If you last played Salgados Golf Club a few years ago, you will find a noticeably different golf course when you return. The golf course underwent a €3.2 million renovation between November 2024 and February 2025 which included a new irrigation system, refreshed bunkers and even a new signature hole. In December 2025 the project was recognised as the World’s Best Golf Course Renovation at the World Golf Awards, an inaugural category created to reward outstanding golf course renovation projects across scope, timeline, budget, and long-term impact on the golf facility.
Here’s how your golf experience at Salgados Golf Club has changed:
Quick Facts
- Course: Salgados Golf Club, Guia, Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal Opened: 1994
- Layout: 18 holes, par 72
- Renovation: November 2024 – February 2025
- Renovation cost: €3.2 million
- Recognition: World’s Best Golf Course Renovation, World Golf Awards 2025 (announced December 2025, Madeira)
- On-site resorts: Algarve Marriott Salgados Golf Resort & Spa, Marriott Residences Salgados Resort, The Westin Salgados Beach Resort
What the Renovation Included
The four-month project included nearly every part of the golfing experience at Salgados
Golf Club:
- New irrigation system. A Rain Bird irrigation system was installed across all 18 holes, improving turf consistency and water management year-round; a meaningful upgrade for a coastal Algarve course exposed to sea breeze and summer heat.
- Bunker refresh. Every bunker on the course was renovated, refreshing both the look and the playing consistency of sand across your round of golf.
- Tees rebuilt. Every tee was levelled and returfed, giving golfers flatter, more even stances and a more consistent surface than before.
- A new signature hole. The renovation included construction of a new par-3 island green, adding a standout, photogenic hole to the round and a fresh strategic test for golfers of all levels.
Award-Winning Renovation
The World Golf Awards created the Best Golf Course Renovation category specifically to recognise projects on their overall execution, not just the finished aesthetic.
The award follows a broader run of recognition for the destination: Portugal itself was named World’s Best Golf Destination and Europe’s Best Golf Destination at the same 2025 World Golf Awards, reinforcing the Algarve’s position as one of Europe’s leading golf regions.
What This Means for You
For golfers planning a visit to Salgados Golf Club, your experience just got better:
- More consistent conditioning. The new irrigation system and returfed tees mean more predictable turf across the seasons, including during the peak summer months.
- A refreshed challenge. The bunker overhaul and new island-green par 3 add both visual appeal and strategic variety to a course already known for its water hazards, lagoon-side holes, and prevailing ocean breeze.
Why Salgados Golf Club is your Next Golf Destination
Salgados Golf Club sits on the Algarve coast near Salgados Beach and the Salgados Lagoon Nature Reserve. The course is set among three on-site accommodation options; the Algarve Marriott Salgados Golf Resort & Spa, Marriott Residences Salgados Resort, and The Westin Salgados Beach Resort, all of which underwent their own refurbishments alongside the golf course renovation.
For golfers researching a Portugal golf holiday, Salgados Golf Club now combines a freshly renovated, award-winning golf course with direct access to newly refurbished resort accommodation, a combination worth factoring into any Algarve golf itinerary.
Ready to experience the renovated course for yourself? Reservar or explore our Stay & Play packages.
