Madeira is renowned for its stunning natural volcanic landscapes, rich history, mouth-watering cuisine and world-famous wine but is also the home of three breathtaking golf courses, one of which is Clube de Golf Santo da Serra. Located in the east of the island and at extreme elevation, this venue provides stunning views and golfers will often find themselves hitting putts above the clouds. The drive up to the course will certainly get your attention, but it's well worth it in the end!
Robert Trent Jones Snr’s 1991 redesign of Clube de Golf Santo da Serra – which dates originally from 1937 – created a spectacular 27-hole complex in a beautiful natural landscape, with views of Porto Santo and the bay of Machico, where Portuguese navigators first landed in 1419.
It is, quite simply, a breathtaking location to play golf, with a recent €2.5m course irrigation project investment in the three nines only serving to elevate the golf experience being offered even further.
The Machico and Desertas nines form the 6,825-yard championship course, on which the European Tour’s Madeira Islands Open was held on ten occasions with Mark James winning the inaugural tournament in 1993. The third and fourth on the Machico are regarded as the signature holes, sitting atop cliffs more than 2,200ft above the Atlantic. However the Serras nine, which travels more inland, does not disappoint with its mountainous back drops (pictured above) and variety of holes, starting and finishing with a par five.
On the Machico nine, we also enjoyed the long par five 7th, which plays significantly uphill to a tiny green that will really test your wedge play on the third shot. The Desertas loop peaks early as when you reach the second tee, you're greeted with a dramatic elevation drop and a lake guarding the fairway of this jaw-dropping par five. Not to say the rest of the nine is a disappointment, far from it in fact. We enjoyed the finishing hole, which plays significantly uphill and has a green situated in a dramatic bowl to capture wayward approach shots.
Views from the clubhouse don't get much better as you enjoy a drink on the patio overlooking the practice putting green and terrain beyond. With Madeira being located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland, just 500km from the African continent, it enjoys an amazingly mild climate with temperatures ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter.
The best way to enjoy all of the island’s golf is with a Madeira Golf Passport. Providing holders with an unrivalled golf experience on the island, the Madeira Island Golf Passport is available to both individuals and groups and can be booked on a three or five-round basis.
Costing €225 per person for three rounds and €360 for a five-round package, the standard passport – which is valid for a two-week period – includes golf at Clube de Golfe Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf and free golf course transfers to and from your hotel, while, for an additional €115 per person, golfers can upgrade to Madeira’s premium golf passport, which includes return ferry travel to Porto Santo and 18 holes on the island’s golf course.
In addition, golfers can use the site to review the vast range of historic, cultural and culinary experiences that are available off the course – with dolphin and whale-watching trips, nature jeep tours, climbing, trekking and canyoning, and an array of restaurants serving the finest local cuisine among the treats on offer.
