DESTINATION GOLF PORTUGAL 2025
Vale de Lobo( Ocean)
Pine Cliffs
Opened in 1990, Pine Cliffs is a compact 9-hole golf course surrounded by magnificent old pine trees. This is not a long course, but it does demand accuracy. No more so than the much pictured Devil’ s Parlour, a challenging par-3 that crosses the cliffs with breath-taking views of the Atlantic Ocean. The course provides a well-equipped golf academy that will satisfy the needs of all level of golfer. Celebrities are often to be spotted at Pine Cliffs, as they holiday in the luxurious Sheraton Hotel that is onsite. For several years, the club president was British motor racing star Nigel Mansell.
Vale de Lobo( Royal)
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 ageold 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.
Penina
Only a short drive from Portimao is the stunning Penina Golf Resort. Set in a vast 360 acre estate, Penina offers golfers an allencompassing golf break. Penina has two courses: the revered 18- hole par-73 Championship Course; and the 9-hole Resort course. The Sir Henry Cotton Championship course has hosted the Portuguese Open eight times and is a must-play on any visit to the Western Algarve. The lush landscape presents narrow corridors between the trees, the frequent appearance of water and greens of the smaller persuasion, where commitment and accuracy are required of your approach shots. The closing stretch is famous for the par-3 13th and the par-5 18th with its high, tiered green. There is a third course here, too – the 9-hole Academy course – which offers opportunities for anyone who wants to dive into golf and become acquainted with the game.
Vale de Lobo( Ocean)
The Ocean Golf Course features plenty of variety, as some early holes run alongside a nature reserve, a large lake and a steep hill before easing gently down to the shores of the Atlantic. Its signature holes are the two spectacular par-4s – the 11th and the 14th – which treat golfers to some of the most spectacular views in the Algarve, as they head straight for the sea, while the acclaimed par-3 15th runs alongside the beach, the sand only yards away. Playing to your handicap is no easy task due to the challenging design and distracting beauty all around you.
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