Golf and Luxury Travel: the Best Resorts in Europe with Amex Benefits

€650 in free hotel extras. Per stay. That's what the Fine Hotels + Resorts programme of Amex Platinum promises Belgian travellers who book a luxury golf resort in Europe. Sounds too good to be true? I was sceptical too, until I did the maths for a golf holiday in the Algarve and the figures turned out to be quite remarkable.

Golf travel luxury is a market that has grown strongly in recent years. More Belgians are combining their hobby with a week of sunshine, great food and a resort that offers a bit more than a course membership and a sandwich bar. The question then is: how do you book such a golf resort in Europe smartly, without financially hitting yourself into the rough?

At TravelLux.be everything revolves around that question. Not from the perspective of a golf pro or a travel agent, but as someone who enjoys dissecting the numbers behind luxury travel. And honestly: for golfers who head to a European resort two to three times a year, the Amex Platinum card is an instrument that pays for itself quite quickly. Let me explain why.

Why book golf resorts in Europe via Fine Hotels + Resorts?

The Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) programme is one of the strongest assets of the Amex Platinum card, especially for Belgian golfers. The network encompasses more than 14,000 luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, and a solid portion of those are European golf resorts. Think of the Algarve in Portugal, the Costa del Sol in Spain, Scottish links courses, and the French Riviera.

What makes FHR different from simply booking via Booking.com or the hotel's website? The extras you get as standard with every FHR booking:

• Free room upgrade subject to availability (upon arrival)
• Early check-in from 12 noon (instead of 3pm or 4pm)
• Late check-out until 4pm (handy after a morning round)
• Daily breakfast for 2 persons
• A welcome gift or hotel credit worth approximately €100

That welcome gift is often a credit you can spend at the resort: at the restaurant, the spa, or in some cases even on green fees. Let's do the maths. During a 4-night stay you don't pay for breakfast for 2 separately (saving: around €40 to €60 per day at a luxury resort), you get €100 credit, and the room upgrade can make the difference between a standard room and a suite overlooking the fairway. The total value quickly adds up to €400 to €650 per stay, depending on the resort.

For those keeping count: if you book two golf trips per year via FHR, you're already looking at €800 to €1,300 in savings. The Amex Platinum costs €780 per year. The calculation is quickly made, and that's without even counting the other benefits (lounge access, travel insurance, Membership Rewards points).

The best golf resorts in Europe for Belgian travellers

Europe has an enormous selection of golf resorts, but not every resort is equal. From Belgium, with Brussels Airport as your departure point, some destinations are logistically much more convenient than others. A direct flight to Faro takes two and a half hours. To Malaga just over two hours. Scotland can be reached via Edinburgh in an hour and a half. These aren't far-flung exotic destinations, but they offer world-class golf.

How Membership Rewards points finance your golf holiday

This is where it gets really interesting for me: the points game. The Amex Platinum gives 1 Membership Rewards point per euro spent as standard. With the Booster option (€10/month extra) that goes up to 4 points per euro. Those points never expire as long as your card is active, and you can transfer them to more than 15 airline partners.

A concrete example. Say you want to fly from Brussels Airport to Faro for a week of golf in the Algarve. A return flight with TAP Portugal or Brussels Airlines costs around €200 to €350 in economy, depending on the season. But if you've saved points via Membership Rewards and transfer them to, for example, Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Vueling), then you book that same flight sometimes for 13,000 Avios + taxes. The taxes on intra-European flights are often only €40 to €60.

The welcome bonus of 150,000 points, which you receive via the TravelLux.be referral link, thus potentially gives you multiple return flights to your favourite golf destination. That's a substantial saving you'll notice immediately.

And then the hotel costs. Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings are made directly with your Amex Platinum (that's required to get the FHR benefits), but the points you earn from that can be used again for the next trip. It's a flywheel: the more you use the card for daily expenses, the faster you build up points for the next golf holiday.

A calculation I make myself: with the Booster option you earn 4 points per euro. If you spend €2,000 per month via the Amex (groceries, restaurants, insurance, online purchases), you save 8,000 points per month, or 96,000 per year. That's enough for multiple flights, or a hefty discount on a hotel stay. Not bad for a card you're already using for your daily expenses.

The hidden benefits for golfers: lounges, insurance and more

Golf travel luxury isn't just about the resort and the course. The journey there is also part of the experience, and this is where the Amex Platinum scores strongly for Belgian travellers. Take the Priority Pass Prestige, which is included with the card. It gives you access to more than 1,550 airport lounges worldwide, free for yourself plus one guest.

Those departing from Brussels Airport also get Fast Lane security (normally worth €169/year) and the Dining Experience at Black Pearls restaurant. Honestly: the Fast Lane alone makes the difference when you return on a Sunday evening after a golf weekend and the security queue stretches all the way to the car park. That's no exaggeration — anyone who regularly flies via Zaventem knows that.

Travel insurance is another point that golfers underestimate. Via Chubb and Europe Assistance, the Amex Platinum includes robust coverage: trip cancellation, baggage loss, medical expenses abroad, and flight delay insurance. This insurance is automatically active as soon as you pay for your trip with the card. No separate policy to take out, no comparing fine print at Ethias or Allianz. It's all included.

And then there's the concierge service, available 24/7. I've used it myself to reserve last-minute green fees and book restaurant tables at places that are normally fully booked weeks in advance. Does it always work? No. But more often than not it does, and it saves you a lot of phone calls in a language you may not speak perfectly.

Another detail that appeals to golfers: the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status and Avis Preferred status included with the card. On a golf trip you almost always hire a car to get from the airport to the resort and possibly visit different courses. Those car rental statuses give you priority, upgrades and sometimes faster pick-up processes. No queue at the counter, just collect your keys and drive.

The bottom line: is the Amex Platinum worth it for golfers?

Time for honest numbers. The Amex Platinum costs €780 per year. That's not nothing. But let me list the value for a typical Belgian golfer who visits a European golf resort twice a year.

• 2x Fine Hotels + Resorts stay: €800 to €1,300 in savings
• Priority Pass Prestige (lounge for 2): value approximately €500/year
• Fast Lane Brussels Airport: €169/year
• Travel insurance (comparable standalone policy: €100-€200/year)
• Dining for 2 (3x per year top restaurant): up to €300/year
• Welcome bonus 150,000 points (first year): value €750 to €1,500, depending on usage

If you add up just the FHR savings and Priority Pass alone, you're already above the €780 annual fee. The rest is a bonus. And that's precisely why the card makes so much sense for golfers who travel regularly: you pay it back with things you'd be doing anyway.

Admittedly: the card isn't for everyone. If you do one week of golf per year and otherwise mostly play Belgian courses, then €780 per year might be a bit steep. But if you take two, three or more trips per year — to Portugal, Spain, Scotland or further — it pays off quickly. Very quickly.

The application itself is straightforward: you must be at least 18, have a gross annual income of €30,000 or more, and have a Belgian tax residence. Via the TravelLux.be referral link you receive the maximum welcome bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards points. That's more than with a direct application on americanexpress.com/be.

Practical tips for your first golf trip with Amex benefits

A few things I've learned myself that make the difference when planning a golf holiday with the Amex Platinum.

Book FHR stays as early as possible. Room upgrades work on an availability basis, and popular golf resorts (especially in the Algarve and on the Costa del Sol) fill up quickly in peak season. If you book three months in advance, the chance of an upgrade to a suite or premium room is much greater than if you call a month beforehand.

Combine points smartly. Transfer your Membership Rewards points to the airline programme that offers the best value for your specific route. For flights to Portugal, Avios (via British Airways or Iberia) is often the best deal. For Scotland you're sometimes better off booking via Brussels Airlines Miles&Smiles or Lufthansa Miles&More. Always compare the points value per route before you transfer.

Use the concierge for green fee bookings. Popular courses like Quinta do Lago South, Valderrama or the Old Course have waiting lists or give priority to resort guests. The Amex concierge service can sometimes get through better than a regular email to the resort. No guarantee, but an extra ace up your sleeve.

Don't forget currency conversion fees. Or rather: do forget them, because the Amex Platinum charges no currency conversion fees on foreign transactions. That saves 1.5 to 2% on every transaction abroad: green fees, restaurants, car hire. During a golf week with €1,500 in expenses outside Belgium you save €22 to €30. Small amount, but it adds up.

And finally: look into the Dining for 2 benefits. The Amex Platinum offers three times per year a complimentary 2-course menu for two persons at top Belgian restaurants. Nice for at home, but also a way to further boost the card's value outside of your golf trips. Value: up to €300 per year.

Frequently asked questions about golf travel with Amex Platinum