DESTINATIONGOLF . TRAVEL
ALGARVE
Palmares
Palmares
The Palmares Golf Course was beautifully upgraded and extended to 27 holes by Robert Trent Jones Jnr , in 2010 . The new layout perfectly blends mountain and coastal landscapes , with holes playing over manicured hillsides and through white sand and high dunes next to the sea . The par-71 layout uses this blend of landscapes to provide breath-taking views to Alvor and to distant mountains . Located close to the historic city of Lagos , Palmares now boats a stunning new clubhouse with fantastic panoramic views over a 25-km stretch of Atlantic coastline . The Torneio das Amendoeiras em Flor , the oldest amateur tournament in the Algarve , has been played here since 1977 .
Vale de Lobo ( Ocean Course )
The Ocean Golf Course features undulating fairways which run alongside a nature reserve before easing gently down to the shores of the Atlantic . Its signature holes are the two challenging and spectacular par-4s – the 11th and the 14th – which treat golfers to some of the most spectacular views in the Algarve , while the acclaimed par-3 15th runs alongside the beach , the sand only yards away . Playing to your handicap on the Ocean course is a difficult task , due to the challenging design and distracting beauty all around you .
Vale de Lobo ( Royal Course )
The Royal Golf Course has rolling fairways set amidst pine trees and beautiful lakes , and surrounded by wild flowers . Its features include the 9th green , embraced on three sides by water , and the famous 16th with its renowned cliff-top carry above the ocean . It is one of the most celebrated golfing images in the world , and typifies golf in the Algarve . But there are many other challenges here , in particular numerous narrow fairways bordered by age-old pine forest , which make the Royal a true test of a golfer ’ s accuracy and concentration . It was designed by top American golf architect , Rocky Roquemore , based on the original drawings by Sir Henry Cotton .
“ Playing to your handicap on the Ocean course is a difficult task , due to the challenging design and distracting beauty all around you .”
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