Algarve Winter Golf

A four-day amateur event at Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort offers a rare opportunity for golfers to enjoy some sun on their back in the winter months, while enjoying competitive golf.

The 37th edition of the Almond Blossom tournament will run from January 26-30 at a time when the almond trees are in full bloom in the Algarve. It is the oldest amateur golf competition in the Algarve and has been held at the Palmares course since 1977.

The ever-popular event is open to any golfer affiliated to their country's golf union or federation, with handicaps limited to 28 for men and 36 for ladies. Competition entry costs €245 per person and accommodation packages are available at the four-star Vila Galé Lagos, or the five-star Cascade Wellness & Lifestyle Resort.

The event comprises four separate competitions over five days, one of which is a rest day. The first day is an 18-hole individual Stableford, followed the next day by an 18-hole better-ball contest. Thursday is a rest day, but competition resumes on Friday with and 18-hole pairs aggregate competition and concludes the following day with an 18-hole individual strokeplay competition followed by dinner and prize giving.

The Robert Trent Jones II-designed Palmares course was recently named Portugal's best golf course for the fourth successive year in a domestic poll, and was ranked 21 in Golf World's Top 100 Golf Courses in Continental Europe 2015/16.

Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort reopened only in 2011 following an extensive redesign by Trent Jones II. The three loops of nine holes - the Alvor, Lagos and Praia courses - enjoy expansive panoramic views across the Bay of Lagos, with each lay-out offering a different kind of golfing challenge in a glorious and natural environment.