Vale de Milho Golf — Attraction in Lagoa

Disappointing Experience at Vale De Milho Golf.

I recently visited Vale De Milho Golf Course with a friend, having driven 45 minutes to get there after reading other online reviews that described it as a "family-friendly" and "inclusive" course. Unfortunately, our experience was far from enjoyable.

We arrived at 3:30 PM, well within their posted 9-5 opening hours, intending to play 9 holes. We had brought along two of our own clubs, an 8 iron and a pitching wedge, which are perfectly suited for short holes, and planned to borrow or rent a putter. Instead, the owners were rude and condescending from the start. They criticized our attire, my friend was wearing flip flops, but his shoes were in the car. They also criticised our knowledge and understanding of the game. They also informed us we couldn’t play without a bag, something that wasn’t mentioned anywhere on their website.

To make things worse, we were told that the last club rental was at 3 PM, despite us only needing a putter. This information was not clearly displayed anywhere online, and I only found it after digging through the online booking process.

We’re both avid up and coming golfers and have visited many courses in the UK and some others in the Algarve, but this experience stands out as one of the worst. It was clear the staff didn’t want us there, and after enduring their dismissive attitude, we chose to leave rather than continue to feel unwelcome. It’s a shame because the course itself seemed promising, but the poor customer service made it impossible for us to enjoy.

This kind of behavior is exactly what gives golf its bad reputation for being exclusive and unwelcoming. I wouldn’t recommend this course unless the management seriously rethinks how they treat paying customers.

As a side note, they only accepted cash, another thing which isn't displayed anywhere on their website...

Response to Vale De Milhos’s Reply:

Thank you for taking the time to respond, though I’m disappointed that your tone seems to echo the dismissive attitude we experienced in person. My friend and I were looking forward to visiting your course, as we had read positive reviews online describing it as “family-friendly” and “inclusive.” Unfortunately, the reception we received didn’t match that description.

While we did arrive at 3:30 PM and were not aware of your 3 PM equipment hire cutoff only after more extensive searching on your website, we had hoped to simply borrow a putter for a quick 9-hole game. It's worth noting that we were just inquiring about the course when my friend was wearing flip-flops, as his proper golf shoes were in the car. It seems rather harsh to focus so heavily on this when we were still in the process of getting ready to play.

As for the equipment, we did bring appropriate clubs for the short holes, which we had understood would suffice based on the format of a pitch-and-putt course. However, we were criticized for not having a full set or bag—requirements that, as I mentioned, aren’t clearly stated on your website. Furthermore, the way this information was relayed to us in person felt more like an attempt to turn us away rather than an effort to clarify the rules or make us feel welcome.

I’m not contradicting the standards of golf etiquette—I fully understand them, having played at many courses around the area. What I am highlighting is that your course did not live up to the family-friendly and inclusive image it portrays online, which is exactly why we left feeling disappointed. I think there’s value in considering how information is communicated both online and in person, especially when potential customers show up hoping for a positive experience.

Again, thank you for your response, and I hope this feedback is helpful in improving future customer...

We decided we were not playing golf on holiday this time but then discovered this place!! 9 hole par 3 (18 hole course) - very quirky and challenging. We ended up playing almost every day of our two week holiday due to a very reasonable, short membership package deal. The staff are really friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We did the first 9 holes then went in to have some breakfast, which was excellent, and then went out and did the last 9. This place really made our holiday and we will definitely be going back -...

27th June 2024 18 holes and with afternoon tea after

Great course that will accept any who wants to get out and give it ago, the price €40 for club hire and a 18 holes is extremely fair as well.

We played 18 and the met the family on the balcony for afternoon tea which again was a great price and had plenty of food. Came with as much tea and coffee as you like and a free glass of Prosecco.

Everyone who worked her were very polite as well and should we go back to this part of Portugal, we will...