UK golfing magazine Today’s Golfer has again named the Algarve number one value-for-money European golfing destination.
Ahead of Turkey and Murcia, the Algarve came out victorious for the second year running after gaining 43% of the votes, revealed the golf publication. The Algarve was also the region in Portugal receiving the most distinctions – six in total.
The destination led the way in the categories of Best Golf Course in Portugal and Best Hotel/Resort in Portugal, with the Oceânico Old Course in Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo taking the top positions, with 30% and 15% of the votes respectively.
Diogo Gaspar Ferreira, CEO of the Vale do Lobo luxury resort, which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary, said: “It is with immense pride that we receive this accolade from the Today’s Golfer Travel Awards.
“The Royal and The Ocean Golf Courses provide unique and challenging golf for players and this combined with the superb facilities of the resort allow us to offer a complete luxury golfing experience for residents and visitors alike.”
Vale do Lobo has also been voted as the fifth Best Place in Europe To Make Money from Your Property by The Telegraph (also see our cover story on pages 2 and 3).
Delighted that the Old Course has been awarded the Best Course in Portugal crown for the second successive year, Oceânico Golf CEO Chris Stilwell commented: “To win this award is a fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work of the entire team. 2012 has been a stellar year for Oceânico Golf and especially the Old Course, as golfers continue to flock to a classic layout that is maintained in pristine condition all-year-round. We fully acknowledge that we are up against some strong competition in this category, so to claim this accolade once again is a clear indicator that the Oceânico Old Course remains a firm favourite amongst international golfers.”
The award-winning Par 73, 6,254m Oceânico Old Course, in the heart of Vilamoura, is one of the oldest in the region and renowned all over the world.
Desidério Silva, president of the Algarve Tourism Board, said: “Golf courses in the Algarve total around 40 and record more than one million rounds a year. They have already received several international awards, and this latest distinction for the Algarve is another one for us to be proud of, particularly as it came from a publication in the UK, our most important tourist market.”
About the awards
This is the second year that Today’s Golfer has held the Travel Awards. Readers of the magazine, which reaches more than 200,000 British golfers each month, and clients of the major golf travel tour operator, Your Golf Travel – totalling more than 7,000 people – voted for the winners of the awards.
||Today’s Golfer Travel Awards
Best value destination (Mainland Europe)
1. Algarve 43%
2. Turkey 13%
3. Murcia 12%
Best Course in Portugal
1. Oceânico Old Course, Vilamoura 30%
2. Onyria Palmares Golf, Meia Praia – Lagos 11%
3. San Lorenzo Golf Course, Quinta do Lago 11%
Best Hotel/Resort in Portugal
1. Vale do Lobo 15%
2. Dona Filipa Hotel & San Lorenzo Golf Resort, Vale do Lobo 14%
3. Quinta da Marinha, Cascais 11%
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