Gramacho

After a week of rain the course was better than we expected

We had fun but as the weather has been so bad, it proved difficult and a few balls we’re lost due to very soft ground and large amounts of clover

Great course and a good test of skill; In great condition considering what the area has been through with the weather

We really liked this course. It was sad to see so much damage from the recent tornado to the trees especially around the signature holes. Greens were great.

Very disappointed with YGT , when we received the booking confirmation I questioned the tee times and was assured we had more than enough time, turns out we picky played 15 holes, I belted was charged full rate when we should only have payed twilight rates

Course fine. Tee times 13.30, too late. Impossible to get 18 holes in as it was dark at 17.00. Too many four balls booked in course! Too many hold ups as course was inundated with too many golfers! Again, shuttle bus not available after 16.00. Had to walk back to residence carrying our golf clubs!!! Not acceptable.

Really enjoyed playing Gramacho which was in great condition. The fairways are generous and the rough not too penal. The greens were fast and true with lots of subtle breaks. Would definitely play again.

The course was in a great condition. The Greens were immaculate

you are unable to pre book buggies on this course and they did not have any.The money they charge for these no idea why they would not have more. in the end they found some but 2 run out of power and be replaced

A great course and well maintained.

Good course

No problem booking buggies on day. No pre-booking allowed but good availability

A little easier than Val de Pinta but enjoyed both.

First time playing. Speed of play was about right, a strong wind made it challenging. A good test for a group of 8 with handicaps ranging from 5-20. Would play again

Loved this course another course where you could stay at hotel and have a choice to play several courses

Enjoyed the course and the clubhouse. The food has slipped a bit compared with last year but still very good. Staff are always and we again first class.

Had 3 Irish lads in front of us who were off their faces and clearly incapable. Driving buggies over tees and greens and refusing to call us through. Staff totally disinterested in doing anything about it. 1 hr 30 front 9, 3 hrs 10 back. Course decent for holiday golf.

We played the course twice and enjoyed it immensely. A variety of holes which certainly helps golfers of all abilities. My son is 2years into golf and broke 90 for the first time ever at Gramacho. Probably a little bit more forgiving on errant driving but that made the course enjoyable as we only lost one ball in two rounds

The better course of the 3 played. Very nice, challenging layout and varied holes. Par 3s particularly scenic. Not too many bunkers around the greens but usually chipping up onto a plateau green.

Really lovely course. Well set out and great condition. Loved it.

Brilliant

nice course

As expected

The course is in great condition especially considering how dry it has been. There are lots of interesting holes that offer sufficient risk and reward. The greens are really fast and downhill putts can run away very quickly. They are true though and this makes for a much more focussed approach on and around the greens. A really enjoyable challenge that requires a bit of thought as not all holes are condusive to the big drives.

We thoroughly enjoy playing here … Marshall’s good on checking on golfers

Course was good. I will be making a formal complaint about the buggies. I requested that 2 buggies be reserved for each round which YGT confirmed. I even asked you to double check as I had seen reviews saying buggies could not be reserved and you confirmed by email that they were. When we checked they said it was their policy not to reserve buggies so they could not guarantee we would get these each day.

Very nice, greens nice pace, course looks lovely

Good course, fairways in good condition, greens consistent and fair pace. Rough is light and apart from the water there is little chance of balls being lost.

More likened to a British hilly course with faster, truer greens and less sticky rough cut too close to the greens. Some amazing views from high to low.

Best course we played

Very good lovely course little bit slow

Too many slow players ahead playing to competition rules

Heavens opened up after 13 holes Condition of course similar to vale da Pinta very good greens but some fairways a bit shabby but once again there had been a lot of rain Facilities very good

Storm the day before the round meant the course was wet, but I believe without the rain the course would have been in great condition

Only played 9 holes due to weather warning

This is a great, interesting course

We played this course twice and on the first day the heavens open and we had to come off after just 7 holes. The 2nd time was great really enjoyed the course.

No comment, adverse weather conditions meant we didn’t make it albeit I am led to believe it is a good course.

Great course.

played it twice ,scored much better second time as had a idea of where to be.

What a track. Played at many championship standard courses, but the layout, green complexes, bunkers, tee positions, views and green quality at this course are first class. Every hole brings interest and a different challenge, especially given that most holes have two greens! Plenty pin position options. Loved this course, although when the wind picked up on second round it was savage off the tips. Definitely be back!

Very enjoyable match

Can’t say enough good things about our experience here, everything about it was just first class, everything other than our groups scores lol! Something we couldn’t get our heads around was the slope and the course ratings assessments, way more challenging than the ratings indicated which meant strokes received by handicap golfers resulted in very much lower stableford scores than would normally be achieved on the uk courses! The WHS is supposed to be a World Handicap System so that shouldn’t be the case. 5 Star facility highly recommend.

No chipping area. Can of coke from the trolley 5 euros. Small snack ,5 euros. They do not endear themselves.

Tee times not great finished in the dark, facilities good. Too many poor golfers which slowed our game.

enjoyed this course, more open for errant T shots, super fast greens

a great golf course in lovely condition a real pleasure to play. the only downside was that buggies were not available to pre order and it was just if they had any spare at your time of tee off. they were also very expensive. there was also 1 cart with drinks for the two courses so we would only see them once right at the end of our round. the also carried no water. 5 hour round in buggies. it is to be expected at a resort but was a little slower than expected

When booking the buggy for our first round we were told we had to produce a medical cert from our doctor to be eligible for a buggy!!! Nobody had mentioned this to us from YGT even though I told them we needed a buggy. Had to pay £25 and get this certificate from the UK before we could play.

A tour favourite. Confidence boosting course. All 16 of us played well, averaging 35 points - as we did last year. Probably why everyone likes it!

Course was in great condition

Our favourite course of the trip. Challenging holes throughout, but it was in fantastic condition and provided some amazing views.

course in good order considering the footfall. Club house was more than adequate. Food and drinks not too expensive.

Nice course, not too taxing, fast greens, well maintained and some very picturesque holes!

Lovely course, some difficult holes

First time we have played this course and I have to say it was a bit of a ‘Hidden Gem’. Superb layout.

Played on a saturday and while we thought we were 3x3, they made us into a 4, 3 and 2, with 2 others added to our 2. This apparently is common practice when busy. The extra were nice so wasn't an issue and it saved us a buggy ! The course was nice, with many challenges, particularly around the greens... lots of bunkers. No driving range and the putting green was small. Everyone enjoyed though.

Holiday golf on short, wide open course. In good nick.

Teamed up by starter with Dutch couple fairly slow round pushy three ball behind who thought had right to play through with nowhere to go fairways fairly rough greens worn but some good holes

The course was in great condition. Greens were very fast with some deceptive undulations. We played here three times as a four ball on buggies and found if you play very early (7:20) we got around in four hours. When we played mid morning it was five to five and half hour round. We also walked 9 holes at 6pm and it was quite.

Hard climbs when it was 30 degrees quite exceptional

Nice course

The course was really nice Was not to difficult but the Green was a real challenge

Nice course in good condition

Very good layout

Found this course to be the busiest of the three so found it to be quite rushed but some good holes.

Good course played it before. Was a wet cold day. But that can’t be helped

Love the course, so much fun

It is a nightmare trying to Book a buggy. You cannot book a buggy in advance. so when we got there we were told they had no buggies. not a great start when you e-mail the course saying one of your group is not able to walk 18 holes

Nice course, we had a 3 ball and got a 4th member pushed on to us from the club who was a local member, just extremely slow play towards the back 9. Other than that a good course

Beautiful course with some stunning holes. Again nice greens. Played early pm and no problem getting round as a 4 ball in under 4 hours. Hilly in places but we had no trouble using a pull trolley. My favourite out of the 3 courses we played.

Although the course was busy,the round was just over 4 hours .Though not a long course it has a lot of variety in hole types.Considering the volume of traffic the course & greens get its in good condition.The greens were very true ,tricky and quick.

The pick of the courses

Good as ever, a great course.

2nd time of playing the course, just as enjoyable as the first

Superb - a bit of sand on some of the greens but they still ran true,

Enjoyed the course but the super slick greens caught us out after a wet English winter! Still really liked it as usual

Great course

The course was in great condition considering all the heavy rain in recent days.

Super course....loved it. 1 small issue...we didn't know the course and whilst we waited we ended up hitting down on top of group in front 3 times....they could do with a few bells!!!

Very slow too many people on the course, four balls every 9 minutes yet it tells you when you have to be on the 10th tee which is 2hrs 15 mins from your start time. How is this possible 9 times 9 is 81 minutes less than an hour and a half

Slow play was the worst aspect. 5hrs 30m. People who can’t manage their buggies and walking back about 100+yds for them instead of coming off the fairway and taking them on the cart path adjacent to the green.

Once again loved it … will play again

Nice challenging course with the hills and trees. Great condition.

A good test of golf, plenty of risk/reward shots to be had. Some short holes again, but don't be fooled! Accuracy is very important. A very nice flow to the course, this was the one we enjoyed the most. Some water hazards, some open holes and some a little tighter there was plenty to enjoy in the variety.

Far more pleasant experience. Greens much better. Visual a lovely course.

Nice course very enjoyable

A great course, we’ll Maintained and a great team, thoroughly recommend

Great good course, got placed with two beginners. Big hold up behind which annoyed them but we were happy

played here twice on our stay and great service and excellent course.

This course played really well and was stunning so we all had a really good round of golf, and only real complaint would be the speed of play despite most on the course having buggies. Other than that it was very much enjoyable!

Best course of the 4 we played and right on our doorstep, helpful staff and well looked after. Course great and appealed to all handicaps

Gramachio is always our favourite course with some tricky holes.

Loved every minute of it.

Buggies not available to book in advance which could have been an issue with a couple of our travelling party. Also at 50 euros a buggy, rather expensive.

Again have played here a few times and one of our club members from home has an apartment on site so he joined us for the round the course was in good condition

What a pleasure to play this beautiful course. The only downside being the extremely slow play. Refreshments on the course were a welcome surprise given the experience on the other 3 Pestana course we played. Villas on either side of the fairways on some holes were bit daunting but loved it, overall

Nice course. Good practice area nearby.

Love this course. Enough of a challenge for our group with a range of handicaps. A course that is easy to walk. Greens were good. Great club house.

Greens improved a lot from last visit.

First time playing the course will definitely play again

Nice course but slow

Heavy rain through the week left it soggy but can't really blame them for that. Quite a tough walk.

Too congested on the day waited to tee off on all of the first 9 holes. Minor improvement on back 9. Course was the most challenging of the 4 played.

Probably best hiring a buggy on this hilly course, but one of the better courses.

Slow due to number of golfers on course

Slow play spoilt our round,course easy due to length of holes,good condition and greens also well kept

Only downside we had to battle to get buggies

The greens were really slow and untidy.

Course was kept well, greens were tough but fair. Surprised the pin position didn't change while we were there, not that I'm complaining. Fairways were a bit slow, but also helped with some wayward shots.

Lovely course to play

My first time, very enjoyable, greens were varied speeds. Fairways and rough tangly spongy grass not what I’m used to. 👍🏼

As above

The best of the 3 courses we played.

Again Gramacho was in really good condition this is a course that suits all handicaps,we as a group and have played these courses many times,we have buggies on every course, 10/10

Enjoyable challenging course

The service was very good and accommodating,the course was in very good condition

Great course in lovely surroundings

Fantastic condition all thourghly enjoyed the only course over the week where no golf balls were lost.

Great course with good shaped holes. Greens were too fast for our standard of golf but good condition.

Started badly being told to play one 4 ball, one 3 ball and one 2 ball, after some negotiation with marshal we finally got off in three balls. After that a great experience, first time for us but would definately return.

This was our fav course of the 3 played (Vila Sol & Alto the others), aesthetically pleasing to the eye and a great but fair challenge, with some quirky holes! We will definitely come back and play this one next year

To many people on the course very slow

We got our tee time mixed up but the Pro shop dealt with the matter quickly.

Lovely resort course. Greens were in good condition. Only thing that let it down was the course ranger, condescending and chauvinistic.

Played it twice.Enjoyed it both times A little slow on the second round but the sun was shining

Best course of three we played, worth playing.

great course

Good resort golf again but as with Pinta the greens seem tired and full of pitchmarks . Overall we enjoyed the round and the staff in the club house were happy and friendly.

It was a little slow, although we had anticipated waiting on a few holes, due to it being a busy weekend. Very nice course which we enjoyed playing on two occasions. Only criticism was the Greens were lightning fast (too fast for us) and with a downhill putt, it was often difficult to keep the ball on the putting surface, let alone anywhere near the hole! Overall, very enjoyable though. In particular, we thought the staff in the bar/restaurant at the Gramacho were terrific - extremely attentive, service with a smile and often with great humour. Couldn't fault them.

Great course, interesting fairways, not too tough but v fast greens

In spite of heavy rain at times, we enjoyed this course!

Played in very wet conditions Bunkers were hard to play out of as sand was sparse in places

Lovely condition, unusual and challenging holes. A real test. We got round without any lengthy hold ups. A great day. An upmarket golf club all round.

Returned again and all went well ..finally scored points on the seventeenth after several years of balls in the lake! Will return again

Greens were super quick especially with the strong wind

Some greens haven't fully recovered from the lockdowns.

Great course loved it

For a 4 ball we were round in 4hrs 15 mins. Course acceptable…greens a nightmare with such Enormous swings on them

If your not playing in a fourball it's a long day of waiting and some of the greens were certainly not at there best which is a shame.ive aged at gramacho in seniors tour qualifying and they always manage to get the course great so why can't they keep it like that all the time?

Gramacho was always the best condition but this year they have obviously had some issues on some of their greens. Luckily, 9 of the holes have an extra or a double green. Also I have to mention the fairway grass was just too springy and therefore there was no run on the fairways. Other than that, it was as enjoyable.

Very poor greens something needs to be done with the birds stealing the golf balls of the fairways and green.

Needs lockers for visitors.

Very difficult course.

Packed again, round took over 4 and a half hours as usual. That said course in good condition and always enjoyable. Need more sand in the bunkers and condition of tee boxes need improving. Also no drinks cart service out on the course.

Course in better nick than Pinta - feels as though the whole place needs some TLC. Bunkers poor & clubhouse facilities are below average.

Best of the 3 courses we played. Beautiful and fairly challenging. Put this one on your list! Only downside was our 6 was split into a 4 and a 2 (playing with 2 members) which took the edge off it a little.

Issue with buggies on arrival, non available fortunately this was resolved at the last minute by a very helpful Caddy Master, half the group weren’t going to play without. Course always seems wet and a lot of mud balls (have played 3 times)

Nice course, greens a bit 2 paced and didn't look great bu played ok.

Just like the Pinta course very good ,some of the group preferred the Gramacho but most of us liked both.

Very enjoyable course helped by the fact that I have 45 points. Top quality in my view.

This was our favourite course and can't wait to play again next year.

this course was not available to us we were advised we had to go to another course!!! Not happy with this

Course was a fair distance from the hotel about 40 mins. Taxi cost 45eur each way.

Good challenge with an interesting mix of holes. Best navigated with a buggy as there are frequent changes in elevation Fairways seemed a little overwatered with very little run. The 2 green option on each hole could lead to clubbing errors so a rangefinder is helpful. Greens on the slow side but ran true Excellent clubhouse with great views down 18 to relax in after the round

Enjoyed this course, but cost of 4 buggies was 180 Euros and we considered this to be expensive

Excellent course, no complaints

One of the best courses I’ve ever played, absolute must play. Stunning views and amazing condition

Course conditions faultless

Played my best golf on this one so I have to say great but 4 hrs 45 was a bit of a slog

Really good course, greens needed a bit of work but for the rest was amazing. Very busy course but play moved adequately. Challenging course, very well made and overall, very FUN!

The course was in great condition and the greens quick and true. A good test with a decent range of holes. Our group had 4 reasonable low handicap golfers and the par fours could have done with a few longer ones, it was a little short from the yellow trees we had to play from. The greens and their speed and slopes still made it a good test of golf.

The sloping greens are a fun challenge andven though 3 holes were on alternative temporary greens these were the best I've played on.

Whent dark before we finished

Always like playing it. Lovely finishing hole

First out @0730. Love the course. Will be back next year

As usual the course was well presented with the greens running beautifully. Nice pace around the course. Always a pleasure to play

Lovely course tough greens

We enjoyed this course

We found the greens, and in particular the pin positions really tricky. Enjoyed it though. Some lovely holes.

Because we played at a quiet time we had a good round with no hold ups until the last couple of holes. Lovely course and conditions very good considering they had been a lot of rain for a few days. Would recommend.

Definitely the best course of the Pestana group and the fairways were lovely and greens in great condition. Picturesque rolling hills with great views in an amazing setting. Very enjoyable round and we will certainly return.

Great layout,with lots of good holes.Could do with a course marshal to keep groups moving on the second nine.Watch the bar prices!

Don't expect to play as a 2ball. Very busy even during the week. Locals and members very ignorant and demand play through, even though your keeping up with group in front. Avoid at weekends.

Lovely course very enjoyable and was in great condition.

As one of pestana supposed premier course this was ver disappointing. Oil took over 5 hours to get round and loads of un repaired pitch marks on most of the greens. The setting and layout were excellent but sadly spoilt by the waiting at every tee

Lovely course,well planned out with some very tricky holes,probably the best of the 4 courses.

Loved this course lots of hazards but good golf rewarded some amazing holes terrific par 3's and a amazing finishing hlle par 5 with green in front of bar balcony.

The Gramacho course was great fun. It was nice to play holes that were not just straight and long and the greens were excellent. The facilities were very good and the course is good value for money. The caddy master was great and very organised, however the same cannot be said for the rest of the staff who just do not seem interested.

Really nice course to play both of us enjoyed it greens were good and big so had a chance to hit the greens

Course good greens very poor disease in greens a lot of fungi

Very enjoyable, buggies are expensive

Enjoyed the course but you do need a buggy.

No one on it apart from us or that's how it felt

Lovely course very enjoyable.

Well maintained course

Good holiday golf layout. One of our group is an occasional golfer and was able to negotiate the course and remain competitive. Some cracking holes particularly 17 & 18.

Staff friendly, lovely views, great course - loved it

Lovely golf course which is golf friendly fairways like carpet and great greens.

We were a party of 7 ranging from a handicap of 9 through to 28. I personally loved the course. It was a good test with some some holes offering lovely views. The only negative was the bunkers that seemed all to be very hard sand.

Love this course, good greens and difficult enough to make it interesting for all our group. Club house was very good and best pro shop of the ones we played. Great for watching players coming up the 18th. Would recommend.

Easier than it looked. Our best round of the week

A picturesque course but whilst open had enough difficulty with uphill greens and hidden greens to keep you focused. This was most evident on the ever undulating greens, where no put seemed straight.

Great course very challenging at times.

It’s our favourite course (12). One of the best finishing holes in my opinion in golf. Every hole is different and challenging and a class act.

Hilly course that had me puffing a few times! (second time I played it I had a buggy) Wide fairways, some fairly long walks green to tees, interesting bunker systems, picturesque. Challenging and enjoyable. Lovely staff in the clubhouse.

Nice course. Great condition, challenging greens and plenty of bunkers to avoid. Some picturesque holes.

this is a great course, friendly staff, Roberto specially, again same comment on buggy's etc.

Wonderful course, great fun as always. Slow, but not so slow that it affected our enjoyment (we're used to 4hrs max in Scotland so just needed to accept it!).

you can understand why this course has been on the European tour. this course was fantastic with great looking and tricky holes. the whole lay out was fantastic, with the surrounding villas and condos, which by the way are stunning architectural buildings. my only downfall was.. not only my golf game stunk but the change of greens threw us with our yardage watches giving us wrong info.. but it is a minor thing and apart from that what an experience it was to play some great courses in a stunning country. can't thank yourgolftravel enough for organising it all. looking forward to next year now

Very nice, competent and friendly staff, a slick operation.

Loved it , will manage to par that dammned 18 th next year !!

The greens were very fast but true and that goes for all of them

held up by a group who walked in at the 3rd hole.

Lovely course. Interesting with water and different levels. We walked on this course which I prefer to buggy. Although busy there were no hold ups . Pleasant restaurant and pro shop. Will play here again on our next golfing trip to Algarve.

Unable to get an earlier tee time, so only managed 15 holes as the light was fading and the going was slow.

Very enjoyable going back 27 December

The round was as quick as we wanted as we were the only players playing as the weather was harendous.Contiuous rain and wind for all 18 holes, but we overcame and eventually dried out at the hotel by breakfast on the Tuesday.

Pin positions very tight in corners

Brilliant

Same comments as Pinta . We like but tees moved forward in last few years.

the best course we played

Lovely course nice steady round

Love this course !!

Loved it

Nice course but buggy's expensive.

My favourite course of the three. Love everything about it. Some treacherous greens but a great course.

Very enjoyable Golf Course. A GREAT layout with a nice variety of holes. Most of our group scored well You need to be able to play a good variety of shots. We all really enjoyed it. In fact it was every bodies favorite course of all Pestana courses We would all play it again anytime

Played this a number of times now and always first class.

Bunkers were watered too much