Summer has well and truly ended and its all just a bit meh right now. The mornings are getting darker and the evenings sadly much colder after the UK was so very spoilt by the long Indian summer that only very recently bid us a mournful farewell.

So how do we deal with this end of season pity party? Book another holiday somewhere sunny with a side of golf we say.

I made a much needed trip recently to the elegant Amendoeira Golf Resort, nestled within the scenic landscape of Portugal’s Algarve region after craving a holiday with a difference. That difference being golf.

Owned by respected property developers Kronos Homes, the resort is a celebration of the Algarve’s rich architectural history with Moorish influences noticeable in both in the pretty terracotta apartment buildings and luxury villas that adorn the absolutely massive, immaculately designed resort.

Ancient architectural features such as elaborate Morrish chimneys (a sign of wealth in Portugal) and terracotta scissor roofs have been given a new life at Amendoeira Golf Resort. The resort is home to a range of properties, including two-bedroom apartments, duplexes and three- and four-bedroom villas with their own private pools. Each property features traditional Algarve influences, blending these with the best of modern design.

My wife and mother in law stayed in one of the luxurious villas and marvelled at the spacious bedrooms, living room, open plan kitchen, terrace and balcony looking over our large private pool and sunbathing area.

As we arrived late morning, a quaint picnic basket was waiting for us in the kitchen filled with pastries, cheeses, fruits and yogurts – was greatly appreciated after our morning flight from London.

The villa itself was modern with a homely feel – a flat screen TV, coffee table and plush sofas were perfect for family movie nights and the fully equipped kitchen was a great for homemade meals if we didn’t feel like venturing out.

Venture out we did however, with some of the most stunning Algarve beaches just a short drive away – kindly arranged by the hotel concierge. We also discovered that Ubers were plentiful in the Algarve and very cheap – perfect for frolicking around the region.

Whist staying at this delightfully escapist resort we we informed that many of the homes at Amendoeria are available to purchase as second homes, as main residences for year-round occupation or as investment properties. Owners enjoy access to a wealth of on-site facilities, including award-winning golf courses, scenic jogging paths, football and five-a-side pitches, tennis courts, padel courts and swimming pools. There’s also a new clubhouse, reception, restaurant and sports bar, provided as part of an extensive revamp by Kronos Homes.

We dined in the restaurant on two separate nights – indoors in the chic dining room and also outside on the scenic dining terrace with sweeping views of the entire glorious estate  shrouded in the amber glow of sunset.

We feasted on fresh seabass, squid ink spaghetti with juicy tiger prawns and sizzling steaks made by the resort’s talented head chef before slipping on carefully concocted cocktails and making plans for the next day.

Breakfasts were also a dream – when they weren’t delivered in quaint hampers to our villa, we would walk to the sun-strewn dining rooms and fill our plates from the opulent buffet boasting a tempting selection of egg dishes, meats, fresh fruit, granolas, vegetables, fish and naughty but very much worth it pastries. The cinnamon dusted mini pastel de natas were a regular treat and were always served warm and freshly baked – what better way to start your day in Portugal?

All these aspects of our stay at Amendoeira were truly blissful, yet it was our morning of golf with private instructor Nelson Cavalheiro that really stole the (luxury golfing holiday) show.

After a quick but thorough lesson teaching us the basics, we each took turns hitting the golf balls as far as we strategically could, honing our non existent golfing skills to perfection.

We will be back Amendoeira golfing resort, until the day we are golfing pros…