Pinhal Golf Course, Vilamoura

Umbrella pines and a view from the terrace.

Pinhal is Vilamoura’s second-oldest course, opened in 1976 on the resort’s eastern side. The name means pine wood, and the trees are the point: many fairways run between mature umbrella pines on gently rolling ground. Its ground rolls more than the flat western courses, and golfers who enjoy shaping shots round trees will find it a good test.

Pinhal Golf Course, Vilamoura green fees and tee times.

Book through Vilamoura Golf, the name the Dom Pedro courses took in 2025. The published reservation contacts remain booking@dompedrogolf.com and +351 289 310 333. The operator’s vilamouragolf.com site was refusing connections in November 2026, so allow time for an email reply. Bring a handicap certificate and ask about the Pinhal limit when you book, because we could not find it on a working official page. Many visitors book Pinhal through package operators as part of a Vilamoura course rotation.

The round, in perspective.

Frank Pennink, who drew the Old Course, designed Pinhal, and Robert Trent Jones Sr made significant refinements in 1985. It measures 6,353 metres from the white tees on an undulating parkland site. The pines frame most holes and punish a drive that drifts, so position matters more than distance. The resort singles out the panorama from the clubhouse, which looks over the driving range and practice areas, as one of the course’s most remarkable features. Expect a woodland round rather than a seaside one.

Make the trip work.

On the reseller’s list Pinhal costs more than Laguna and Millennium in most periods, reaching €204 in spring and autumn 2027, but still less than the Old Course. The cheapest window is mid-November to the end of December 2026. Pine shade makes it a better midsummer choice than the open Vilamoura courses. Warm up on the range below the clubhouse, which the resort describes as excellent. If you want both Pennink courses in one trip, budget more for the Old Course: the same reseller lists it from €215, with prices that change daily.

Faro airport is about 25 km east; allow around 25 minutes via the A22 or the EN125. Pinhal is on the eastern edge of Vilamoura, closer to Quarteira than the marina, so it is the first Vilamoura course you reach from Faro. A taxi from the marina takes about ten minutes.

Where it is.

Nearby: 1. Pestana Vila Sol (2 km) · 2. The Old Course, Vilamoura (3 km) · 3. Laguna Golf Course, Vilamoura (3 km) · 4. Millennium Golf Course, Vilamoura (3 km) · 5. Vale do Lobo (5 km) · 6. Pine Cliffs Golf Course (6 km)

Somewhere to settle in.

The Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa is a short drive from Pinhal and sits among Vilamoura’s courses. Quarteira, just south-east, has apartment hotels and a seafront promenade within easy taxi range, and is the cheaper side of the resort for a group renting a flat for the week. The marina hotels, including the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura, suit groups who want restaurants within walking distance in the evening.

Make a trip of it.

The Old Course is next door and shares Pennink’s pinewood style. Laguna and Millennium, on the west side of Vilamoura, give a flatter contrast. Pestana Vila Sol is a few minutes north-east, and Quinta do Lago’s courses are about 20 minutes east. Off the course, Quarteira’s fish market and promenade are close by, and the Vilamoura Environmental Park’s wetland trails are good for birdwatching.

Find your season.

Open all year. Spring and autumn are the busiest and dearest periods on the reseller’s calendar. Its twilight rates follow the same curve: €86 in December 2026, €101 in January and summer 2027, and €144 from March to May. The pines keep the course playable in summer heat, and winter has the lowest prices, with mild days between Atlantic storms.