Then two days later, the World Travel Awards crowned its host as the ‘World’s Leading Island Destination,’ topping a shortlist of locations from across the globe and marking Madeira’s win of the honour for a staggering ten consecutive years

I’ve had the pleasure of travelling twice to the island of Maderia to report on the European Tour’s Madeira Islands Open tournament.

Club de Golf Santo da Serra. What a golf hole overlooking the might of the Atlantic Ocean. Image: The Azalea Group

The spectacular looking Santo da Seirra course. Image the Santo da Sierra club

It’s why this news story caught my attention and thanks to good friends at the Azalea Group I am pleased to help promote that Madeira was both stage and star of this month’s 2024 World Golf Awards and World Travel Awards, celebrating a stunning eight accolades across two illustrious ceremonies at the Savoy Palace, Funchal.

A culmination of Madeira’s rise to the pinnacle of the golf and tourism sectors, the weekend’s double feature was the first time that the annual World Golf Awards and World Travel Awards have been hosted by the same city, and the first time both have been held in Europe since 2018.

There was particular cause for celebration for Santo da Serra, a 27-hole masterpiece designed in 1991 by the inimitable Robert Trent Jones who laid out three nine hole courses and named the Machico, the Serra and the Desertas.

The club proudly played host to the Madeira Islands Open from 1993 to 2008 and then from 2012 to 2015.

Among winners of the event was Portuguese rookie Ricardo Santos and who long with his wife Rita I became very friendly as they lived at Villamoura where I first met him at the Portugal Masters.

Portugal’s Ricardo Santo wins 2012 Madeira Islands Open. Image European Tour/Getty

Ricardo captured the 2012 Madeira Islands Open and much to the delight of the locals.  His win also helped, and with much pushing from the Association of Golf Writers as one of the bodies that voted, in Santos being named 2012 European Tour Rookie of the Year, and the same year Rory McIlroy was Golfer of the Year and the winner of the Players Player of the Year award.

The Santo da Serra course is lot your average golf course as it’s much akin to the Monte Carlo club percheed some 500 metres high in the mountains and very much like the Monte Carlo course as it commands stunning views overlooking Funchal and out into the broad Atlantic

And if there a standout hole it is the fourth hole on the Machico course was named ‘World’s Best Par 3 Hole’, while the club’s state-of-the-art irrigation was recognised with a win in the ‘World’s Best Sustainable Water Capture Course System’ category.

Meanwhile, Palheiro Golf was also awarded the title of ‘World’s Best Panoramic Clubhouse’. Home to the Vista Balancal restaurant, Palheiro’s clubhouse has received plaudits since opening for its sweeping views overlooking the Cabell B. Robinson course and city of Funchal.

The Palheiro club looking out over Funchal. Image Azalea Group

You just want to grab the clubs and tee-up in admiring this stunning shot of the Porto Santo course on the island of Madeira. Image Azalea Group

This has been a landmark year for Madeira, with the destination also being crowned ‘Europe’s Leading Island Destination’ in March, as well as Porto Santo celebrating being named ‘Europe’s Leading Beach Destination’, and the Madeira Promotion Bureau earning the prestigious title of ‘Europe’s Leading Tourist Board’.

Eduardo Jesus, regional secretary of Economy, Tourism and Culture and president of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, said: “We are immensely proud to look back on one of the biggest weeks in the history of Madeira golf and tourism. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, both events were a major success, and we are particularly pleased to be the first destination to host both events in the same year.

“Special congratulations must go to Clube de Golf Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf for their richly deserved wins.”

The archipelago’s newfound status as a mecca of global golf will take another leap forward in 2026 when a fourth course, designed by Major winner and Ryder Cup legend Sir Nick Faldo, opens at Ponta do Pargo. Visiting golfers can take advantage of the Madeira Golf Passport to experience the destination’s full golf offering at one price.

About Madeira. Belongs to all

Madeira. Belongs to all is the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, which aims to promote Madeira as a tourist destination to consumers and the travel trade.

Madeira, otherwise known as ‘the islands of eternal spring’, is just a short, three-and-a-half-hour flight from London. It covers 740km² and has a population of only 260,000. On the same latitude as Morocco, the Atlantic archipelago has a sub-tropical climate, a rich volcanic soil and a unique eco-system. It is one of the only places in the planet where banana trees grow next to vineyards.

Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity.

In 1999 the archipelago was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and five areas have been declared nature reserves. The Madeira Nature Reserve covers a substantial two-thirds of the main island, where development is prohibited.

The Madeira Golf Passport costs €280 and offers three rounds of golf at either Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra or Palheiro Golf. Plus, the courses will supply free transfers to and from the hotel. Additional rounds, including a day at Porto Santo Golfe, can be included for an upcharge.