Monday 28 July 2008

Vilamoura...a golfing mecca in the Sun

Last month I went for three nights and three rounds of golf in Vilamoura and what I found was a "golfing mecca in the Sun". It is quite obvious as soon as you arrive in Vilamoura that the town is a driven by golf tourism and places such as the 19th Hole Bar in the Marina and the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel are good examples of the general golfing theme.

I stayed in the Olympus Vilamoura Suites which was a great value option for four lads simply looking for a place to rest their head after a long day on the golf course and even longer night in the bar! We stayed in one of their two bedroom apartments and the convenience of the marina right on the doorstep is second to none and thus making it a great base for a golf holiday in Vilamoura.

The three golf courses we played were the Laguna, Millennium and Pinhal Courses which are all owned by the Oceânico Group and they run a shuttle service from all the hotel's in Vilamoura to and from their golf courses. This is a great service and allows you to relax after your round and have a few beers in the clubhouse.

Here are my reviews on the golf courses:-

Our flight from London touched down at 11am on Thursday and we managed to make it to The Millennium Course clubhouse for midday! As a result we had plenty of time to get ready for our 2pm tee time. The course measures 6,718 yards from the back tees and cuts through the pine forests. The course is very beautiful and strikes the perfect balance of testing the better golfers whilst remaining manageable for the average visitor (like me!). The short 6th is the signature hole where an imposing water feature guards the front of the green.

The Pinhal is the second-oldest course in Vilamoura, and like the Old Course was designed by the esteemed Frank Pennink. The course opened for play in 1976 and the predominant character of the course comes as a result of the rolling landscape that is heavily populated by Umbrella and Atlantic Pines. It was without doubt the toughest of the three courses we played on our trip (made all the more difficult by our hangovers!). Despite the trees frequently getting in the way this golf course is a genuine pleasure to play and is highly recommended.

The Laguna Course is distinctly different from the other two courses and as the name hints, the course is punctuated with water; in fact the network of lakes and streams come into play on no less than 11 holes and between our 4 ball we generally found the water as many times as was possible on this golf course. It would be fair to say that we didn't exactly play our best golf!! The golf course requires you to put the ball in play off the tee and the driver is best left in the bag on this course - something I found out the hard way!

All in all we had a great trip to Vilamoura and as a golfer it is a great place to visit given the quality of the golf courses. However Vilamoura's other asset is that it is a holiday destination with something for everyone; the stunning marina is the town's hub, and in the evening Vilamoura comes alive, with many restaurants, bars, clubs and also the "International Casino".

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