GOLF GUIDE
The Algarve is famous for its golf
courses - over 22 of them so far – and is a truly year round sport
here.
There is info here on
the 4 nearest courses and one being built plus some guidance on getting
good deals on rounds .
2 sites you may want to take a look at:
www.teetimesanywhere.com
eg Benamor 45 Euros (around £30) a round any time of year –
you can also call them on 00351 289 303 890 or 303680 between 9am and
6pm daily – they speak English
they also do a package of a round at each of Benamor, Quinta da Ria
and Quinta de Cima for 170 Euros
Each of the Quintas is 70 euros a round
www.golfbookings.com
call them on 00351 289 351 299
eg running a special in August for Benamor of 2 players plus buggy for
89 euros
you do need to plough all the way through to get an idea of prices
For all courses you will need to provide a recognised
handicap certificate – for the 4 nearest the apartment, it requires
a handicap of 28 for men and 36 for women. They do vary in formality
e.g. in dress code – Benamor is pretty relaxed
There is another being built about 15 minutes drive
away from the apartment –Monte Rei Golf and Country Club –
a spectacular Jack Nicklaus course , expected to be ready in October
2006 but not formally launched until Spring 2007. it will be over 1000
acres and an American style course
Full details are given of the 4 nearest courses to the apartment
BENAMOR
The first course to open to the east of Faro, it lies
between the Tavira coast and the uplands of the Serra
do Caldeirão. The course offers views both
southward out to the Atlantic Ocean
and northward towards the hinterland with its striking hills and fertile
valleys. This course is at the entrance to Cabanas and so theoretically
you could walk (assuming you left your clubs there!)
Holes:
18 - Par (SSS): 71 (69) -
Length: 5,500m
P
R O ' S P L A Y I N G T I P S
The par-4 (308m) opening hole provides a gentle
introduction to the course. A slight dog-leg to the right leads to an
elevated and generous green with bunkers on each side. An accurate second
shot will be rewarded with the chance of an early par. Many of the par
4s on this first nine are relatively short and with pleasant views over
the undulating terrain. With care and thoughtful club selection, even
the higher handicapper can look to reach the greens in regulation. Much
careful thought was given in the planning stages to retaining as many
of the magnificent trees on the land as possible. These, rather than
other hazards, make course management the watchword.
The par-5 fifth (466m) has an uphill drive from the tee. The second
shot must be a confident high-flier to set up the approach shot to the
green. The par-3 eighth - at 195 metres - tests club selection to the
full. Depending on the wind direction and playing confidence, it can
demand anything from a fairway wood to a mid-iron. The stepped green,
an intrusive cork oak and bunkers demand unerring accuracy. It is a
wonderful test of golf.
The second nine starts with a tricky par 3 over water, a short uphill
par 4, and a further par 3. The par-4 thirteenth, marked 289 metres
on the card, does not seem overly long. However, the fairway is dissected
by a stone-banked stream. If you feel confident of
carrying this from the tee, then all well and good. If you do
drive the hazard, there is definitely a birdie chance!.
If you must lay-up, then it’s a short or mid-iron shot to reach
the elevated green.
The par-5 fifteenth (454 metres) welcomes you on the tee with a spectacular
view of the island
of Tavira and the
sea beyond.
The finishing hole - a long par 5 of 512 metres
off the championship tees - begins with an uphill tee shot. The second
needs to negotiate encroaching trees and, depending on how you have
played these two shots, the third - approach - may demand a wood or
a wedge!
Backed by the attractive (now deconsecrated) church, the large green
is particularly attractive and remains in the mind’s eye as representative
of all that is Benamor.
This is definitely a user-friendly course to visit.
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QUINTA DA RIA
There are two 18-hole courses on the Quinta da Ria estate located near the coast between Tavira and
Monte Gordo. The first to open was named after
the estate Quinta da
Ria. This is around 3-5 miles East
of Cabanas
Holes: 18 -
Par 72 -
Length: 6,110
(championship)
P
R O ' S P L A Y I N G T I P S
The opening par-5 (475 metres) sets the tone for architect ‘Rocky’
Roquemore’s overall design concept with the generous
use of visually stunning bunkers. Literally thousands of trees have
been introduced to the site – olives, almonds and carobs –
not simply to enhance this already beautiful location but, by their
positioning, to provide natural ‘hazards’ between tee and
green. The course is further typified by its generous, marginally undulating
greens, which are always testing.
A gentle introduction, therefore, until the par-3 fifth, which curves
like a boomerang around a small lake. Here you can choose from one of
two teeing-off positions, although both require a shot over the water
to reach the green. The flexibility is in the overall distance –
170 or 115 metres from the Championship tees.
The seventh – a par-4 of 357 metres - is stroke index 2 as you
stand on the elevated back tee; the potential problems become individually
identifiable. The drive is out over a tongue of water from the adjacent
lake to a wide, undulating fairway which dips away to the right. The
approach to an elevated, relatively narrow green must carry more of
those scattered trees and a deep, kidney-shaped bunker protecting it
to the front, not to mention the wall of a small, picturesque well which
doesn’t come into play – until you’ve hit it!
The signature hole here is probably the par-4 tenth. At 425 metres the
brain must be focused before teeing off. The line looks to be left of
centre, towards the bunker. Low handicappers may even carry it. But
trees and lie may complicate your second shot, particularly the huge,
ancient olive standing guard to the front of the green. If you favour
the wide-open space of the fairway, down the right towards the lake,
the second shot must take on the water and, while the green is generous
in width, it seems to have no depth to it to receive the ball.
The back nine encircle the perimeter of the course and are in complete
contrast to those you have just played. They offer not only more spectacular
views, but much more contrast in the golf holes themselves; more in
the way of course management.
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QUINTA DE CIMA
Quinta
de Cima is a championship-style course of
great character. Running thematically through the stunning layout is
a series of lakes connected by a stream which architect William ‘Rocky’
Roquemore has skilfully incorporated as an
added challenge to players. Both have expansive views along the coast
and inland to the hills of the Serra do Caldeirão.
Holes: 18 -
Par 72 -
Length: 6,256 (championship); 6,045 (men); 4,971
(ladies).
P
R O ' S P L A Y I N G T I P S
There is no gentle introduction here. The opening par-5 and second par-3
put things immediately into perspective. Good club selection and accuracy
off the tee are essential. The par-4 third is a severe dogleg left and
while not particularly long at 316 metres, strategic bunkering dictates
how best to arrive to a tricky green. A very pretty par-4 follows –
the first to feature the stream, flowing across the fairway in front
of the small green. The approach needs to fly high to avoid trees that
also protect the putting surface.
The long, par-5 sixth (500 metres) demands a thoughtful second shot.
Some 130 metres from the green, the stream again bisects the fairway.
The 186-metre eight is the longest par-3 on the course. The green is
a tricky shape and you should think carefully about your line in, not
to mention the wind direction. Not an easy hole.
Most of the par-4’s here are relatively long: between 360 and
415 metres. Wind direction can greatly influence the choice of long
iron or wood for the shot in. And then, of course, there is the water,
be it stream or lake. The par-4 thirteenth is a good example. The stream
crossing the fairway is blind from the tee so, depending on the wind,
you may end up taking a rather wet drop!
Fifteen is a 388-metre par-4 and from the tee there are eight bunkers
in view, five of which guard the fairway, forcing you to play left.
There are no short cuts here! So to the sixteenth,
a magnificent par-5. The stream crosses the fairway to a lake
and you must hit both a good second and a bold third shot to have any
hopes of landing on the green in regulation.
The finishing hole, from an elevated tee to a slick green with tricky
undulations, will ensure you come back here time and again.
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CASTRO
MARIM
As well as commanding views of the ocean, the most
easterly course in the Algarve
overlooks the broad estuary of the Guadiana
river, which forms the border between Portugal and Spain. The course is within the Castro
Marim Golf & Country Club, which takes
its name from a nearby village famous for its medieval castle. There
is a backdrop of rounded hills, rolling northwards towards the Portuguese
province of Alentejo. This is around 20
minutes drive East of Cabanas.
Holes: 18 -
Par 71 (73 Ladies) - Length: 5,265m.
P
R O ' S P L A Y I N G T I P S
From the very start, the overriding characteristics of this course are
clear. At 375 metres downhill, the par-4 first may not appear too strenuous,
but as you stand on the elevated tee you can soon see why it is rated
stroke index 4. The fairway is narrow and lined with young umbrella
pine trees. It drops away, but climbs to the elevated green. The contours
of the land must be carefully kept in mind as you decide where to place
your drive.
The par-5 fourth is a dog-leg left, but a good drive may reach the lake
on the right side of the descending fairway. The second and approach
shots are uphill and the green is well protected by a bunker, young
pines and the falling lie of the land.
On the back nine, the eleventh – a par-4 of 323 metres –
can be deceptive. Once again, a well-struck drive may find the water
protecting the green. This is a good hole, but it is brain not brawn
that will secure you par here.
The par-3 seventeenth (130 metres) is almost always subject to onshore
prevailing winds off the sea. With bunkers in front and a lake behind,
think very carefully about what club to take.
Terry Murrey has designed a challenging course
using the natural contours of the foothills. The strategic use of lakes
and sand traps makes this a very enjoyable test of golf whatever your
ability, and its unique underground “Leaky Pipe” irrigation
system means no interference with play.
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Other
local courses
There are over 20 other courses in the Algarve,
from West to East:
Parque da Floresta;
Boavista Golfe;
Palmares Golfe; Penina Golf & Resort
Alto Golf; Morgado Golfe;
Pinta Course ; Gramacho Course;
Vale de Milho Golf
Salgados Golfe ;
Balaia; Pine Cliffs Sheraton; Victoria Golfe;
Millennium Golf
Laguna Golf; The Old Course; Pinhal; Vila
Sol; Ocean Course; Royal Golf Course
Ria Formosa; Quinta
do Lago; San Lorenzo; Pinheiros Altos;
Colina Verde
Go
to www.algarve-golf.com for
full details of these other courses
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