Pinheiros Altos sits on the northern side of Quinta do Lago, where the estate’s umbrella pines run down towards the Ria Formosa Natural Park. It is the quieter neighbour of the better-known North and South courses, and that is much of its appeal. There are 27 holes in three loops of nine, so you can play three different 18-hole rounds from one clubhouse. The resort belongs to JJW Hotels & Resorts, owner of San Lorenzo next door, which makes it easy to fold into a week based around Almancil. Come for variety, firm greens and an island green with a long history.
Pinheiros Altos green fees and tee times.
Pinheiros Altos does not publish a visitor rate card online, so green fees are quoted on request; Portugal Golf, a third-party booking site, lists rounds from €79. The most direct route is the golf club office on +351 289 359 910; resort reception, on +351 289 359 900, also handles enquiries. JJW’s own website carries a Book Tee Time link for 18 holes on the 27-hole course, and JJW sells golf packages through its Algarve hotels. Portugal Golf lists maximum handicaps of 28 for men and 36 for ladies, so bring a certificate. The resort has its own members and property owners, who have a private lounge on the first floor of the clubhouse, but the restaurant, terrace, pro shop and academy are open to visiting players. Ask which pair of nines your tee time is on when you book.
The courses at Pinheiros Altos.
The Pines (Pinheiros)
Named for the umbrella pines that line it, this loop is the one that changed most in 2007: four of Santana da Silva’s new holes sit alongside five from Fream’s original front nine. Pair it with Corks for the longest round on site, 6,199 metres from the back, or with Olives for the shortest, 6,028 metres.
The Corks (Sobreiros)
The longest of the three nines and the one the club rates as the most demanding. Portugal Golf calls its opening tee shot one of the hardest in the Algarve, and the club singles out the 8th as the hole that gives the loop its reputation. Portugal Golf adds that the view from that first tee makes up for the difficulty.
The Olives (Oliveiras)
Fream’s original back nine, left unchanged since 1995, when its island-green 8th was built. That short hole is the signature of the whole resort, and the loop finishes close to the clubhouse terrace, which looks over the course and its lakes. Corks plus Olives measures 6,137 metres.
The round, in perspective.
Ronald Fream laid out the original 18 holes, which opened in 1992. Jorge Santana da Silva later added nine more, and his holes opened in January 2007. Four of the new holes were joined to five of Fream’s original front nine to make the Pines loop, and around a thousand extra pine trees went in to blend old and new. Each nine is par 36, and all three start and finish beside the clubhouse. Every hole has four tees: white and yellow for men, red and blue for ladies. The greens are bentgrass and firm, the fairways Bermuda grass, and the club describes the putting surfaces as fast and testing. The three 18-hole combinations measure between 6,028 and 6,199 metres, so the choice of loops changes the day more than the length does.
Know before you go.
Layout
Three par-36 nines; any two make 18
Handicap
Men 28, ladies 36 (as listed by Portugal Golf)
Tees
Four per hole: white, yellow, red, blue
Practice
Two driving ranges, academy, bunker
Make the trip work.
With three loops on one site, a two-day visit works well: one day on Pines and Corks, the long pairing, and another on Olives with either partner. The academy is a reason to visit in its own right. It has PGA professionals, video analysis bays, a Titleist fitting centre and treatment rooms with physiotherapy, so a lesson or club fitting before a round is simple to arrange. Practice facilities include two driving ranges, practice putting greens, a practice bunker and a chipping area. After the round, the clubhouse restaurant, the Portico, serves European dishes on a terrace above the lakes, with a fire in the lounge in winter.
Faro airport is the closest gateway, a short drive east of Quinta do Lago, so the transfer is one of the quickest in the Algarve. Drive towards Almancil, then into the Quinta do Lago estate; the resort address is Sítio dos Pinheiros, Quinta do Lago, 8135-863 Almancil. A hire car makes sense if you plan to play across the central Algarve, and taxis cover the short hop to nearby hotels.
JJW’s own hotels are the natural choice for a package. Dona Filipa is a five-star hotel beside the beach at Vale do Lobo, a short drive west, and the four-star Formosa Park Apartment Hotel stands near Praia do Ancão, close to Quinta do Lago. Within Quinta do Lago itself, private villas and apartments are let throughout the estate, and Almancil, just to the north, has more modest rooms and plenty of restaurants.
Make a trip of it.
San Lorenzo, JJW’s other Quinta do Lago course, runs beside the Ria Formosa marshes and lagoons a few minutes away, and combines naturally with Pinheiros Altos on a JJW package. Quinta do Lago’s own South and North courses and the two Vale do Lobo layouts are all within a short drive, so a week can stay entirely on the Almancil side of the Algarve. Off the course, the São Lourenço trail crosses the salt marsh of the Ria Formosa on a wooden walkway, and the Church of São Lourenço in Almancil is lined with blue-and-white tiles from the 1700s.
Find your season.
Pinheiros Altos is open all year. The Ria Formosa next to the course is a nesting and migration area for rare birds, and winter is when the migrants arrive. Spring and autumn are the busiest months for visiting groups across Quinta do Lago, and summer heat makes an early tee time worth requesting.
Yes. Although the resort describes itself as private and has members and property owners, it sells tee times to visitors. Book through the golf club office on +351 289 359 910 or the tee-time link on JJW Hotels’ website, and ask for a quote, as no rate card is published.
Where is the island green at Pinheiros Altos?
It is the 8th hole on the Olives nine, the original back nine of Ronald Fream’s 1992 course. The island green was built in 1995 and the loop has not been changed since, which is why the club treats it as the resort’s signature hole.
Is Pinheiros Altos part of Quinta do Lago Golf?
No. It sits inside the Quinta do Lago estate, but it is owned by JJW Hotels & Resorts, which also owns San Lorenzo, while the North, South and Laranjal courses are run by Quinta do Lago itself. Bookings, rates and memberships are separate.
Last checked 11 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.
