The Best Golf Courses in Madeira
Madeira plays golf in the clouds. Its courses sit high on volcanic ridges above the Atlantic, where the fairways tumble between cliffs and the views run for miles, and the sister island of Porto Santo adds a Seve Ballesteros design by the sea. Three courses, all year round, all worth the flight. Our ranked three, with the verdict on each, the designers and indicative 2026 green fees.
Photograph: Santo da Serra Golf Club, Jussi L., via Google
How we ranked them
Madeira is a small archipelago with three courses, which makes the ranking honest and the trip easy to plan. The strength is the setting, golf played at altitude above a subtropical island where conditioning holds up the year round and the Atlantic fills the backdrop of almost every hole. We weight the quality and variety of the holes, the tournament pedigree and that sense of place, and the order largely picks itself. Two courses sit on the main island within a short drive of Funchal, one for its tournament heritage and one for its garden estate grandeur, and the third is a ferry or short flight away on Porto Santo. For most visitors the natural trip plays both Madeira courses from a Funchal base, with an overnight on Porto Santo for the Seve design and the beach.
The ranking
Santo da Serra Golf Club
The tournament course of the island and its clear number one, 27 holes laid out high on a plateau above the south coast near the airport. First opened in 1937, it was rebuilt into its modern form by Robert Trent Jones Senior in 1991, with three nines of roughly 6,000 metres each combining into championship eighteens. It hosted the Madeira Islands Open on the European Tour for many years, and the cliff edge holes plunging toward the Atlantic, the par 4 fourth above all, are the most dramatic in Portugal's islands.
Indicative 2026 green fee around €75 to €110 for 18 holes. Always confirm directly before booking.Palheiro Golf
The most refined round on the island, an 18 hole par 72 of about 6,086 metres designed by the American architect Cabell Robinson within a grand estate above Funchal. The clubhouse and terrace perch some 500 metres above the sea, the fairways thread through camellia, eucalyptus and mimosa, and the views over the bay are constant. Closest of the courses to the city and its hotels, it is the easy, elegant base for a Funchal golf stay.
Indicative 2026 green fee around €80 to €110 for 18 holes. Always confirm directly before booking.Porto Santo Golfe
On the warm, dry sister island of Porto Santo, this is the only Seve Ballesteros design in the Portuguese islands, inaugurated in October 2004. The par 72 runs in two distinct moods, a cliff top stretch along ravines above the sea and a calmer inland nine, with a floodlit pitch and putt alongside. Reached by a short flight or the ferry from Madeira, it pairs golf with one of the finest beaches in the Atlantic and rounds out the archipelago.
Indicative 2026 green fee around €70 to €95 for 18 holes. Always confirm directly before booking.Designers and rankings verified June 2026. Green fees are indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
Check tee time availability Best courses on the Lisbon Coast
Indicative green fees at a glance
| Course | Indicative 2026 fee | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Santo da Serra Golf Club | Around €75 to €110 | Santo da Serra, Madeira |
| Palheiro Golf | Around €80 to €110 | Funchal, Madeira |
| Porto Santo Golfe | Around €70 to €95 | Porto Santo |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. Multi round, twilight and resort guest rates are lower. Always confirm directly before booking.
Plan your Madeira golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Madeira golf questions
What is the best golf course in Madeira?
Santo da Serra Golf Club, a 27 hole layout redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Senior in 1991 high above the south coast, is widely regarded as the best in Madeira and long hosted the Madeira Islands Open on the European Tour. Palheiro Golf and Porto Santo Golfe complete the archipelago's trio.
When can you play golf in Madeira?
Madeira plays golf all year thanks to its mild subtropical climate, with spring and autumn the most comfortable. The mountain courses can catch cloud and breeze at altitude, while Porto Santo stays warmer and drier. Always confirm tee times and opening hours directly before booking.
How much does golf cost in Madeira in 2026?
Indicative visitor green fees at the Madeira courses run roughly 70 to 110 euros for 18 holes in 2026, with multi round and resort guest rates lower. Prices change, so always confirm directly before booking.
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