Fifty years since the first golf course opened in the Algarve, record numbers of players are teeing off there. Could it be your ideal place for a home by the fairway?
Article written by The Overseas Guides Company
In a year that marks the 50th anniversary of the Algarve’s birth as a leading golf destination, the golf fairways along this famous stretch of Portuguese coastline are proving even more popular in 2016 than 2015, itself a record-breaking year for golf tourism.
Recent statistics from the Algarve Tourist Association (ATA) reveal that the number of rounds played on the Algarve’s courses during the first six months of the year was just shy of 700,000. Compared to 2015, when a total of 1.2 million rounds were played during the whole year, this represents a rise of 14.9 per cent.
Meanwhile the Algarve is celebrating half a century since the opening of its first course, namely Penina in Portimão in 1966, by offering visiting golfers the chance to win 50 green fees by taking part in its ‘Green Tees’ promotion.
“There is a buzz in the Algarve this year,” said Laura Richards, Portugal specialist at PropertyGuides.com. “It’s a landmark year for golf in the region and we would expect that to benefit the property market there. The thousands of golfers that visit the Algarve all need accommodation, many opting for private lets, and for a large number of them, their trip there will spark a desire to have their own place there.”
On-going improvements in the Algarve’s property market are complementing the anniversary celebrations. According to the latest RICS /Ci Portuguese Housing Market Survey (PHMS), house prices in Portugal rose for the 19th consecutive month in June. The survey also reported that the Algarve is expected to achieve annual house price growth of four per cent in 2016.
The Algarve is home to around 40 of Portugal’s 80-odd golf courses, with many situated within the exclusive Golden Triangle area, which includes the resorts of Vilamoura, Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago. The region has hosted the Portuguese Open on no fewer than 23 occasions, and the cream of European golf will be welcomed back in October for the 10th edition of the Portugal Masters at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.
Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour, said: “The Algarve continues to be a terrific backdrop for tournament golf, having hosted 35 tournaments on The European Tour and Senior Tour, as well as the Senior Tour Qualifying School since 2001. We are proud to have been able to showcase this wonderful region to a worldwide audience and I’m sure it will be another golden year for golf on the Algarve with the 50th anniversary celebrations planned, including the 10th edition of the Portugal Masters at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.”
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