The winter golf trip: Algarve, Costa del Sol, Turkey, Morocco
Winter is high season down there: book in the right order, fly or hire the clubs, and plan fewer rounds than you think.
From November to March, British golf means winter greens, mats and a lot of waterproofs. It is the season of the golf trip — and the season in which people pay high-season prices without realising it. How to plan it in the right order.
The classic destinations from the UK
The Algarve in Portugal offers the most reliable winter weather in Europe and courses that will occupy good players; Faro is served from most regional airports.
The Costa del Sol in Andalusia has the highest density of courses in Europe and the widest choice of golf hotels. Málaga flies year-round.
Turkey, around Belek, is the value option, with large resorts, several courses within a short transfer and package pricing that includes golf.
Morocco, Marrakech and Agadir, is a short flight with little time difference and frequently lower green fees.
High season is not what you think
At these destinations winter is the golfing high season: green fees and hotels peak from February to April, when northern Europe arrives. The best value sits in November, early December and May — the same courses for considerably less.
Book in the right order
- Flights first, they vary the most.
- Tee times next, with the courses directly or through the hotel, which often gets better slots and combined rates.
- The hotel last, comparing packages with and without green fees: depending on how many rounds you plan, the advantage reverses.
Take the clubs or hire
Airlines treat a golf bag differently: with some it falls under the baggage allowance, with others it is sports equipment that must be booked in advance, and low-cost carriers almost always charge. Check the conditions when you book, not at the desk, and use a hard or padded travel cover.
Hiring at the resort, which most offer, frequently costs less than flying the bag both ways for three or four rounds — at the price of playing without your own wedges and putter, which is not a small thing.
How many rounds
Anyone who has not played since October overestimates their stamina. Across a week, four or five spaced rounds beat seven consecutive ones: an untrained body will not take it, and the last days become a chore.
What to pack
- A jumper and a windproof: January mornings in the Algarve are cold.
- A second pair of shoes; morning dew does not dry during the day.
- Proof of handicap: some courses ask for a maximum.
Before you go
Check access conditions (handicap limit, dress code, whether buggies are compulsory) and the state of the greens: several resorts hollow-tine in autumn, and a course in maintenance plays badly. An email to the pro shop settles it. Panxis Golf has no commercial relationship with any of the destinations or tour operators mentioned.
