Algarve Golf Holiday Review

Having travelled to the Algarve on holiday with my girlfriend in the summer of 2003, the seeds for our short golf trip were sewn. It was on that first holiday, having hired a car to see as much as possible that it became obvious this was an area that offered so much to so many, especially golfers.

Fast forward nearly three years and we were on our way to Vilamoura in our recently hired minibus. The four of us, having arrived on our early flights from Dublin, were fresh with anticipation of what the golf courses (and maybe the night life) would throw at us.

After a quick bag drop at our accommodation we headed for the Oceanico Laguna course. A classic resort course that is playable for most, the terrain is lacking enough in undulations to be manageable for pretty much everyone. As the name suggests there’s plenty of the wet stuff to conquer, it comes into play on eight holes to ensure that the challenge is honest. The run of holes from twelve to fifteen are where you make or break your score. The twelfth is a ‘carry all the way’ par 3 which invites a watery end for any kind of miss hit. The thirteenth, with water behind the green is a long par 4 where the lengthy approach can easily end up in sand at the front or water over the back. Fourteen is a par 4 dog leg right which hugs a crescent shaped lake all the way down the right from tee to green, not particularly long but with OB left for those trying to avoid the lake a real challenge awaits. The last of this run is a par 5 requiring two carries over water and a lake to the right of the green just in case you thought you were safe after two shots. There then follows a comparatively easy run in to the welcoming clubhouse where a refreshing drink and good food awaits.

The following day we dragged ourselves, complete with fuzzy heads (the night life turns out to be very good) into the minibus for the twenty minute drive to Salgados Golf Club. It may be because I spent the day hitting the ball sideways but this turned out to be my least favourite course of the trip. My right angled approach led to many visits to the water hazards that are a dominant feature of this course, potentially on seventeen of the eighteen holes. This coupled with some quirky hole designs (the second is a par 5 on which it’s practically impossible to use driver off the tee) caused my day to only be lifted by the excellent views. The course appears to be home to a nature reserve providing many sights to avid bird watchers and golfers alike.

Day three found us at Oceanico Pinhal, a satisfyingly short five minute drive from our accommodation. A tough, tree lined track that provides plenty of opportunities for birdies as well as double bogeys. Keep it on the fairway and hitting greens in regulation should be a formality, anywhere but the fairway will more than likely end up with a sideways escape from behind a tree. Another easy to walk track the only real uphill drag is at the par 5 thirteenth where a par will take your mind off the effort required. Following this is the rarest of things, a short par 3, time to get out the wedge for the 113 metres and hope it finds the small but rewarding putting surface. A par secured and it’s on to the terrific fifteenth a short, downhill par 4 fronted by a stream that can be carried if the wind is on your side, wind against or any doubts and an iron off the tee will suffice. Yet another welcoming clubhouse was able to provide all we needed for post round analysis which turned into the inevitable post round – post mortem.

The final day of our trip took us to the Oceanico Millennium Golf Club, an awesome course that proved to be the best of our stay. The course is made up of 9 holes from the previous 27 hole Laguna lay out with an extra 9 added to make up Millennium. The absolute high point of the trip were holes three to seven, a run through the tall umbrella pines starting with a tough par 3 of over 200 yards. This is then followed by a narrow index 3 par 5 and if that’s not enough of a challenge then the subsequent par 4 index 1 asks everything of your game to secure a par. The par 3 sixth comes as a relief but don’t relax too much as water short left and a bunker back right will keep you on your toes. The next is an innocuous par 4 but enjoy every inch of it as a run of holes like this doesn’t come along very often. This provided much to discuss in the excellent clubhouse that is shared with Laguna.

Vilamoura, as it turns out, has everything. There are another three courses we didn’t get to play and another ten within a twenty minute drive. The nightlife is lively with the many bars and restaurants around the stunning marina proving all you need après golf. If you are looking for more there is a casino and night club five minutes from the marina with even more restaurants and bars to be found in the surrounding area.

So what makes this golf trip so exceptional? Well, the company, golf, restaurants and bars are all there but on this occasion, my girlfriend came out for a weekend of sun. In front of the Tivoli hotel in the marina she agreed to become my wife which led to me revisiting Vilamoura for my stag do and then for our wedding later that year. It has always been a special place but now is that little bit more for me.