The Victoria course
The previous owners invested 18 million euros in Oceânico’s
Victoria Golf Club, designed by Arnold Palmer, one of the greatest
legends of the sport. This was the most ambitious golf project in
Portugal, and was aimed at being one of the best golf complexes
in the whole of Europe.
Victoria Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72 championship layout,
measuring 6.560 meters (7,105 yards) from the back tees. Several
man-made lakes provide hazards for the players and also serve as
water reservoirs for irrigation.
The Victoria Clube de Golfe will be the most exclusive one at the
Vilamoura resort, making it ideal to became the Algarve's and Portugal's
major venue for top international tournaments.
The Old course
Situated in the heart of the Vilamoura seaside resort a mere 20-minute
drive from Faro airport, this Frank Pennink designed 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 Algarve courses, it meanders
throughout impressive pinetrees - 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. In addition
to raising the Vilamoura Old Course to new heights of quality, an
attractive new clubhouse and adjacent putting green were also built
at that time.
The Millennium course
This conventional Par-72 course opened in the year 2000, although
the completely refurbished back nine holes - formerly part of the
27-hole Laguna Course - had been completed in their original configuration
a decade before. The refurbishment and the totally new outward half
were both designed by renowned golf architects, Hawtree
The Laguna course
Laid out over low-lying coastal terrain, this course, with its many
water hazards and few trees, is considerably different from the
other ones at the resort and many of its holes convey a links atmosphere.
U.S. golf architect Joseph Lee designed this course which was opened
in 1990 and many previous visitors will recognise it as part of
the former 27-hole Vilamoura III course. It has been subject to
continual improvements over the years. Measuring 6,111 metres from
the white tees, the par-72 course includes several lakes which influence
play on a total of 11 holes.
The Pinhal course
This was the second golf course built in Vilamoura and inaugurated
in 1976, having originally been designed by Frank Pennink, the architect
of the nearby Vilamoura Old Course.
Several refinements were incorporated over the years, the most
significant one by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1985. It is typified
by rolling parkland terrain covered with numerous umbrella and Atlantic
pines that line many of the fairways and a few even stand out on
fairways or near greens.
Ponds and a stream come into play on five holes but are not serious
threats to above-average golfers. To keep up with modern technical
advances in clubs and balls, several holes have recently been lengthened
and the par-72 course now measures 6,353 metres off the white tee
markers.
