Alto Golf, The Course
The Alto Golf course was Henry Cotton's last course design and was constructed in part on a former vineyard; hence the name of the villa - House of the Vines. Still believed to have the longest par 5 in Europe it has views towards the mountains and the sea. It is challenging without being overwhelming despite being a decent length. It is of course possible to play the front nine holes only. When the course is not busy you may be able to play the back nine only. August is traditionally considered “out of season” for golfing, and, as a result there are often course “offers” such as free buggy for a “two-ball” and mid-day tee-off discounts. Alto has a position which is normally blessed with a sea breeze so it is still comfortable for golfers despite high ambient temperatures - you will nevertheless need lashings of high factor sun screen as well as a hat. The sun is merciless.

Tee times are available at the Golf Pro-shop situated within the Golf Club house. There are good changing facilities and you can hire clubs and trolleys or buggies. Golf tee prices vary throughout the season so we are not able to keep the site up to date. However you can look at the Alto Golf site also on the web. For guidance only a normal undiscounted round was around Euro 35 plus hiring costs in 2008, compared to Euro 52 for a non-resident's round.

The club has a Stableford competition usually on a Friday for a small extra charge for prizes. The club also has a “resident pro” for brushing up your technique.

A Bit of History for Golf Buffs and some nearby courses also worth a look
The Algarve, world renowned for its mild climate, woke up to golf in 1966 when Penina opened (Penina is 5kms from Alvor). It was a Landmark course, designed by Englishman Sir Henry Cotton who transformed a rice field into a beautiful course after the necessary earthworks and planting three hundred thousand trees.

Many of the Algarve courses have been designed and are maintained so well that some of them are counted among the main European and Worldwide courses.

The Palmares course another world famous links course is about 8kms away towards Lagos, there are short cuts for the adventurous on unmade roads, but the easiest way is to drive to Odiaxere on the N125 and, in the middle of the village, hang a left following the signs for the course. This is a totally different course from Alto and also lovely to walk even if you are not playing. There are good, recently transformed clubhouse facilities and a very nice restaurant open to the public.

Recently opened is a course slightly inland at Morgado, on the way to Caldas de Monchique, about 9km away heading east along the N125 take the Caldas de Monchique exit.

All the courses expect you to have a handicap certificate.

There are many other famous courses, San Lorenzo, Vale do Lobo etc., and all are within an hour’s drive of the villa now that the Algarve motorway is fully open.