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1 - Parque de Floresta |
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Situated
near the fishing village of Salema, about 16
kilometres west of the town of Lagos, near Sagres -
one of the most important places in Portuguese and
European history - and close to the Costa Vicentina
nature reserve.
The golf course was designed by the famous Spanish
architect Papa Gancedo, whose masterpiece is the
well-known Torrequebrada project, in Spain. Here at
Parque da Floresta he has given continuity to his
concept of course design, which is not to use much
earthmoving, even when natural conditions are
adverse.
At the very least, Gancedo managed to be
controversial by designing a hilly course, with
sharply sloping fairways, several blind shots, and
greens on hill tops, creating a strange but very
pleasant effect, perfectly integrated into the
landscape. As for playing the course, we feel that
it becomes too tiresome and sometimes unappealing to
golfers who are not so young.
With a total length of 5,888 metres and a par of 72,
Parque da Floresta has in the par-5 number 9 one of
his best holes, requiring an extremely accurate
third stroke towards an elevated green. On the
second back nine the l59-metre par-3, l5th at this
course is regarded as a classic hole.
How to Get There ?
Follow EN 125 to Sagres. After Budens, turn right
before the Salema crossroads. |
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2 - Boavista Golf |
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Boavista
enjoys a beautiful location in the Western Algarve
on a headland between Lagos and Praia da Luz,
commanding magnificent views of the bay of Lagos,
and the distance Monchique hills. Set in the
Boavista Resort, a 250-acre Residential and Leisure
development, Boavista Golf is a welcome addition to
the existing courses in the Western Algarve.
Designed by Howard Swan, the course has been
successfully integrated into the existing natural
terrain; his use of these features makes Boavista a
delight to the eye.
The course is presented in two distinct sections,
the holes near to the entrance of Boavista Resort
have been designed in a way to introduce rough off
the fairway which are managed to the highest
standards by the green-keeping staff for play all
year round. Holes 5 to 12 have a more traditional
and natural presentation as they are on an
environmentally sensitive area. A number of the
plants and wildlife in this section are protected
and great care has been taken during the
construction of the golf course to blend the layout
without damaging the natural beauty of this
cliff-top location.
Each hole at Boavista has been carefully planned to
offer an interesting golf experience for every level
of golfer to enjoy. The views from the 7th hole, the
furthest extent of the golf course, take in the
beach at Praia da Luz all the way along to the
headland at Sagres, the southern most point in
continental Europe.
How to Get There ? |
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3
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Palmares |
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Palmares
is another somewhat forgotten golf course in
Portugal and we cannot understand why this is so.
The course location could not be better as far as
landscape is concerned. Lagos bay can be seen from
all the holes and from the clubhouse. Lagos, a
beautiful Algarve town, has several streets reserved
for pedestrians, many cultural sites to visit, good
restaurants with excellent fish, cooked in the fine
Portuguese way. It makes Palmares a place not to be
missed. The connoisseurs do not miss it, whenever
they go to the Algarve.
Frank Pennink, the English architect who had
designed Vilamoura l and 2 and Aroeira, made an
innovating layout. He designed a hybrid course, with
five holes near the seaside - a links - and the
others on the hillside, surrounded by almond and
carob-trees.
In the links area, the best hole is the 5th, a
550-metre par 5, one of the longest in Portugal and
where it seems that one never arrives at the green.
The 6th, a par 4 dogleg to the right, makes one
believe that the green is easily reachable with a
good drive and it very often leads to a lot of
cursing.
The l2th hole, a 400-metre par 4 is another
excellent hole, inviting long hitters to reach the
green in two strokes. Further on, the short and very
scenic par-5 l7th, with Lagos bay in the background,
and the l8th an uphill par 4 with a split level
green protected by a large bunker on the left, are
two good finishing holes.
How to Get There ?
Follow EN 125 to Lagos, at Odiáxere turn left
following the road of Meia Praia, and follow the
signs of Palmares Golf. |
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4
- Penina |
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The Penina
course created by Henry Cotton, is now a monument to
his memory. Penina was the first course to be built
in the Algarve and it was inaugurated by the
President of the Republic in 1966. The area used to
be a rice-field and it is now surrounded by tall,
wide-trunked, trees.
Cotton used the drainage ditches of the rice-field
to define fairways in some places, and hazards in
others. He enlarged them at strategic places
modifying their banks by raising them and concealing
the water hazards from the less cautious golfers.
More than 360,000 trees were planted, dividing
fairways, defining greens, giving a different
character to each hole.
In front of the hotel, a new nine hole course called
Resort course (ex - Monchique) was created later on,
to satisfy the needs of more and more clients and to
allow for maintenance on the main course. A small
layout with very short holes for beginners, the
Academia course (ex - Quinta), was also built, among
the fairways of the Championship course. The
extensive driving-range is very well managed and
there is also a huge putting-green with an area of
about 1000 square metres, making Penina a superior
quality practice centre.
The par of the Penina course is 73 (35+38) with the
second nine both beginning and finishing with two
consecutive par 5's, which is not usual. The first
hole, a 41 l -metre par 4, almost long enough to be
a conventional 5, is rather difficult and has a
green which is more than 35 metres long, requiring
careful choice of the approach iron to be played. To
close the first nine there is another hole over 400
metres long with a dogleg to the left and also a
long double tiered green, well defended by three
bunkers. The l3th hole, a 208-metre par 3 lies
alongside a lake, with a bunker defending the right
of the green, and is one of Penina's challenging
holes.
How to Get There ?
Follow EN 125 to Sagres. The Course is 4 Km after
the turn to Portimão. |
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5 - Alto Golf |
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Alto Golf
oppened in June l99l, with the presence of the
President of the Republic. It is located between
Alvor and Praia da Rocha, about 5 kilometres away
from the city of Portimão.
Alto Golf was the last layout designed by the
legendary Sir Henry Cotton and it is built between
two valleys, totalling 6,125 metres in length. An
excellent par 5 of over 600 metres, the longest in
the whole country, and probably in Europe, requires
three precise strokes, avoiding a lake to reach a
narrow, fast green. This hole is called «Henry
Cotton Challenge» in honour of the famous architect
and his philosophy of the golf hole.
How to Get There ?
Follow the EN 125 and take the turn to Alvor. On the
Alvor-Portimão road, turn right at the turn to Praia
da Rocha. |
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6 - Vale da Pinta |
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Vale da
Pinta, also designed by Ronald Fream is a par 71 of
6152 metres. In our opinion, it is one of the best
golf courses in Portugal today.
We have seldom seen a course that has impressed us
so much at first sight.
The course, in the middle of an olive-tree grove,
including trees over 1,500 years old, with enormous
trunks, is a truly beautiful sight to be enjoyed by
everyone. Each hole has its own character, different
from all the others.
Special holes are the par-3 11th, 179 metres in
length played from an elevated tee with an enormous
bunker protecting the green. A little further on, is
the 14th, a 541-metres long par 5 winding gently
through a valley, with a set of fairway bunkers and
about 100 metres short of the greens, the oldest
olive-tree in the course, over 1,500 years old.
How to Get There ?
Follow EN 125 and take the turn to Carvoeiro at the
Lagoa round-about. The course, clearly marked, is on
the right. |
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7 - Quinta do Gramacho |
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Carvoeiro
Golf is a complex with two golf courses - Gramacho,
inaugurated in December l99l, and Vale da Pinta, in
October 1992, located between Lagoa and Carvoeiro.
Both were designed by the well known architect
Ronald Fream. Grarnacho has an interesting formula
of 72 tees, nine fairways and 18 greens.
In the traditional undulating landscape of the
Algarve, full of almond and carob-trees, Gramacho is
played to 18 large double greens, giving the player
a different perspective on each of the rounds.
Gramacho seems to be a short course, but as matter
of fact it totals 6,107 metres and it is a par 72
off the back tees, and a good challenge for whoever
would like to imagine himself playing the double
greens of St. Andrews.
How to Get There ?
Follow EN 125 and take the turn to Carvoeiro at the
Lagoa round-about. The course, clearly marked, is on
the right. |
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8 - Vale de Milho |
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About two
kilometres distance from Carvoeiro, there is a par 3
nine-hole course, only 900 metres long designated by
Dave Thomas. It is excellent for practising short
irons.
How to Get There ?
Follow EN 125 and take the EN 124-1 to Carvoeiro.
Then continue to Algar Seco until you find the sign
marking the course. |
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9 - Herdade dos Salgados |
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Herdade
dos Salgados Golf - Situated in one of the
best-known regions of the Algarve, between Albufeira
and Armação de Pêra, Salgados is already a
"postcard" of Portuguese golf. In fact, the
proximity of the sea and the variety of lakes make
this a very interesting test of golfing skills,
different from other courses in the Algarve.
The original project is by the Portuguese designer
Pedro de Vasconcelos, with more recent contributions
from other Portuguese architects. But the final
layout has been heavily influenced by Robert Muir
Graves.
The-6,000 metre links, replete with water obstacles,
is not very long, yet you will need all your skills
to reach the greens. The accuracy of the drive is
crucial for achieving good scores, thus making the
course a pleasant experience, especially for
technically-skilled player.
The eighteen holes are well-balanced, as each half
of the course has two par 5 holes of around 500
metres, and three par 3 of more than 170 metres par
for the course is 72.
How to Get There ?
Coming from Faro in the EN 125, turn left at Guia.
At the first lights, turn right. The course is about
1 Km further on the left side. |
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10 - Parcours in Pine Cliffs |
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The Pine
Cliffs layout, designed by Martin Hawtree, of the
English firm Hawtree & Son, the same firm that
designed the Cerregueira course, is located between
Albufeira and Vilamoura, in a area called Praia da
Falésia.
Pine Cliffs is more than a golf course: it is a
garden. It has only nine holes with a length of 2274
metres, and is a group of four par 3's, four par 4's
and, according to the card, one par 5, of about 400
metres which in reality should be a par 4. However,
it is an excellent hole.
But the ex-libris of Pine Cliffs is the 9th hole,
played over a ravine a few dozen metres deep, with a
view over Algarve's vast, inviting sandy beaches.
Nigel Mansell, who was the President of Pine Cliffs
for some time, has given the club the glamour that
normally surrounds the great sport stars and it gave
him the chance to keep practising golf and retain
his 4 handicap, between Formula One races.
How to Get There ?
Coming from Faro in the EN 125, turn left to
Açoteias. After the turn to Vilamoura, you will find
the course on your left. |
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