From the Western shore to the Spanish border, Portugal’s Southern coast is just over 100 miles of varying terrain. Beaches and rocky cliffs quickly give way to rolling hills and a mild Mediterranean climate. It’s no wonder that golf enthusiasts throughout Europe consider Portugal’s Algarve region one of the best golf holiday destinations. With 36 golf courses peppering the coast, everyone has their favorites: these are ours.
FROM CLASSICS IN THE WEST…
Name: Sir Henry Cotton Championship Course
Resort: Le Meridien Penina Hotel & Golf Resort
Location: Portimão, Algarve - Portugal
Founded: 1966
Architect: Sir Henry Cotton
Par: 73 (18 holes)
Green Fees: € 120 / $167
The Algarve’s rich golf history starts in the 1960s, with British golf champion Sir Henry Cotton. After a long career and three championship wins, Cotton retired from professional golf and relocated to the Algarve where he set about realizing the potential he saw in the region’s natural landscape.
The first 18-hole golf course Cotton built in the Algarve was originally named Penina Golf Course. It is still fondly referred to as such, but today it is formally known as the Sir Henry Cotton Championship Golf Course at Le Meridien Penina Resort. A worthy testament to Cotton’s mark on golf history, it has hosted the Portuguese Open ten times and is consistently cited as one of the best places to golf in Europe.
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Cotton built Penina Golf Course atop expanses of flat rice fields, lining the fairways with tall trees and turning existing drainage ditches into dividers and challenging water hazards. Like the land itself, straight shots are vital for a low golf score – anything else will drive you straight into the trees, or one of the numerous lakes and bunkers that crisscross the golf course’s terrain. But when difficulty starts getting you down, it only takes a sweeping glance of this gorgeously-designed golf course to regain your calm and get back in the game.
…TO TRAILBLAZERS IN THE EAST…
Name: Monte Rei
Resort: Monte Rei Golf & Country Club
Location: Vila Nova de Cancela, Algarve - Portugal
Founded: 2007
Architect: Jack Nicklaus
Par: 72 (18 holes)
Green Fees: € 190 / $264
Founded in 2007, Monte Rei Golf Club is new to the Algarve golf scene – but that hasn’t stopped it from rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best. The golf course has already been named one of the Ten Best Golf Courses in Europe, and just last year Golf Monthly declared it the Best Golf Course in Portugal.
Designed by legendary golf star Jack Nicklaus, Monte Rei Golf Club is a challenge even for professionals, let alone amateur golf enthusiasts. It’s a tough Par 72 golf course that takes full advantage of the natural hills and lakes that line the border of Portugal and southern Spain, with water on 11 of 18 holes. While this golf course is quality from start to finish, Hole 13 – a Par 4 that hugs tight curves and bunkers to the edge of a dazzling natural lake – is a standout.
If you work up an appetite on the links, don’t worry: for an excellent meal you only need to go as far as the golf course’s sprawling clubhouse. The restaurants at Monte Rei are led by Chef Jaime Perez, who developed his chops under the wing of renowned Chef Ferrán Adrià at his 3-Michelin star restaurant, El Bulli.
…CHALLENGERS DOWN THE FAIRWAY…
Name: Royal Golf Course
Resort: Vale Do Lobo Golf & Beach Resort
Location: Almancil, Algarve - Portugal
Founded: 1997
Architect: Rocky Roquemore/Sir Henry Cotton
Par: 73 (18 holes)
Green Fees: € 165 / $229
Sir Henry Cotton’s influence on the Algarve golf resort scene is heavy, to say the least. Though the Royal Golf Course at Vale Do Lobo Resort was designed by American golf architect Rocky Roquemore and completed in 1997, it is based on original Sir Cotton sketches. The fruit of this half-century-spanning collaboration is a distinctive and enjoyable golf course.
If you want a challenge on your golf holiday, The Royal Golf Course does not disappoint. The 16th hole, which requires players to float their golf ball across three sandstone cliffs, is among the trickiest golf shots in the world. Its unique design also makes it a favorite of golf photographers. But from the island-esque green of the 9th to the deceptively simple straight closing shot, each section of the Royal Golf Course is special in its own way.
...AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
With so many golf courses throughout the Algarve, attempting to visit them all is a bold endeavor. But at least now you know where to start.
BY: Sasha Orman | Fri Mar 7, 2011
www.myalgarvecars.com Algarve Car Hire
