Amendoeira Golf Resort lies inland from Armação de Pêra, on farmland at Morgado da Lameira near Alcantarilha, and its headline course is by Sir Nick Faldo. The Faldo Course opened in 2008 and was named Best Golf Course in Portugal at the 2016 World Golf Awards. A second 18 by Christy O’Connor Jnr, a floodlit nine-hole academy course and a resort of apartments and villas make it a base rather than a single round. It suits golfers who want to stay put and play two different courses without driving.
Amendoeira Golf Resort: Faldo Course green fees and tee times.
Tee times on the Faldo Course go through the resort’s Golfmanager booking page, linked from the golf page, or by email to resort@amendoeiraresort.com. The resort does not publish a green-fee table online: the price shows when you pick a date, and seasonal offers and unlimited-golf packages appear on its offers page. The resort does not publish a handicap rule; Where2Golf lists recommended maximums of 28 for men and 36 for women. The dress code is detailed: collared shirts with sleeves, tucked into trousers or tailored shorts, with socks and golf shoes. T-shirts, tank tops, denim, sportswear, very short shorts and shoes worn without socks are not allowed. For a longer stay, the resort also sells membership with unlimited year-round golf and a three-month option.
The courses at Amendoeira Golf Resort: Faldo Course.
Faldo Course
The championship course and the one most visitors come for. At 6,578 metres it is long from the back, and the limestone scrub punishes a wide miss more than rough would. Placement off the tee sets up the approach, which is the design idea Faldo wanted, and the closing par 5 under the bluff is a fine finish.
O’Connor Jnr Course
Christy O’Connor Jnr routed the resort’s second course through a fertile valley, and it plays very differently: greener and shaped by a string of lakes. Water hazards demand accuracy on many holes. It makes a good second round after the Faldo, and both are booked through the same resort golf desk.
Academy Course
A nine-hole course that the resort says is the only floodlit nine in Portugal, with three tee options on every hole. Its feature is the 7th, where two of the tees play over water. It is a good evening outing after a day on the bigger courses.
The round, in perspective.
The Faldo Course is a par 72 of 6,578 metres on the resort’s card, laid out for strategy: Faldo built it to reward placing the ball rather than hitting it hard. The ground is dry and rolling, closer to Arizona than to the pine-lined parkland of Vilamoura, with cacti, wild herbs, rocky outcrops and scrubby waste areas of crushed limestone between holes. The back nine is hillier. The 12th is a short par 4 that climbs uphill to wider views, the 16th is a short par 3 ringed by bunkers, and the round ends on a par-5 18th whose green sits beneath an orange bluff with the clubhouse above it.
Know before you go.
Handicap
Recommended maximum: men 28, ladies 36
Dress
Collared sleeved shirts tucked in; socks; no denim
Spikes
Soft spikes only
Walking
Allowed but not advised; long hills and transfers
Academy
Floodlit 9 holes, three tees per hole
Make the trip work.
Take a buggy on the Faldo. Walking is permitted, but the hilly back nine and long gaps between some greens and tees make it hard going, especially from May onwards. Play the Faldo first in your stay, when you are fresh, and keep the O’Connor Jnr for a second day. The resort’s academy keeps a five-to-one ratio of students to coaches and uses Trackman, video and putting analysis, with schools from half a day to five days. The Academy course’s floodlights mean you can still play after dinner in the short winter days.
Where2Golf puts the resort 42 km west of Faro, most of the drive on the A22 motorway towards Portimão. The golf reception sits about 5 km inland from Armação de Pêra, between the village of Alcantarilha and the town of Silves. A hire car is the practical choice, as the resort is in open countryside away from bus routes.
Amendoeira rents its own one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, including two-bedroom duplexes with a mezzanine, and two- and three-bedroom villas with private pools, gardens and terraces. Every bedroom in the villas has its own bathroom, which helps for groups of golfers sharing. All units have full kitchens. For hotels, Armação de Pêra has seafront options a few minutes south, and Silves, the old Moorish capital of the Algarve, has smaller guesthouses below its castle.
Make a trip of it.
Pestana’s Gramacho and Vale da Pinta courses near Carvoeiro are the closest outside rounds, and Palmares, above the Bay of Lagos, is a scenic day further west. Vila Sol and the Vilamoura courses are within an hour east if you want variety. Off the course, Silves castle and cathedral are a short drive north-west, and the beach at Armação de Pêra is the nearest stretch of sand. The resort has its own sports centre.
Find your season.
The resort is open all year. Its offers page runs special seasonal rates and unlimited-golf deals, so compare package and green-fee prices for your dates. The resort also hosts the World Kids Golf Championship for players aged 7 to 21, held from 28 to 31 July in 2026, so ask about tournament dates if you plan a summer visit.
Can you play Amendoeira without staying at the resort?
Yes. Visitors book Faldo and O’Connor Jnr tee times through the resort’s Golfmanager page or by email. Resort guests can buy packages with unlimited golf, but a single green fee is open to anyone who books a tee time and follows the dress code.
How long is the Faldo Course at Amendoeira?
The resort lists it at 6,578 metres, par 72, from the back tees. Club tees measure about 5,858 metres and forward tees about 4,703. The hilly back nine and wide limestone waste areas make it play harder than its card suggests.
Is the Faldo or the O’Connor course better at Amendoeira?
The Faldo carries the bigger reputation: it won Best Golf Course in Portugal at the 2016 World Golf Awards and has the more distinctive desert-style look. The O’Connor Jnr sits in a greener valley, uses a string of lakes and water hazards, and makes a good second round.
What is the nearest airport to Amendoeira Golf Resort?
Faro, which Where2Golf puts 42 km to the east, reached mostly on the A22 motorway. Allow about 40 minutes by car. The resort is in open countryside between Alcantarilha and Silves, so a hire car is the easiest way in.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
