Golf & Yoga Overview

Golf and Yoga in one of Portugal’s best golf resorts.

Do you want to learn how to play golf or are you already an experienced golfer that is looking to improve his skills? Then come and join us at the Karma Surf Retreat Algarve for a week of golf & yoga. Our golf packages are tailored for beginners as well as intermediate or advanced golfers.

Golf coaching will take place at Santo Antonio Golf Course between Sagres and Lagos, right on the doorsteps of our beautiful and comfortable Algarve Villa with pool, which is ideally located beside the fairway of the 18th hole and overlooks the rolling fairways and greens of one of the most popular and challenging courses in the Algarve.

Our qualified PGA Golf Professional will explain, teach and demonstrate skills to help you learn the basic fundamentals of the game or to further improve your golf skills. Lessons will take place on the driving range, practice area or putting green and as part of a 9 or 18 hole playing lesson. We offer the perfect tuition package for your ability so whether you are a beginner or an experienced player we have the program for you. Golf equipment will be provided or you are welcome to bring your own. Upgrades are available to all packages and include additional lessons on course playing lessons and extra rounds.

Yoga & Golf Options

You can choose 3 different golf-packages: PLAY, STARTUP and CLINIC.

PLAY – For those who are already skilled, don’t need coaching and would like to enjoy 5 days of playing golf on their own should opt for.

STARTUP and CLINIC include a golf coach teaching and taking care of you. So whether you are a beginner and would like to simply learn to play golf or if you are an intermediate or advanced player and would like to improve your game and handicap, then the aim is to improve your skills and abilities in an intense week of learning, in a beautiful environment and on a challenging golf course.

CLINIC (Advanced Skills School) – Improve your game – from 1449€

Perfect for ambitious golfers! Personal golf trainer included.

This is the perfect package or those, who would like to improve their golfing skills during their yoga holidays, this is the perfect package. On the first day you will play a 9-hole course together with the coach in order to identify areas of improvement followed by definition of this week training goals. Coaching will take place at Santo Antonio Golf Resort golf course, including the golf academy, short game practice ground or on one of the 4 putting greens at the resort. The package will conclude with a 9 hole on course playing lesson with the professional golf coach on the final day.

Course Itinery: 

Day 1: 9 hole on course playing assessment with 1 shared buggy followed by discussion of training plan and individual goals for this week

Day 2-4: Coaching tailored to achieving the individual goals discussed – this may include putting, short game, bunkers, long game, woods and driver, difficult lies and will include video analysis and launch monitor.

Day 5: 1 hour coaching/revision followed by a 9 hole on course playing lesson with 1 shared buggy.

All coaching will be coordinated by the resident PGA Professional at Golf Santo Antonio Golf Club and will be on a 1 to 1 basis or in small bespoke groups. The first lesson will begin with an initial assessment of individual skills followed by coaching which will cover all aspects of the game including putting, chipping/pitching, bunker play, irons/woods. All coaching will be supported by Video Analysis using the GASP Swing analysis system.

Golf Course

To be played with accurate precision

The 1st hole of Santo Antonio Golf Course, 306 meters for a Par 4, presents a demanding tee shot to commence the round, for those intending to reach its green in just two shots.

Hole 5 is a Par 3 over just 112 meters, although short, it is imperative to hit the green as there are sharp slopes on all sides, making par difficult if the green is missed.

The par 5 9th ranks among the toughest stroke-index 1 holes ever designed. At 490 meters, the third shot is steeply up hill and over a ravine.

The Clubhouse of Santo Antonio Golf Course is typically Portuguese and provides spectacular panoramic views over mountains and sea, and also a general view over much of the course

Itinerary – A typical week

Saturday: Arrival day! We will prepare a Brazilian Welcome-BBQ in the evening starting around 19:00.

Sunday: is for settling in, sightseeing and chillaxing. All activities start on Monday.

Monday to Friday enjoying the Golf Package:

8:00 – Morning Yoga

9:00 – Breakfast

10:00 – 17:00 (2-3h flexible)- Golf course (depending on golf package booked)

13:00/14:00 – Lunch

17:00 – Restorative Yoga

19:00 – Dinner (optional)

In the middle of the week, at Wednesday, we will prepare a Seafood BBQ for you and you can enjoy Massages (optional)

Food

The food consists of an organic breakfast, healthy vegetarian lunch, welcome dinner and a Portuguese seafood lunch, including water, coffee. tea and fruit for free. Vegan/vegetarian dinners are offered optional. The fully equipped kitchen is always at your disposal for preparing your favorite dishes with fresh ingredients from the nearby (super-)market. There are also many possibilities of eating out.

Eating Out

In case you would like to eat out, there are several restaurants nearby, including typical Portuguese, seafood, grilled chicken, snacks, pizza and also a gourmet restaurant. For sure you will find something you like.
You have an even bigger variety of restaurants in the cities nearby in Cascais (15mins) or Sintra (15mins), if you are in Lisbon Area – Even Lisbon’s stunning culinary diversity (including vegetarian) is only 30 minutes by car and will not leave any wish unfulfilled. If you stay at Algarve then Lagos and Sagres offer plenty of good food and loactions to eat out.

Golf Coach / Gear

Ian Stallard

Born in: UK
Lives in: Alcantarilha 🇵🇹
Profession: Fully qualified PGA Teaching Professional Favourite
Favorite sport: Rugby
Favorite food: Most Portuguese Dishes
Hobbies: Mountain Biking

I turned professional in 2008 and began my training at the PGA National Training Academy and Birmingham University in 2009, qualifying in 2012. Prior to my PGA training I completed a full 22 year military career in the Royal Signals. I was Assistant Professional at Kingsdown GC, Wiltshire under the watchful eye of Mr Andrew Butler, the Head Professional. Shortly after qualifying I moved to the Algarve and I currently hold the position of Teaching Professional at the Golf Santo Antonio Golf Academy, near Budens.

Living proof that it’s never too late to try something new, I took up golf when I was almost 30 thanks mainly to a recurring knee injury caused playing my first love, rugby, where I represented the Army. Never did I think that one day I might become a golf pro when a friend first asked me if I fancied a ‘knock around’. I had never even picked up a ‘proper’ golf club, just a rubber headed putter at Crazy Golf when playing with my daughters. My friend had a handicap of 2 and he ingrained in me the fundamentals of a good golf swing, inside 2 years I had a single figure handicap, by the 3rd year I was a Cat 1 golfer. I was proud to captain the successful Royal Signals Corps team at the Army Championships; I was later selected to represent the Army. Life begins at 40 they say but for me it was 45 when I started my PGA training, and so began a great 3 years of insight into the role of a PGA Professional.

My daughters still regularly beat me at crazy golf mainly because I can’t get past the windmill…