Vilamoura Old Course belongs to a different generation of Algarve golf. Frank Pennink opened the layout in 1969, when the resort was still taking shape, and its fairways now sit beneath a canopy of mature umbrella pines. The setting is parkland rather than coastal links: softly rolling ground, angled fairways and trees that intervene in a golfer's line of play long before the bunkers or greens come into focus.
It is also much more than a nostalgic round. The Old Course remains one of the region's best tests of judgment, where the player who drives furthest is not necessarily the one with the easiest approach. For golfers seeking a classic course close to Vilamoura's hotels and restaurants, the strength of the design is that it asks clear, interesting questions without trying to manufacture drama on every hole.
Why You Should Play Vilamoura Old Course
The appeal begins with the way Pennink used the trees. They are not merely a frame around the fairway; individual pines shape where a ball can land, the angle of the second shot and occasionally which side of the green is realistically accessible. The result is a course that can look welcoming from the tee and feel surprisingly exacting after a loose drive.
The opening par four sets the tone. The direct line narrows near the landing area, inviting an aggressive driver but rewarding the golfer who takes a shorter club and accepts a full approach between bunkers. It is a recurring theme rather than a one-off trick. On several holes a properly placed tee shot leaves a clean line, while a ball advanced farther on the wrong side brings the mature trees into play.
The fourth is the rare moment when water becomes the headline hazard. This par three crosses the course's only pond, with an umbrella pine and bunkers also influencing the view to the green. Its interest is not the size of the obstacle alone. The shot asks for a positive club choice when the eye would prefer to look at everything that might catch a miss.
There is genuine variety in the closing stretch. The long sixteenth, a par five measuring 514 metres from white, rewards a controlled drive into its relatively narrow landing area before a downhill second shot. The eighteenth returns to the essential Old Course image: a drive through a corridor of tall pines, followed by an approach where the trees still influence the choice of line.
This is an appealing course for accomplished players who like to shape shots and for mixed-handicap groups willing to use the right tees. It is less suited to golfers seeking huge exposed dunes or a course where every hole invites an unrestricted driver. The beauty here is inseparable from the discipline of playing between the trees.
A Classic That Has Changed Without Losing Its Route
Pennink's 1969 design was refurbished by Martin Hawtree in 1996. The improvements modernized the course while retaining the essential routing and its established parkland character. That matters, because the Old Course owes much of its identity to the relationship between the narrow views from the tees, the gentle changes in elevation and the mature trees that have grown with the resort.
Its tournament history includes the Portuguese Open in 1979. But its reputation among traveling golfers has always depended less on championship spectacle than on the quality of an ordinary round. In the 2026 Top 100 Golf Courses Portugal ranking, Vilamoura Old Course occupies fifth place, the highest position among Vilamoura's traditional resort layouts.
The course is also a reminder that age alone does not make architecture interesting. Many older resort courses eventually feel cramped or outdated. Vilamoura's original layout retains relevance because a golfer can still choose how much risk to take, and because the best line is not always the most obvious one.
The Right Course for a Vilamoura Stay
The Old Course sits away from the waterfront crowds even though Vilamoura's marina, restaurants and hotel district are nearby. A day here offers the resort's more traditional golfing character: pine shade, relatively quiet holes and a clubhouse with its own established atmosphere.
Pinhal, Millennium and Laguna give visitors other rounds within the wider Vilamoura collection, but they should not be treated as substitutes with identical personalities. The Old Course has the oldest routing, a distinctive tree-lined strategy and the strongest heritage of the group. It is an excellent anchor for a premium stay that combines several Algarve styles without changing hotels.
Scorecard, Green Fees and Visitor Play
The Old Course plays to par 73, with white tees at 6,254 metres (6,839 yards), yellow at 5,913 metres (6,467 yards), blue at 5,718 metres (6,253 yards) and red at 5,086 metres (5,562 yards). The five par fives contribute to an unusual scoring rhythm, but the trees and approach angles are a more reliable measure of difficulty than the yardage alone.
For 2027, published eighteen-hole golf travel rates are €236 in low season, €272 in mid season and €301 in high season. Low season covers January 1–February 15, July–August and November 16–December 31. Mid season is February 16–28, June, September 1–15 and November 1–15; high season is March–May and September 16–October 31. These are standard single-round travel-provider offers, separate from packages and any individual club promotions.
Visiting golfers can play the Old Course, with normal dress standards and handicap requirements of 28 for men and 36 for women. The most important decision remains a simple one: choose a tee that leaves enough club in hand to appreciate the angles, rather than treating Pennink's course as a distance contest.