The Portuguese islands’ three golfing venues – Clube de Golf Santo da Serra, Porto Santo Golf and Palheiro Golf – are all included in Golf World’s inaugural ranking of the ‘Top 100 Courses and Resorts in Portugal’.

Compiled by Golf World’s Top 100 panel of readers and industry experts, each course was assessed in six different categories – design, setting, memorability, playability, consistency and presentation.

Leading the way at number 23 in the list of the top courses is Clube de Golfe Santo da Serra, four places ahead of Porto Santo Golf, which also boasts 27 holes.

Palheiro Golf is rated 32nd in the courses list while it is also ranked 20th in the new standings of the top 25 resorts in Portugal.

The Top 100 panel said: “Our top-ranked course in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, golf at Santo da Serra stretches back as far as 1937. It hosts the Madeira Island Open and has frequently breathtaking Atlantic views.

“Designed by Seve Ballesteros, Porto Santo combines exquisite beauty with a stringent challenge as a result of sweeping fairways often hugging the coastline …. while at Palheiro Golf, there is a mix of gorgeous inland holes and those with an ocean view.”

The recognition is the latest recognition to be bestowed on Madeira which has enjoyed another memorable 12 months, including being named as the world and Europe’s leading island destination at the 2020 World Travel Awards.