About Golfing

The Algarve's mild climate makes golf an all-year round sport though conditions are best from October to May. The design and degree of challenge offered by each of the Algarve's 16 courses vary considerably. For the keen golfer the Carvoeiro Golf is right on the doorstep and offers three excellent courses : Gramacho Course it is one of only a few courses in the world with 18 sets of tees and 27 greens but only 18 fairways. This original golf layout was designed by Ron Fream of Golplan USA and the famous Nick Price. As with the Pinta Course, the preparation and condition is at tournament standard year round. Holes 1 through 4 and 14 through 18 have two greens which may change your game plan depending on which greens are in play The ondulating terrain is liberally dotted with carob, fig, palm, almond and olive trees, some of which are more than 600 years old. The use of existing features of the land, outcrops of rock, dry stone walls, fig, almond, carob and olive trees, have been augmented by well positioned bunkers and lakes. These hazards, combined with the shaping of the fairways and greens, have produced a wonderful array of challenging but fair golf holes. From the first tee shot to then pitch to the final green, the player must not only strike the ball and putt well, but also utilize the best strategy, to produce a good score. Experienced golfers will certainly acknowledge that they played a very fine golf course with a testing par of 71 and more than sufficient length at 6107 metres. While designing and constructing the golf course Pinta and Gramacho, Ron Fream and Nick Price, did the impossible, they combined the hilly picturesque course with the artistic fairways and used the ancient olive trees, some 600 years old, all over the courses. Pinta Course This great golf layout was design by Ronald Fream of Golfplan USA. It opened for play in 1992 and has justly earned a reputation for its excellent condition and its ability to challenge golfers of all standards. The Bermuda grass fairways and Penn Cross Bentgreens are protected by well positioned sand bunkers and two ornamented lakes, which are play on four holes. The undulating terrain is liberally dotted with carob, fig, almond and olive trees, some of which are more than 600 years old. Green size is well matched to the lenght of the approach shot. This 6.152 metres, par 71 course, will be appreciated by all knowledgeable golfers. Vale do Milho The Vale do Milho Golf Course was inaugurated in 1990. It was designed by Dave Thomas, Ryder Cup player and architect of more than 40 golf courses; among them the famous “Belfry??? in England. The course is a 9-hole Par 3 with two different tees per hole and full sized tees, greens and bunkers. Holes range in length from 60 to 164 meters. Vale do Milho is the home of “Golf Swing Laboratories “, the state-of-the-art teaching system, offering a unique combination of video play-back system and computer analysis.