Palmares Ocean Living & Golf has completed a major golf course improvement project designed to elevate the playing experience across its 27-hole facility and enhance its environmental sustainability.
Managed by Details - Hospitality, Sports, Leisure—Portugal’s largest golf course operator—the Algarve resort introduced the upgrades this summer following the 2026 launch of new signature apartments and the signature restaurant Preceito.
The renovation project encompassed all three of Palmares’ nine-hole loops: Alvor, Lagos, and Praia. Work focused on improving course conditioning, playing surfaces, and landscaping across the property.
Key updates include:
Bruce Charlton, president of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects (RTJ II), noted the design changes:
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“We’ve increased the ‘fun factor’ for golfers of all skill levels by widening fairways and incorporating short grass as a defence instead of sand bunkers on many green complexes. We’ve also updated tee surfaces and bunkers.” |
Alongside the course changes, Palmares constructed a new short game area and an expanded putting green. The resort also updated its fleet of greenkeeping machinery and modernized its irrigation infrastructure.
By concentrating water use strictly on primary playing surfaces, the greenkeeping team aims to improve water efficiency and cut the total irrigated area by 20 percent, lowering operating costs and improving long-term sustainability.
Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details - Sports, Hospitality, Leisure, highlighted the broader vision behind the project:
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“This investment is part of a much bigger vision for Palmares. As the management company, we took a hard look at the resort and it was clear this was what was needed to bring the golf course back up to the standards that a place like Palmares deserve.“
“After the renovations we’ve carried out across our golf portfolio, it made perfect sense for Palmares to be next. With its combination of parkland and links-style holes in an incredible coastal setting offering the best views in the region, Palmares is such a special place. This project will deliver improved playability, upgraded facilities and modernised infrastructure, while putting sustainability at the core of how the course is run.” |
Gonzaga Liniers, general manager at Palmares Ocean Living & Golf, expressed confidence in the resort's direction:
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“Joining Palmares at the same time as this significant renovation has been really exciting, and it gives me real confidence that within the next two years, we will position Palmares as one of the best golf destinations in Europe.“
“That won’t just be down to the golf. With our award-winning clubhouse, the new leisure facilities and the arrival of JW Marriott, the brand’s first hotel in Portugal, every part of the resort is moving forward together. It’s a great time to be here and we’re looking forward to showing people the very best version of Palmares.” |
Originally opened as an 18-hole course in 1975, Palmares spans 200 hectares overlooking Meia Praia and the Alvor estuary. The current 27-hole layout was redesigned in 2011 by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Integrated into the natural amphitheatre of the Bay of Lagos, the venue recently joined the European Tour Destinations network. Further development plans include opening Portugal's first JW Marriott hotel in 2028.
Palmares is part of the tourism asset portfolio managed by Details (owned by Arrow Global). Details manages 13 golf venues, including Vilamoura Golf, PGA Aroeira Lisboa, Troia Golf, Monte Rei, San Lorenzo, Vale Pisão, and Costa Ragusa Golf in Sicily.
Additional information is available at palmaresliving.com.
