tough and requires a precise shot when going for the pin. Water short of the green and a greenside bunker to the right can easily cause what could have been a birdie, to become a bogey or worse. However, the pride of Pinheiros Altos is the 8th hole on the Olives (17th when playing 18 holes). The par 3, just 136 yards away, is set within an alluring lake. Michael Gedye wrote in his golfer's guide portugal- “with sloping edges and one deep, magnetic sand trap, it requires good club selection in any breeze and a positive tee shot”. A must play hole when visiting the Algarve.
Played many times.Good as ever
Great course, great clubhouse and really helpful staff.
Unfortunately we only played 14 holes as the weather was dreadful but we loved the course and were disappointed not to finish Can't really comment on speed of game as we were playing millionaire's golf!
There are 3 nine hole courses and you get told on arrival which 2 you’ll play on the day , the olive course is in shocking condition, not worth the money at all , greens and fairways are terrible, the pines course was a lot better and I’m told the corks is also ok , we were unlucky to have been given the olives to play , if you can avoid this one then do so
Actually average to hard in difficulty but REALLY nice course, the best we played. Really friendly, free driving range and balls. Lovely course. Buggy was 55euro but they seem to be everywhere. Really nice and interesting course. 5stars
When booking we should have been advised that the course is currently in poor condition.
The club is currently experiencing water issues and this was evident on the Pineheiros front 9 that we played. The back 9 was much better.
Twenty years ago 10 out of 10, now 2 out of ten
Only real concern was the greens
Course in shocking condition. Hardly any grass on the fairways or tee boxes. Some of the greens had scorch marks on them. Again a lovely set up course but looks like the haven’t watered it at all. Will not be playing this again
They have had issues with irrigation so fairways were burned. Greens good. Excellent practice area. V flexible on times. Not busy. Great clubhouse and wildlife to watch.
ground was very hard, dry and scorched. need a bit more upkeep / watering. Still nice course.
The first 9 holes were very slow as behind 2 x fourballs however these groups were playing their 2nd 9 holes. No-one in front of us for the 2nd nine holes. The greens appeared bumpy and very dry even this early in the season
Good
beautiful course, some really nice and challenging holes. one of the older courses there and the clubhouse is a bit old/tired but well maintained, friendly staff. while having said all that would still recommend and definitely play again when in the Algarve.
The course was really nice with a couple of feature holes towards the end of the round. As a high handicapper I found it easier in comparison to San Lorenzo.
greens let it down badly shame as is a lovely course
Over played and busy course in average condition. The Pines 9 holes was tedious.
I played this course twice, with the second round far exceeding the first due to knowing the course. Generally the course was in excellent condition.
A pleasant course, but even good shots are penalised with the undulating fairways and cambers. It’s in competition with so many other courses in the area, and it wouldn’t be my first choice if I went again.
Really enjoyed it. Some interesting holes. Just a little bit scruffy around the bunkers but that's nit picking. We loved the idea of three 9 hole courses and mixing them up. You need to be careful with timing as you have two tee times to make!
getting a little tired and could do with some TLC but staff were absolutely lovely and we had great fun
Very nice course, lovely clubhouse, it was expensive for food and drinks but overall we were very happy
Played as a 2 ball very enjoyable course and greens in good condition
3 lovely 9 hole courses, that are fitted together to vary the 18 hole experience
A striking, manicured course of 3 x 9 holes (but you wont be given an option which you play on!). Corks 9 undulates through the (cork) trees and has some very fine holes, plus the odd daft one. Olives is flatter, newer and similarly has some great holes, esp the last 3, but there are at least 2 excessively looong par 5's which are flat and featureless
The Pines and The Corks were nice courses, The Olives not quite so. Club house and staff were helpful and friendly.
Good value course with 3 sets of none holes. We played Cork first followed by Olive. Probably best to play other way around as Cork course is very tight. Great course to start the trip though.
The course was in pretty good condition. a bit patchy in places and wet in certain areas but for the money it was great
We played corks and pines and enjoyed the experience. Stayed for a drink or three and the pace of play was about right. Buggies are a bit pricey @ €45
Good course. A bit disappointed that we played pines and cork. I would have liked to play pines and the other 9 holes with the water. Clubhouse very nice. You can’t hit balls on the range if you just rock up for a practice unless u pay 15 euros and then it’s unlimited but we only had an hour before closure and there was no compromise. But a great place and good memories of my last visit.
Disappointing. The Olives course is not a great lay out. Course conditions were ok, recent heavy rain had not helped. The biggest disappointment was the attitude of the starter who was unwelcoming and unhelpful. Running late with painfully slow fourballs in front he demanded we play 5 holes by a certain time with no play from the whites.
olives and pines, good, difficult to lose balls unless wet. would go again but maybe not olives 3*9 holes olives, pines and cones.
Olvive part of the course, boring too flat. The other parts really good
Great set of courses and excellent food at the 19th
REallly enjoyed the course and the clubhouse.
Really enjoyed the Olives and Pines. Was better than we expected and enjoyed the layout. Only issue is as the mosquitos. Take repellant!
End of season greens but at its normal standard
Most courses are getting too long for us both of us now close to 80 years old This course did have some holes not too long
Enjoyable course - we played twice so they arranged for us to play all 3 nines - staff were very helpful and personable and as Dona Felipe residents they reduced the buggy charge by 10 euros to 45 euros.
Clearly in need of investment as very rough and ready. Greens in poor condition but still a challenging round as you plot around narrow fairways and fabulous trees
The greens had an infestation on them so not in great condition. I don’t think we will play here again.
A great course, with excellent facilities including an Academy. Course has 3 9 hole courses each with a different character. The only complaint was the condition of the greens, patchy in place though it did not spoil the golf. Club house is excellent with a decent shop. Course was almost empty when I played so had no pressure of time. Highly recommend the course, if you get a deal on green fees as the area is not cheap.
course not in great condition, quite patchy in places on the fairways, felt like it needed a bit more TLC.
We really enjoyed the Corks. Picturesque and good quality. The Olives course was in very poor condition tall weeds growing up around some fairways. Around the greens scruffy in places. (This was the same two years ago, hadn’t improved ) yes there was preferred lies.
Really nice course meanders around the houses. Soft greens are a bit slow but need preserving. Some dry parts to the course. Some lovely water features and challenging par 3s.
Poor condition and in need of investment
Interesting course made up of three different nines. We played the Corks and the Olives. The Corks was very picturesque, the Olives was very flat and open.
What a great course, with quite a few challenging water holes
A beautiful course. A privilege to play there. The 18 holes we played were difficult and included the iconic island hole. A wonderful experience.
We played the Pines and Corks and enjoyed the 18 holes that were in good condition. Starting early is best for a quick round.
Great experience. Have played here many times before and they continue to maintain the standard. Friendly and fun staff. Great club house, nice views and service. Course interesting, varied, and well maintained. Surrounding areas nicely groomed. Definitely worth playing and visiting.
Loved it. Has everything you want on a course. Green were tricky but not impossible. Thinkers course
Great that we were allows balls on range free 30min before tee off and short game area to practice kids liked this We buggies overall course was poor routed and had to buggy
It’s an amazing course, less well known but offers the average golfer quite a challenge! Lots of lovely birds around, lot of water. Buggy paths very uneven so it was a jolting ride. Staff very helpful, handy tips on directions given the 3 loops meant the flow wasn’t obvious at times.
Buggy paths are a disgrace
Played olive and pines course. Both very good and very different. Would love to play again for sure. Nice bar and good food. 8/10
Three lovely nine hole courses to challenge all standards, really helpful staff with excellent pitching, putting and driving range facilities. Good food and lovely bar / balcony overlooking the 18th
Really enjoyed and staff very helpful.
I won’t be returning to this course. Using a buggy was a negative experience as one had to walk to the centre of the fairway with clubs. Shame you can’t take your buggy on the course on all the holes. I suggest others use an electric buggy.
Extremely helpful and friendly staff. Greens not in particularly good condition, but enjoyed the courses. Good challenge for low and high handicaps!
Thoroughly enjoyed it but the round was slow as we kept having to wait on the tees.
Had good times to play and had no other person, mainly two ball.The Pines on the Pinheiros course I found difficult, A POWER SAW would have been a good extra in the golf bag!
Very good loops of 3 x 9. Paths need re laying
Excellent course, very good condition and the staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. Would definitely recommend playing
Course in terrible condition played preferred lies not good
COURSE WAS NOT QUITE AT ITS BEST A LITTLE UNTIDY IN PARTS WITH THE FAIWAYS RATHER DRY
Excellent course we will certainly return here
We were following a large party of 20 plus male golfers who had obviously been messing the staff around consequently we detected initial frustration with the staff and had difficulty in sorting out buggies for our party. After 9 holes we managed to get 2. Also the bar staff initially appeared stressed but did apologise and look after us well. The course was ok in terms of condition but neither this course or San Lourenzo were anywhere near as good as Bal de Lobo Royal which we organised and played on our final day. The condition of the tees fairways and greens here was far superior.
Buggies expensive at €40 but needed. Great course but very fast greens when compared to months of winter golf in UK. Helpful, friendly staff.
A really pleasant surprise. We played the ‘Olives and the Pines’ which both featured some really interesting and challenging holes. Thoroughly enjoyed the round in calm and sunny conditions
Brilliant course in an excellent location, the facilities were top notch, highly recommend.
I’d seen Pinheiros Altos as second class compared with San Lorenzo, but no more. The course was in pretty good nick considering the amount of rain in the previous week, the greens were true and it had something for all handicaps. The clubhouse and other facilities were great and being quite an active members club it had a friendly environment too. It could do with more active marshalling - one afternoon round was very slow indeed but the next morning was quick.
For our first round we played Pines & Corks. Second round Olives and Pines. We found Pines much to our liking along the sea front. Corks had a lot of long holes which our shorter hitters found very testing. Olives was the most difficult with lots of water and trees. Our least favourite of the 3 tracks.
Great course but very biased to using a buggy, we walked with trolleys and kept getting lost as the signs are all on the buggy paths
Good golf course, but buggy paths lacking in maintenance.
Not my favourite course in The Algarve. But not a bad track.
good first 9 and average back 9...It was good but the bar was set high from San Lorenzo and Monte Rei
Have played here many times but not on new course.Really great as is club house.
Liked the Pines & Olives, not so keen on the Corks Nice set up for the price, although course condition not great There was a lot of work going on though
Tricky course but playable, 3 loops of 9 to choose from.
A lovely course with magnificent views .Great to see the pink flamingos on the water !
The 3 loops of 9 grow on you. Fairways are a little long and greens could be faster. Nice setting though and a great deal.
Still a good Algarve track
We’ve not played the new layout so it was a new experience, the routes from green to next tee although signposted were very confusing, altogether PA was great , everyone enjoyed it especially one of our group who had a hole in one !
Good value and good choice with 3 x 9 hole options.
See above it took 5.5 hours behind the pro am
Played the course the day after a seniors Pro event, from which the scores were still displayed. Even the old Pros found it tough.
Again course deserted,so really good for us.
Very good. Olives 9 very good.
Two fantastic and well kept courses, with beautiful view. We played each course twice, which was a good idea because when you know a course you play better and enjoy more
Nice but not as good as Quinta Do Lago
Very enjoyable
Complimentary range balls and a nice clubhouse to boot. Would not rush back to play the course though, a bit rough round the edges. A member of our party lost some sun glasses on the course and staff were not very friendly in terms of trying to assist to try and recover them.
More inland course but very well maintained. Well organised.
Our first round on Tuesday was very slow with nobody marshalling the groups in front, the mixed group in front of us were very slow and the two male players were not up to golf standard in ability or etiquette.
Good fun but with exception of guys behind main bar very miserable and u helpful staff
great course
Good golf course. A good time was had by all, we would like to go back again next year. Many thanks to Your Golf Travel and the patience of Daniel Smythe.
Would not play this course again, it was terrible, one of the 9's was closed and the pace far too slow, would not recommend it to anyone - to mix it up and take a break from San Lorenzo, my preference for our next holiday would be to play either the Old Course (at Vilamora) or one of the Vale de Lobo courses (the Ocean or Royal).
We played the pines and corks courses. Both were very nice, challenging and in good condition.
Preferred lies due to scrubby fairways . Very fast greens but with pins set too difficult for average (12-15) handicap golfers to make an enjoyable experience
We didn't enjoy this course so much. We found it harder than South course and not too keen on the water hazards!
Beautifully laid out and maintained to a fantastic standard
Very nice course but the 90degree rule they had in place for the buggies was ridiculous it felt as though you were walking the course twice!
Played here two days pines/cork once and cork/olives next . Pines very hilly and Olives a lot of water. We had strong winds which added to the difficulty especially the Olives. Greens were good but some of the fairways in need of TLC. Creeping grass well into the fairways which is a long term issue but otherwise very playable. Would recommend buggy for mature/ senior players especially on Pines. Reception and staff very good.
This was my first visit to Pinheiros Altos and I wasn't sure what to expect. In fact of all the courses I played this was the best club house and warmest welcome. I played all three loops 9 holes. The Pines & Corks are quite similar in appearance whilst the Olives is very different and a musher tighter challenge than the other two. The greens here were the best of all the courses I played, they were pure and very quick, a real pleasure to play. The practice facilities are excellent. The cost of a buggy was €45 which is too expensive. When I return to Portugal Pinheiros Altos will be very high on my list to play.
This was a surprise package. I played here many years ago just after the additional nine holes were added and felt the original 18 hole course had been ruined. So I was very pleasantly surprised at how well the course had matured. The greens were firm, fast and very true. The general layout was good to the eye and the tree lined fairways punished off line shots without slowing down play. A great course.
Fantastic
Lovely course - prefer the Pines and Corks 9 hole loops.
Great practice facilities. All course staff very friendly. Pines and Corks the better 9’s
27 holes so plenty of variety. Greens very good but fairways could be better. Winter rules applied. Practice facilities excellent and at no charge. Pines and Corks courses preferred
The Olives and Pines combination is excellent. Greens very good for this time of year.
The course was good the greens very good.
Good course enjoyed the Corks 9 especially. Watch out for mosquitos though, even in january!
Great clubhouse and superb practice facilities. As many balls as you can hit in an hour included with green fee. Good chipping area and putting greens. Buggies cheaper than at San Lorenzo. Three loops of nine. We played Olives and Pines three times. Plenty of variety in both nines. Water involved but fair. Greens and course in great condition- December 2019. We would definitely return here.
Very average course pines 9 was good olives not very good sobrieros ok
All great unfortunately the Olives 9holes spoilt by wet conditions which made a problem with mosquitos.being a guest you had no choice as to which of the 3 loops of the 27 holes you could play unlike the members
Very nice course, good test of golf and some great holes
Not sure why trees were planted directly in front of a couple of greens or the 8th hole on the corks course seemed to be a par 6! However overall experience very good. This course was in very good condition and would play again
Super helpful staff and lovely course
The weaker of the 3 courses with less shape on 9 of the holes .A range of golfing standards playing!
Good
The course was in good nick but the weather was not good and we did not finish our second round. Usually we play all 3 nines during our two rounds but we played the same 2 nines both times. This was not a big problem.
Prefer the Pines and Corks 9 hole loops to the Olives (even though that one has the island green!). Good variety of holes, fairways and greens in good condition. Good practice facilities and great clubhouse.
Very beautiful coarse free range balls on range and practice area was a lovely touch and the club sandwich was the best I had in Portugal. A very good layout with three nine holes to combine makes it great fun for all levels.
Had 2 days here and was lovely to see the trees matured on the pines course
Very tight course. But very pretty.
Enjoyed our rounds there and the 3* 9 hoels offer quite a variety. The Pines was in great condition and was one of best all week. well manicured.
We thought the 1st 9 were difficult but very attractive but the 2nd 9 were rather boring. (Pines)
Good and interestingly varied course with choice of 27 holes. Well maintained. Use the white tees if you want a hard course.
Well organised good condition. Can’t fault anything.
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