Quinta do Lago South Course voted Europe’s Best Golf Course 2022

The South Course at Portugal’s premier luxury lifestyle and leisure resort Quinta do Lago, in the country’s Algarve region has been elected as Europe’s Best Golf Course 2022 at the World Golf Awards.

The Marketing Manager at Quinta do Lago (QdL), Joana Oliveira thanked the organisers and jury even though the CEO of Quinta do Lago, Sean Moriarty had been unable to receive the award in person and said:
“This is great moment for us. It’s actually our 50th anniversary so we’ve been on a long journey, so to end the year with two awards celebrating our golf courses is wonderful and I’d like to thank World Golf Awards for organising this brilliant event and congratulate all the award winners and nominees.
And added: “This has been a huge journey, with a lot of passion and investment put into the resort through the Quinta do Lago group, so we’re very honoured to at last have this award for the renovation we did on the South Course, this and all the memorable events that we have hosted at Quinta do Lago have helped us position ourselves as Europe’s leading destination in terms of golf, lifestyle, residential and wellness, so thank you for this award.”
The CEO of QdL, Sean Moriarty in a statement said: “Thank you for this recognition and please accept my apologies for not being able to attend in person this year. At Quinta do Lago, we are honoured to receive this award from WGA.
It goes without saying that this has been a challenging period, but having invested heavily in upgrading our South Golf Course and facilities in Quinta do Lago, we are truly humbled and very proud to offer an experience of exceptional golf and true quality of life to our residents and guests. This award is of particular significance as we move into Quinta do Lago’s 50th year in 2022.
We hope you will join us in the coming months in celebrating half a century of world-class golf in Quinta do Lago. Once again, thank you for this wonderful recognition. We will see you next year!”
Quinta do Lago was up against stiff competition this year, fighting off nominees such as Adamstal – Championship Course (Austria), Adriatic Golf Course (Croatia), Antalya Golf Club – PGA Sultan (Turkey), Antognolla Golf (Italy), Celtic Manor Resort (Wales) and the Costa Navrino – The Dunes Course (Greece) among many others.
The South Course is the crown jewel of Quinta do Lago. Designed in 1974 by William Mitchell, who introduced American-standard greens, tees and bunkers to the Algarve. Soon the course gained a prestigious reputation and became a flagship in the European Tour Course. A favourite among European tour players, the 6,500 metre par 72 is set among umbrella pines, lakes and wild flowers, overlooking the serene Ria Formosa Natural Park.
South Course has hosted the Portuguese Open eight times, including Colin Montgomerie’s win in 1989. Having won 24 under par, he finished 11 strokes ahead and broke the world record with a round of 63.
Its championship status however does not deter the amateur golfer. While the 8th, 15th and 18th are testing holes for low handicap players, the course’s varying difficulty challenges golfers of all levels and abilities. Accurate tee shots are essential for reaching the greens, as the variety of doglegs and strategically located hazards increases the course’s difficulty. The front nine holes, which wind their way through the parkland, favour a draw. While the back nine, which loop around the lake, favour a fade from the tea.
Portugal picked up a second award at the WGA gala event which went to the Hilton Vilamoura Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa.
World Golf Awards – the leading authority that recognises and rewards excellence in golf tourism — revealed this year’s best golf organisations at its 9th annual Gala Ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
Scotland, the home of golf and of many of the world’s finest courses, was voted ‘World’s Best Golf Destination’, whilst the historic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, host of the 2026 US Open Championships, was recognised as ‘World’s Best Golf Course’. Scotland’s Paul Lawrie OBE received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in acknowledgment of his outstanding contribution to golf.
Chris Frost, Managing Director, World Golf Awards, said: “Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club have proven world-class hosts of what has been a magnificent gathering of the global golf tourism industry. We have had the privilege of recognising the leading golf courses, hotels, resorts, designers and tour operators from across the world and my congratulations to each of them.”