With its temperate climate and stunning landscape Portugal is the ideal location to combine a great holiday and playing golf. Below we look at 5 of the top places to play golf in Portugal.

Dona Filipa & San Lorenzo Resort

The luxury Dona Filipa & San Lorenzo Golf Resort is set amongst the stunning natural scenery of The Algarve and is one of the most sought after places to play golf in Portugal having won many awards. Located in Quinta do Logo the resort enjoys exclusive access to the renowned 18 hole San Lorenzo Golf Course. The course opened in 1988 and was designed by Joseph Lee, the legendary golf course architect.

Set in the beautiful Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, the San Lorenzo golf course is beautifully maintained with perfectly manicured lawns. A large part of the course meanders through undulating greens, lakes, freshwater lagoons and pine forest with the rest of the course providing breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and mountains in the distance.

Le Meridien Penina Golf Resort 5*

Le Meridien Penina Golf and Resort is another great place to play golf in Portugal Located between Portimão and Lagos in the Algarve, the resort is a true gem for any active person featuring, golf and tennis courts, a football pitch and running track alongside the hotel.

The 18 hole Championship Course at the resort was originally called The Penina and was designed by English professional golfer Sir Henry Cotton and is considered to be his masterpiece with it’s outstanding views and tranquil setting. Set in lush natural surroundings this was the first resort course of its’ kind to be built in Portugal. It has hosted the Portuguese Open on several occasions, most recently in 2006. There resort also boasts two 9 hole courses, called the Academy Course and the Resort Course.

Formosa Park Hotel & Apartments

The Formosa Park Hotel & Apartments makes another fantastic venue for playing golf in Portugal. If you stay here you have the choice of playing at several spectacular golf courses in The Algarve. These include San Lorenzo, Pinheiros Altos, The Vale do Lobo Ocean & Royal Courses, Quinta do Lago North, South & Laranjal and many more.

Pinheiros Altos is ideal for all levels of golfers and is set amongst stunning natural lakes and trees. Originally an 18 hole course designed by American architect Ronald Fream, an additional 9 holes were created by the Portuguese golf architect George Santana da Silva. Opening in 2007 the 27 hole course is presented in three contrasting nine hole formats known as The Pines, The Corks and The Olives.

The Royal and the Ocean courses at the Vale de Lobo are two challenging courses set amongst pine and fig trees with views out towards the Ocean.

Developed by the American golf architect Rocky Roquemore, these courses have hosted the Portuguese Open twice and are stunning locations in which to play golf in Portugal.

Vilamoura

There are several places to play golf in Vilamoura including, Laguna Millennium, The Old Course, Pinhal, Victoria and Vila Sol.

The 18 hole Laguna Course was designed by Joseph Lee and is an open course on level ground with few trees. The Old Course, with its affectionate name, is the second oldest course in The Algarve and a great place to play golf in Portugal. The holes run through a lush pine forest and the course presents an interesting challenge for the keen golfer. The Victoria Clube de Golfe Course is currently the longest 18 hole golf course in Portugal, laid out over some 90 hectares it covers virtually flat terrain. A beautiful series of waterfalls and lakes provide a stunning natural backdrop to a course that is gaining a growing reputation.

CS Sao Rafael Suite Hotel 5*

At the CS Sao Rafael Suite Hotel the Herdade dos Salgados Golf course is just 5 minutes away from the hotel and the Morgado or Álamos Golf courses 25 minutes away. All guests at the hotel benefit from a discount on the green fees.

The Herdade dos Salgados Golf provides a challenge to those who want to play golf in Portugal. Located near Gale beach, between Albufeira and Pera, the 18 hole course is laid out among wetlands and features 14 water hazards. The Morgado course is one of the Algarve’s newest golf courses. Located near Portimao in stunning countryside this long but enjoyable course is set on a large tranquil estate. The Alamos course is the sister course to the Morgado and is set within the same sizeable estate.

In excess of 50 million people visit Spain each year and it is still considered to be the prime destination for golfers. Spain is regarded as the inventor of the golfing package holiday. Golf in Spain will not be disappointing for the enthusiast. There are an abundance of golf courses to sample whilst basking in the glorious sunshine throughout the region. From the Costa de la Luz to the Costa Brava, the Spanish coast line is littered with golf courses to suit anyone from the golfing beginner right up to the budding Tiger Woods.

With over three hundred well manicured fairways to choose from within Spain and many more continually being built on the mainland and on the Canary and Balearic Islands, it is very difficult to give a definitive list of those considered to be the top courses. These golf courses cater for visitors to Spain as well as the 300,000 plus golf club members living here. We will look at five of the top courses to play golf in Spain based on popularity as rated by those visiting them year on year.

Valderrama Golf Club

In the heart of the Andalucian village of Sotogrande can be found Valderrama Golf Club. Valderrama is considered by many to be one of the best golf courses in the world and it is often ranked as number one in Europe. A prestigious place in which to play golf in Spain, it was originally designed in 1975 by Robert Trent Jones (and named Los Aves or ‘The Birds’).It was remodelled by billionaire Jaime Ortiz-Patino in 1985 under the watchful eye of the original designer. Golfers worldwide will be familiar with Valderrama as it has played host to many prominent championship events including the

1997 Ryder Cup, the Volvo Masters (which usually closes the European Tour

Season) and WGC Amex World Stroke Play championships. It is a difficult course; however there are tees to suit various levels of ability. The maximum permitted handicap is 24 for men and 32 for women; proof of handicap will be required. Booking is also compulsory.

San Roque Old Club

The San Roque Old Club is an interesting old course. With water hazards and undulating course, San Roque is situated at the foot of the Sierra Bermaja Mountains in Cadiz. The Club opened its doors in 1989 and not only caters for the golfer, but also integrates other sports facilities including tennis, swimming and horse riding plus a luxury hotel and spa. Designed by Dave Thomas and Tony Jacklin, each hole cost an alleged $1 million to build.

The San Roque Old Club is considered to be one of the best places to play golf in Spain. It’s suitable for most handicaps and is highly recommended to try if you can afford it. There are views overlooking the practice area from the clubhouse which is shared with the San Roque New Club.

San Roque New Club.

The New Club was designed by Perry Dye And opened in 2003. The new addition has a 36 hole course, incorporating a cork wood forest and is also highly regarded.

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

Another highly regarded course designed by Robert Trent Jones is the Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. Opened in 1964, the course is still said to challenge the most accomplished who play golf in Spain. Most of the fairways are raised with subtle slopes in the greens, so choose your club carefully.

Sotogrande is a private members club with an air of reserved sophistication, but visitors are always welcomed. The Sotogrande has had royal status bestowed upon it and was used for the European Tour Qualifying Finals from

1998 to 2001 due to its prestigious reputation.

Abama Golf Course

A well maintained and rather dramatic course is Abama Golf Course which opened in 2005 on the Canary Island of Tenerife. Designed by architectural genius, Dave Thomas, the Abama boasts a five star hotel and heart stopping views across the Atlantic Ocean. It offers a superior golfing experience which is apparent in the green fee which is double that of any other golf course in Tenerife. It is a definite stop to make for the more discerning wishing to play Golf in Spain. There a huge changes in the terrain throughout, so a golfing buggy is a must.

There are many famous golf courses in Scotland and the R&A, which is the world governing body for the game (excluding the United States and Mexico) is based at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Fife.

With golf courses considered to be some of the best in the world, a holiday devoted to playing golf in Scotland is a must for any enthusiast of the sport. Below we look at 5 of the top places to play golf in Scotland.

FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS

Fairmont at St. Andrews, Fife, is an award-winning course and resort situated in the very ‘home’ of golf. It has two world-class courses, The Torrance and The Kittocks. The Torrance was originally designed by Sam Torrance but re-opened in July 2009 after improvement work. It now features eight new holes and is a traditional Scottish links with sizeable greens and undulating fairways.

The Kittocks (previously called The Devlin after its’ designer) opened in

2002 and is considered to be the more challenging of the two courses. It has recently been improved after a being included in the five star resort’s £17m refurbishment. The Kittocks offers dramatic views of the coastline and the Grampian Mountains in the distant horizon providing perhaps the ultimate experience for playing golf in Scotland.

TURNBERRY RESORT 5*

Turnberry Golf Resort is situated along the rugged coastline of the outer Firth of Clyde in the south west of Scotland making it another dramatic location for playing golf in Scotland. It was designed by James Miller and features a hotel, a lodge, cottage accommodation and a golf academy alongside three, traditional links courses.

The Ailsa Course was named after the owner of the land where it was built the third Marquess of Ailsa. It was redesigned by Mackenzie Ross and completed in 1951. The Ailsa has hosted The Open Championship four times.

The par-72 Kintyre course opened in 2001 and hosted The Open Championship final qualifying round in 2004. The nine-hole Arran course is regarded as a good introduction for the novice player, it opened in 2002.

OLD COURSE HOTEL ST ANDREWS 5*

The 5-star Old Course Hotel in St Andrews is the perfect place to stay for the keen golfer with its uninterrupted views out to sea over the 17th hole.

The hotel is part of the prestigious Kosaido Golf and Resort Management and incorporates the Kohler Waters Spa.

The Duke’s golf course was carefully designed to fit in with the five links courses along the stunning coastline at St Andrews. It was designed by, five-times Open Champion, Peter Thomson but was renovated in 2006 by Tim Liddy and given five completely new holes. The stunning views over the historic town of St Andrews and the dramatic coastline make this an idyllic place to play golf in Scotland.

MACDONALD CARDRONA HOTEL, GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Just 23 miles from Edinburgh and set amongst the undulating hills of the Scottish Borders, the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf and Country Club in Peebles features an 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course alongside state-of-the-art spa facilities.

Considered to be challenging, the 18-hole championship golf course was designed by former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas. It is set in a combination of woodland, river and mature parkland and has spectacular views of the Tweed Valley. Gaining a growing reputation as a world-class location it has hosted the 2004 and 2007 Euro Pro Tour in 2004 and 2007 and the European Challenge Tour in 2007 and 2008.

GLENEAGLES

The Gleneagles Hotel boasts three championship golf courses set amongst dramatic views of the Perthshire hills. ?The golf courses were designed by two world famous golfers, five times winner of the Open Championship, James Braid, who designed the King’s and Queen’s courses and the legendary Jack Nicklaus, designer of the PGA Centenary Course.

The luxury Gleneagles hotel is currently undergoing redevelopment in preparation for 2014 40th Ryder Cup Matches, which are to be played on the PGA Centenary Course.