Monte Rei Golf Review – Is this the best new course in Europe?

Monte Rei Golf & Country Club is quite simply the finest golf course in Portugal and arguably in Europe.

Located in the hills just a few miles to the northeast of Tavira in Portugal’s eastern Algarve and close to the Spanish border, Monte Rei Golf & Country Club is a golfers paradise. From the moment you drive through the gates at Monte Rei everything you come into contact with is of the highest quality and service. Monte Rei is truly exceptional and offers golfers a truly outstanding experience both on and off the golf course. Before you even head down to the 1st tee at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club you are met with probably the finest golf range in Europe. As well as quality Callaway golf balls stacked up in perfect pyramids, you’ll be teeing off on perfectly elevated and flat grassed surface from which you’ll hit shots over an enormous area.

The par 72 Championship course measures over 7000 yards from the Tournament tees and is a truly unique design with water coming into play on eleven of the eighteen holes. The course features varied mix of eight par-4s, five par-3s and five par-5s in a demanding layout where every single hole presents a new challenge. On every hole the design blends effortlessly into the natural canvas of the rolling hills with the inventive bunkering, to the impressive presentation and attention to detail throughout every one of the
18 holes. On every hole you are blessed with a relentless test of golf as remarkable as the previous hole as fairways and greens are bordered by several lakes, native plants and grasses and trees adding drama to the landscape. This is a golf course which is truly unforgettable and in my opinion creates the perfect golf environment. Each hole at Monte Rei is delightfully self-contained, and even knowing that the Serra do Caldeirao mountains are to the north and the Atlantic Ocean is to the south doesn’t help you maintain your bearings as you intertwine your way around. Due to the tee times being 12 minutes apart, it’s quite likely that you will play the whole round without spotting another group, let alone be held up.

Like so many other projects in Portugal the development at Monte Rei is commercially reliant on property sales. Thankfully all the villas that have been built so far do not intrude at all or spoil the wonderful tranquillity that exists from the 1st tee to the 18th green – like everything else at Monte Rei it has been done perfectly. As you come off the 18th green, you will be presented with a commemorative Monte Rei bag tag with your name engraved on it. The pleasure though is far from over as you discover the spectacular marble-floored clubhouse that is the perfect finish to the Monte Rei experience.

As Monte Rei plans to get even better with a luxury hotel, spa complex and a second Jack Nicklaus signature golf course the only question I ask myself is can the golfing experience get any better than what already exists at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club? I can’t wait to find out on my next visit!

Your Golf Travel.com have a range of packages playing at the glorious Monte Rei Golf & Country Club inclusive of golf and accommodation starting from just £315 per person.