On land and in the air
Golf
Three courses: Palheiro and Santo da Serra on Madeira, and Ballesteros’s on Porto Santo
What it is like here
Golf came to Madeira in the 1930s, and the first nine holes at Santo da Serra opened in 1937. There are three courses today: Palheiro, 18 holes about 500 m above Funchal bay; Santo da Serra, 27 holes above Machico, redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr.; and Porto Santo’s 18 holes by Severiano Ballesteros, opened in 2004. The mild climate keeps them open all year, and the Madeira Island Open, a European Tour event, was played here for several years.
Where
- Palheiro Golf — 18 holes about 500 m above Funchal bay, designed by Cabell B. Robinson in 1993
- Santo da Serra Golf Club — 27 holes above Machico, opened in 1937 and redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1991
- Porto Santo Golf Club — 18 holes by Severiano Ballesteros, opened in October 2004 On Porto Santo, which the 3D island does not show yet.
Who runs it
Members of the tourism board’s association, as Visit Madeira lists them. A list, not a recommendation.
Sources: Visit Madeira · Checked November 3, 2026