Algarve hosts prestigious Portugal Masters golf tournament

From 16 to 19 October the Algarve will host the Portugal Masters, one the most important golf tournaments in the PGA European Tour. The tournament will be held in the prestigious Ocêanico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.

Five European Ryder Cup players - the European Tour’s current leader Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jiménez, and British players Lee Westwood, Oliver Wilson and Graeme McDowell - are among the international golfing stars who will compete in the tournament.
The Ocêanico Victoria Golf Course is an 18-hole 72-par course designed by golfing legend Arnold Palmer. It measures 6,411 metres in length and includes 22 lakes and various waterfalls.

In hosting such a prominent tournament, Portugal has reinforced its international status as a major golfing destination. This is thanks to the quality of its golf courses, many of which have been designed by renowned golf course architects, as well as world-class expertise in sporting events, a proven track record in security and great weather all year round.

The Portuguese government has highlighted golf as one of the ten strategic tourist products in its National Tourism Strategy. As such, the construction of top-level golf courses and the hosting of major golf tournaments have been prioritised.

Portugal currently has 75 golf courses, 33 of which are located in the Algarve. Each year, Portugal attracts 300,000 golfers playing 1,4 million rounds of golf generating €1,8 million in revenues. In 2006 and 2007, Portugal won the Golf Destination of the Year - Europe award from the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.