Portugal’s Algarve has become a very popular golfing destination for golfers travelling to find better weather conditions than they can get at home. Recent poor winters in Northern Europe have tested the patience of golfers who have found their courses snow covered in the winter and often waterlogged at other times of the year.
The growth of golf travel is actually many years old, but recent winters have resulted in more people getting together in groups to take advantage of the excellent weather on the Algarve and the regular flights to its international airport in Faro. Portugal is experiencing economic problems and its economy welcomes golfers with open arms.
Club Praia da Oura makes a great base to explore golfing gems such as Penina.
Independence of Choice
Some of the golf courses are linked to hotels but golfers are an independent lot and generally prefer to play a variety of courses during their time away and to visit the local restaurants for dinner. Hotel courses offer no such variety. If you don’t like the course on the first day and are booked for playing it each day of your holiday there is no solution.
Albufeira is an excellent base as you plan the courses you wish to play. The most famous are probably the Championship Courses at Penina and Quinta do Lago; they are tests. However you may want to have a gentler test on two or three of your golfing days. You can get an excellent idea of each of the many alternatives a drive from Albufeira by going on to the Internet.
Online Booking
You can book online if you wish. Car hire is simple to arrange direct from Faro Airport so that you can load your clubs and you are off. You have a short drive each day to your chosen course; the Algarve’s roads are no problem and everything is fairly close. Indeed, the Algarve itself is only 100 miles, west to east.
The ideal size of a golf group is in multiples of four as a tee time is generally for four golfers. You will find the courses of the Algarve fairly popular and the pace of play of a four ball is just about right for a relaxing yet competitive round. If you have travelled as four people you have three different combinations so that everyone will get to play with everyone else twice in a week.
All year Round
One of the reasons for the Algarve’s popularity is that golf is popular outside the hottest weeks of the year. Winter golf is certainly good but it is nice to get some genuine sun on your backs, so autumn and spring/early summer are ideal times for golfers.
There is plenty to do in Albufeira by night, excellent bars, restaurants and clubs though you don’t want to be too late. There is tomorrow’s tee time to consider.
Club Praia da Oura is an excellent base for golfers. Comfortable accommodation certainly helps to make a holiday. That and a good round of golf that you can talk about to your friends and family back home. But not for too long.
