Donald Trump has once again spoken about Portugal. He did so in a video message addressed to the United States ambassador in Lisbon, John J. Arrigo, on the occasion of the Fourth of July celebrations. Along the way, he said he “loved” Portugal, praised the country, highlighted its golf courses and hinted at the possibility of visiting soon.
It is worth starting with the obvious: Donald Trump is a deeply controversial figure. His name carries political noise, excess, controversy and a form of public intervention that does little to promote diplomacy, institutional calm or confidence in decision-making processes.
So this is not about turning Trump into a desirable ambassador for Portugal. Nor is it about confusing a compliment with an advertising slogan. It is, rather, about recognising something that stands independently of who says it: Portugal, and the Algarve in particular, has consolidated its position as one of the world’s leading destinations for golf, residential tourism and lifestyle investment.
And when someone so closely associated with golf as Donald Trump — owner of golf courses, player, promoter and knowledgeable figure in the sector — feels the need to publicly highlight the quality of Portuguese golf courses, perhaps it is worth looking at that recognition not as political validation, but as a market signal.
Portugal today has around 90 golf courses spread across the country’s main tourism regions. More than 40 are in the Algarve. This figure alone helps explain the concentration of value that golf represents in southern Portugal. This is not a marginal offer, nor a niche tourism product without economic weight. It is a consolidated, internationalised infrastructure capable of attracting high-quality demand throughout the year.
Golf today is much more than a sport. It is an integral part of the luxury real estate segment and one of the major decision drivers for international buyers seeking quality of life, safety, climate, services, nature and a residence that works simultaneously as a retreat, an investment and a lifestyle.
In this context, the Algarve starts from a position that is difficult to match. It has more than 300 days of sunshine per year, a mature hotel offer, international air connections, outstanding beaches, quality restaurants, safety, hospitality and a rare concentration of internationally recognised golf courses. Unlike other destinations, where golf is merely an add-on, in the Algarve it is part of the territory’s identity and value proposition.
Vale do Lobo, Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura, Salgados, Lagos and Carvoeiro are not just some of the leading names on the golf tourism map. They are international lifestyle brands. They represent a way of living in southern Europe with sophistication, ease and a connection to nature. That is why so many foreign buyers, particularly British, American, Irish, French, German and Dutch buyers, continue to see the Algarve as one of the safest and most desirable choices for buying a home abroad.
The numbers help explain the scale of this reality. In 2025, Portugal registered 32.5 million guests, of whom 19.7 million were foreign visitors. Tourism revenues grew by 5% compared with the previous year. In the second quarter of 2025, the Algarve was the Portuguese region with the highest share of overnight stays, representing 27.1% of the national total.
Golf plays a strategic role here. It attracts a profile of client with purchasing power, longer stays, an emotional connection with the territory and the ability to stimulate the local economy outside the peak beach season. It helps combat seasonality, enhances the urban and landscape setting and creates demand for high-quality real estate, from villas in private resorts to apartments with included management services.
This point is essential: today’s international buyer is rarely looking only for a second home. They are looking for a complete residential experience. They want to wake up to open views, play golf in the morning, have lunch by the marina, go to the beach in the afternoon, welcome friends, work remotely when necessary and feel that they are living in a destination with infrastructure, beauty, safety and prestige.
It is within this logic that residential resorts next to golf courses become particularly relevant. More than simple real estate developments, these projects represent a new way of living in the Algarve: with access to high-quality services, carefully maintained landscapes, privacy, security and a direct relationship with nature and sport. The houses, villas and apartments set within these contexts respond to increasingly sophisticated demand from buyers who value not only the property itself, but the entire ecosystem around it.
Related article: Golf Resort in Vilamoura: Lifestyle and Value
The growth of this type of product is also symbolic of the Algarve’s ability to keep reinventing itself. The region no longer competes only on sun, beach or tourism tradition. It competes on the quality of the residential experience, architecture, sustainability, professional resort management, service offering and the consistency of the destination throughout the year.
In a global market in which Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco are competing for the same qualified buyer, Portugal must continue to raise the bar. Good golf courses are essential, but they are no longer enough. It is necessary to create exceptional places to live, invest and return to. Places with good urban design, low density, efficient services, rigorous maintenance, landscape integration and the ability to preserve what makes the Algarve different.
This is where Trump’s praise, however uncomfortable its origin may be, can be useful. Because it reminds us that Portugal’s international reputation in golf has already moved beyond specialist circles. It has reached diplomatic, media and economic language. And in the contemporary world, perception is an essential part of value.
In recent years, Portugal has accumulated distinctions as the best golf destination in the world and in Europe. These recognitions are not irrelevant. In an increasingly competitive global sector, awards, rankings and international references influence decisions on travel, investment and property purchase. They do not replace the real quality of the destination, but they amplify it. They create confidence before the visit and reinforce the decision after the experience.
But there is an important difference between taking advantage of visibility and depending on it. Portugal does not need Trump in order to be recognised. Our courses, resorts, landscapes and residential communities speak for themselves. Portuguese golf is now a national asset. Not only a sporting one, but also an economic, tourism, real estate and reputational asset. And the Algarve is its main stage. But the impact goes far beyond the greens: it is in the jobs it creates, the services it stimulates, the homes it enhances, the investors it attracts and the image of sophistication it projects to the world.
We can maintain critical distance from Donald Trump. But we do not need to waste the moment. When a global figure places Portugal and its golf courses in the news, the country should know how to respond with maturity and strategy. Because the real point is not that Trump likes Portugal. The real point is understanding why so many foreigners like it, invest in it, return to it and choose to live here.
And that is the country’s true strength: it does not depend on a media statement; it is confirmed every day in the decision of those who come, invest and return.
Related article: Love golf? Here are 7 courses not to be missed
Opinion article published on the Casa Yes real estate portal on 8 July 2026.
