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Quinta do Lago
How would you build a millionaire’s playground if you were starting from scratch? Well, you’d probably pick a place with some of the best weather anywhere in the world. Then you might build three quality golf courses lined with mansions worth upwards of €20m each, and add in some of the best leisure and fitness facilities you’ll find anywhere – Quinta do Lago in the heart of Portugal’s premier golfing region, the Algarve, fits the bill pretty well, then.
The enormous Quinta estate is found a 20-minute shuffle along from Faro airport, amidst the sun-drenched Ria Formosa nature reserve by Portugal’s southern coast. It’s a dramatic piece of land that’s been tastefully transformed with an ever-growing list of facilities over the past 50 years. Golf might be the headline act here, but there are plenty of places that offer top-notch golf courses. Few, though, have the all-round package of wellness and leisure facilities to match it like Quinta does.
Living in a place like this is for the wealthy, of course, but during a superb visit over the course of a few days at the beginning of high-season, I discovered a surprising mix of excellence and unshowy, non-elitist attitudes that made it one of the most interesting places of its type to visit.
Golf at Quinta do Lago
The 11th hole on the Laranjal CourseQuinta do Lago
There are three courses at the resort and they’re all very different prospects. The Laranjal Course is the newest of the lot, having opened in 2008, and while it offers the most forgiveness off the tee, you still need to hit it long and straight to score well round here (it measures 6,480 metres in length, and it’s not your usual easy-playing resort course). The picturesque Laranjal course is lined with trees, some of which are adorned with the oranges that the course is named after, and offers a really intriguing challenge. There are quirky design features and options off the tee; on the 11th hole, the tee shot challenges you to either carry a large fairway bunker on the left or take the right side and risk getting blocked behind a huge tree, and these kinds of propositions are thrown up often across Laranjal’s 18 holes.
The defining feature in terms of scoring are the quick, undulating greens which present a real challenge, as well as the long par 3s on the back 9. The 18th hole is a standout, with plenty of water – both off the tee and into the sliver of green on a tough par 4.
The North Course is a technical course from the start and feels like more of a championship test. Hitting it straight is essential on most courses, but while the rough wasn’t too penal during our visit and you won’t spend too much time looking for errant tee shots (the ball will either be in play or over the fence and in someone’s swimming pool), the contours of the layout and small(ish) greens put a premium on accuracy.
The course's holes are uniformly strong, although there are arguably fewer that will stand long in the memory until you get to the closing section. The par 3s are characterful and short, but challenging, and while the greens aren’t as obviously contoured as at Laranjal, they are full of subtle breaks. Even after a few days of heavy rain during our visit, they were slick too; if you hit it past the pin and give yourself a putt downhill and down grain on these glassy surfaces, then good luck.
The 15th hole on the South CourseQuinta do Lago
The South Course feels like a marked step up even from the North, with some really exceptional holes. The back nine has some spectacular moments - the sea view on the 16th off the back of an infinity green is the one that most catches the eye, and the 17th was a monster par 5 on our visit, playing 560 yards into a two club wind up the hill, hitting over water from the tee.
The par 3 15th over water is a spectacular hole, and while the green is pretty friendly with a bank that’ll help to cushion long irons, hitting the green at all is no easy feat, especially from 230 yards on the back tee.
The course has hosted the Portuguese open on eight occasions, and the layout is packed with dramatic slopes and plenty of water - making for a blockbuster stadium-style test. Again, there are plenty of risk/reward options off the tee, and players can decide whether to cut corners off holes (on the 11th, for example) or leave longer shots in. Some holes will really punish shorter hitters, like the long par 4 10th which will be a three-shotter for plenty of players, but the tee boxes do offer plenty of options for players of all abilities.
The 16th hole on the South Course
One thing that aids pace of play and makes all three courses look neat and uniformed are the areas of pine straw along the edges of holes – meaning the ball is nearly always findable. Our trip, unfortunately, came at the end of a week of torrential rain; the heaviest in a decade, in fact. They played consistently well, considering how much water the courses had taken. There’s nothing anyone could do to combat the heavy weather, and the irrigation and drainage upgrades the estate recently rebuilt more than held up.
All of the three courses offer real tests, but they’re all playable for people of varying skill levels. That’s in part thanks to the four options presented by the tee boxes, which change the course considerably and make it playable for most golfers. If you’re looking to up your game, the Paul McGinley Golf Academy and the on-site TaylorMade Performance Centre are excellent facilities too.
Stay at Quinta do Lago
Quinta do Lago
If you’re not fortunate enough to call yourself a local, then you’ll be heading to Quinta for a short stay. The Magnolia Hotel offers a good selection of comfortable rooms, with really good options around it; a nice bar, a heated swimming pool, as well as a small but perfectly formed spa with sauna, steam room, bookable massages and a jacuzzi, are the standouts here.
If you’re after a restaurant to mark a special occasion (or just to celebrate being in the Algarve playing golf, because why not?) Bovino is the place. Step inside the beautifully put together, contemporary steakhouse and you’ll find a Portuguese twist on the classics. An array of spectacular dishes come served in the centre of the table and enjoyed communally, almost tapas-style. The bar offerings are exceptional, too. Expect delicious, local wine and inventive signature cocktails. The classics are superb too - I had the best Old Fashioned I’ve ever tasted, and a member of our party said the same of the Whisky Sour.
BovinoQuinta do Lago
Casa Velha, right next door, has a beautiful terrace for summer dining and takes inspiration from traditional Portuguese cooking – be careful not to topple into the infinity pool by the entrance on your way out, mind. Highlights from the excellent, seasonal menu included a rustic, moreish tomato and baked egg dish, as well as a monkfish chowder. It’s worth noting that both offered fantastic vegetarian options, which can often feel like an afterthought at meat-focused restaurants like this.
Work out at Quinta do Lago
The CampusQuinta do Lago
Being well fed would be an understatement – and thankfully, there are plenty of ways to burn it all off across the Quinta do Lago estate. The Campus might be the jewel in the Quinta crown, and features some of the best workout facilities you’re likely to find. The site, built in 2017, is an exercise in excellence, with a hub that features a full-length football pitch of stadium quality (which was being used by the Swiss national football team while we were there) as well as two large gyms, bike sheds, an aquatic centre, tennis and padel courts and more. The estate also offers reformer pilates classes in a state of the art studio.
I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying a tennis lesson here, too, given I hadn’t picked up a racquet since primary school and never bothered to sit through a match in my life. But, almost predictably after an hour on the court with a lesson in basic technique from enthusiastic and patient instructor Paulo, I was dismayed to learn I might have another time consuming and expensive hobby to get into back home.
There’s a relaxed feel about the place – picture the most amazing, prestigious university facilities possible, only they’re being used by people without any seminars to attend or any exams to take. Instead, patrons can really focus on honing their forehand, upping their fitness levels and socialising in the sun afterwards instead. “Disneyland for adults”, as a friend from the UK who recently became a full-time member there called it – a description I found pretty fitting upon my stay.
For more information, visit quintadolago.com.
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