GOLF

Introduction:

There are now 81 holes on 5 new course east of Faro on which you can test yourself. All the courses are easily accessed from the EN125 coast road or the A22 motorway.

Tip: If you are coming to play golf in the summer, remember; it can be very hot !  Weather conditions are more favourable from October to May.

Quinta da Ria Golf Course - Ranked in the top ten best golf courses in Europe

This is one of the more recent golf course productions in the Algarve. It is a lovely course located by the sea on a cliff over the most beautiful inlet of the Ria Formosa. Rocky Roquemore was hard pushed to design a smoothly balanced golf course over a limited stretch of land. The absence of building sites and excellent green-keeping largely offset the lack of space. The course is not long but has well defended greens and some holes are particularly well designed. A wonderful course to play with friends and to enjoy some spectacular views. Although somewhat exposed, wind is not a real problem since the course is laid out in an area which climate–wise is second to none in Portugal.

Bordering the Ria Formosa estuary, the impressive Quinta da Ria must be a candidate for one of the most beautiful golf settings in the Algarve, with spectacular views of the mountains and coast. It's built on flattish terrain with greens that are slightly undulating and well guarded by bunkers and, on 6 holes, man-made lakes. Beware of the reeds that have sprung up around all the water hazards, and steer clear of the 300+ mature olive and carob trees that were transplanted to the course during its construction. Definitely not to be missed if you're staying in the area.

This spectacular 18 hole course is in the Ria Formosa Natural Park and spreads along an almost flat surface of 660.000 m2 down to the Ria Formosa itself, hanging over it and with a stunning view of the sea.

It is a par 72, comprising two loops of 9 holes and each loop with two par 5, five par 4 and two par 3 holes. Its total length is about 6.016 meters.

Five lakes were strategically built along the course, specifically near green 5, 10 and 14. Hole 16, par 5, is played between the two biggest lakes. The green of the par 3, nr. 17 is limited by one of these lakes where an island with varied bird-fauna may be found. Besides the beauty the lakes render to the course, they are also used as water reservoirs for the irrigation and are nourished by a stream.

Most of the night irrigation water is recovered through drainage, reaching the through an intelligent modulation of the ground.

The greens, smoothly undulating, are well protected by bunkers. Greens, tees and fairways are covered with Bent Crenshaw and the roughs with Poa Pretensis with Fescuas.
There will be no real estate construction in the Ria Course.

More than 300 trees, such as olive and carob trees have been transplanted in order to maintain the ancient border of the course and the typical features of the region landscape. It also looks like as if the course is of the same age as its centenary trees. From any place of the site, one can see both the mountains and the sea. The surrounding orange trees and vineyards give their contribution to make the course country landscape even more beautiful.

UKSG Difficultly Rating
Of the two courses on the complex this is the easier one of the two. Not too long and fairly flat this makes the course suitable for golfers of all standards.

Is the course hilly? No.
Is this course suitable for novice & high handicap players? Yes.

Designer: Rocky Roquemore
Fairways: Bent Crenshaw
Greens: Bent Crenshaw
Par: 72
Length: 6700 yards
Green fees (approx): Nov 06 - Oct 07: €85.00

Quinta da Cima Golf Course - Ranked in the top ten best golf courses in Europe

Next to its sister course, Quinta da Ria, Quinta da Cima looks and plays even more like a top tournament course. This is not only a matter of length but also of balance and the difficulty of holes. From the very first tee you need to carefully consider game strategy, choice of club and ball trajectory. Hazards are definitely very much in play on all holes, whether for the well-designed, cleverly located bunkers or the water hazards which here come in the shape of lakes streams and ditches. The course calls for American style golf but fortunately there is never too much wind in these parts to blow high approach shots off-course. Playing to your handicap is not easy, let it be said, and while players of all levels can have fun, only the best will prosper, in a nutshell, a pretty design, in a beautiful setting.

This spectacular 18 hole course is in the Ria Formosa Natural Park and spreads along an almost flat surface of 660.000 m2 down to the Ria Formosa itself, hanging over it and with a stunning view of the sea.
It is a par 72, comprising two loops of 9 holes and each loop with two par 5, five par 4 and two par 3 holes. Its total length is about 6.016 meters.
Five lakes were strategically built along the course, specifically near green 5, 10 and 14. Hole 16, par 5, is played between the two biggest lakes. The green of the par 3, nr. 17 is limited by one of these lakes where an island with varied bird-fauna may be found. Besides the beauty the lakes render to the course, they are also used as water reservoirs for the irrigation and are nourished by a stream.
Most of the night irrigation water is recovered through drainage, reaching the through an intelligent modulation of the ground.
The greens, smoothly undulating, are well protected by bunkers. Greens, tees and fairways are covered with Bent Crenshaw and the roughs with Poa Pretensis with Fescuas.
There will be no real estate construction in the Ria Course.
More than 300 trees, such as olive and carob trees have been transplanted in order to maintain the ancient border of the course and the typical features of the region landscape. It also looks like as if the course is of the same age as its centenary trees. From any place of the site, one can see both the mountains and the sea. The surrounding orange trees and vineyards give their contribution to make the course country landscape even more beautiful.

UKSG Difficultly Rating
This course is set up as a real championship course, perfectly placed hazards make you think about every shot from the tee shot to your approach shot into the green. Playing to your handicap is not easy here. If you enjoy a challenge then this courser is a must.

Is the course hilly? No.
Is this course suitable for novice & high handicap players? Yes.

Designer: Rocky Roquemore
Fairways: Zoysia
Greens: Bent Crenshaw
Par: 72
Length: 6950 yards
Green fees (approx): Nov 06 - Oct 07: €85.00

Benamor Golf Course

A few minutes drive from Tavira, Benamor is set in groves of olive, cork, carob and almond trees on the lower slopes of the hills and there are striking mountain and sea views. The rolling terrain and widely varying holes provide an interesting test of your game. There are many strategically placed bunkers and water hazards so precision off the tee and on the approach shots is an absolute must. A big plus point is the absence (to date) of holiday villas and apartments. The course length is modest, so Benamor offers a gentle, peaceful and fairly undemanding round.

This new course was designed by Sir Henry Cotton and is located in an area of Algarve that until quite recently had no infrastructures at all for golfers.
In 1986, Sir Henry Cotton was inspired by an old church in the Quinta de Benamor to set up what was to become the clubhouse of the first golf course in the eastern region of Algarve. But the legendary British champion and golf architect died in the following year and the project underwent a number of changes, introduced by Howard Swan and Raymond Jones, before its final layout was eventually decided upon. The course was officially opened in 2000. Although the church’s treasures were completely stolen over the years, it is now being fully restored, so it can be reopened for religious worship; the clubhouse has been built next to the church and the estate’s old manor house.
The course is an undulating one, although not excessively so, offering views over the mountains to one side and the sea to the other. Here, the most common trees are the carob, the olive-tree and the fig-tree. In each half of the course, the first few holes are the easiest to play and birdies can be obtained without too much difficulty, although the following ones are longer and therefore harder to play. The greens are reasonable.

Designer: Henry Cotton/Howard Swan/Raymond Jones
Fairways: Bermuda
Greens: Penn A4
Par: 71
Length: 6017 yards
Green fees (approx): Nov 06 - Oct 07: €50.00

Castro Marim Golf Course

Castro Marim is carved out of predominantly pine woodland and set in rolling terrain against a hilly backdrop. There are impressive views of the nearby River Guadiana and the Atlantic Ocean. The course designer, Terry Murray, has used the natural ground cleverly and visitors are advised to be wary of a sometimes deceptive landscape. The clever layout demands accurate play and astute club selection. Opened in 2000 as the first phase of a luxury resort, we're sure Castro Marim is destined to become a firm favourite with UK golfers. Buggies recommended.

This is one of the newest courses in Portugal, having been opened in 2000, in an area of the Algarve that until recently had no golfing infrastructures at all.

The recently-built course at Castro Marim is part of a truly exceptional tourist development, designed to provide unforgettable moments of leisure. It has a very special setting in the peaceful atmosphere of the eastern Algarve and was in fact the first course to be built in this region, offering players beautiful views over the Atlantic Ocean, the River Guadiana and the nearby nature reserve. The design of the so-called “Atlantic Course” made use of the natural undulations of the hills and is sprinkled with many ornamental lakes. The fairways have been made with Bermuda grass, whilst the greens are made with the new Penn A4 grass.

Designer: Terry Murray
Fairways: Bermuda
Greens: Penn A4
Par: 72
Length: 6010 yards
Green fees (approx): Nov 06 - Oct 07, November - May, 16 September - October £28,  June -15 September €35.00