"A" IS FOR ALGARVE GOLF
It may come as a surprise that the 4th
oldest course on the European continent was established
in Portugal. The Oporto Golf Club, was built in 1890
near the seaside town of Espinho. The only courses
older are in Pau and Biarritz in France and Antwerp's
Royal Club in Belgium.
The first
course in the Algarve was built in the 1920s between
Portimao and the nearby beach of Priaia da Rocha.
Due to a lack of freshwater, the course featured "browns,"
made from a sand and oil mixture, instead of traditional
greens. The course unfortunately became extinct in
the 1930s.
While modern golf did not come to the
Algarve region of Portugal until the mid-sixties,
it quickly established itself as a world-class golf
destination and now boasts, in San Lorenzo, the number
two ranked course, behind Valderrama, on the Continent
and one of the Top 100 Courses in The World.
The great English golfer and Open Championship
winner, Henry Cotton, brought golf to the Algarve
when he designed and built his lasting masterpiece
to golf, Penina, in the mid-sixties. Here, in the
place he loved best, he taught and held court to the
upper echelons of the golfing world for almost 30
years. When he passed away at the age of 80 in 1987
he requested to be buried in the nearby village of
Mexihoeira Grande.
Cotton was a colorful character, well-loved by everyone
who knew him. One of the more enduring stories of
his life at Penina involves his caddie Pacifico.
Pacifico was no ordinary caddie, in fact, he was a
four-legged caddie. After a chicken barbecue in the
neighboring hills, Cotton impulsively purchased the
animal, and came to train him to carry two bags around
the course.
The championship layout
has hosted several Portuguese Opens and underwent
an extensive renovation in the 1990's to restore its
competitive edge. Unlike many of the other courses
in the area, Penina is relatively flat, due to its
construction on former rice fields. It is a Par 73,
but achieves this number through a unique routing
of par 35 on the front with only one par 5, and a
par 38 on the back, with four par 5's at the tenth,
eleventh, seventeenth and eighteenth.
You can explore the course
at Penina and all of the courses and activities of
the southern Algarve from the luxurious Le Meridien
Penina hotel which overlooks the course. Other courses
in the area include: Cotton's Alto Golf; Frank Pennink's
Palmares, with its breathtaking views; Pinta, past
host of the Johnnie walker Euro Classic; Parque da
Floresta, characterized by its hilly terrain.
The sister Le Meridien
Hotel, Dona Filipa, plays host to the award-winning
San Lorenzo golf course, about 45 minutes up the coast.
While the course is physically located in the Quinta
do Lago development, Le Meridien owns the course and
controls the tee times. Guaranteed advance times are
available for guests of the splendid Dona Filipa hotel.
Designed by American Joe Lee, San Lorenzo has quickly
gained an impressive international reputation since
its opening in 1988. Set in the breathtaking, pristine
Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, the course seamlessly
incorporates the beautiful natural elements of the
Algarve into its championship layout.
Known as a players' course with sensible, clearly
defined approaches to holes rewarded, it is the variety
of holes that sets San Lorenzo apart. Especially the
two finishing holes which demand, not only accuracy,
but courage in negotiating the well-placed water hazards
and bunkers.
1 | 2 | Iberian Peninsula by private yacht
