Quinta do Lago Laranjal Golf Course

Laranjal golf course is Jorge Santana da Silva's design for Quinta do Lago, the third course to open at the resort, arriving in 2009. It's routed through what was once an orange grove in the Ludo Valley, a couple of kilometres from the main estate, and takes its name from laranja, Portuguese for orange. In 2011 it was voted best golf course at the Portuguese Travel Awards.

The layout runs against type: five par-5s, eight par-4s and five par-3s, for a par 72 stretching to around 6,480 metres. The ground is flat, with no severe slopes, and easy to walk. Tree cover here is lighter than at Quinta do Lago's other two courses, with orange trees, cork oaks and umbrella pines set more for character than containment. Water spreads across both nines and gathers on the back, where the 16th, a par-5, plays as the signature hole, with several lakes putting a premium on placement over power.

The clubhouse holds a restaurant and snack bar, and there's a driving range and academy with resident professionals, along with a pro shop. Buggies come fitted with GPS, though there's no locker room on site. Book a round at the newest of Quinta do Lago's three courses, and one with a character all its own.