Amendoeira (O'Connor) - Algarve - Portugal

22nd Algarve - Best in Area 39th Portugal Ranking
Amendoeira Golf Resort,
Morgado da Lameira,
8365-023 Alcantarilha,
Portugal

  • +351 (0) 289 310 333

  • Jon Schauder

  • Christy O'Connor Jr.

  • Joaquim Sequeira

Visit Golfbreaks.com for a golf holiday at Oceanico (O'Connor)

The future is bright for Christy O'Connor Junior's course at Amendoeira Golf Resort, which opened in October 2008, in fact, the architect “wanted one hole where it was just oranges”…

Christy O'Connor Junior explained: “I wanted one hole where it was just oranges. The whole of this part of the Algarve is blessed with thousands of acres of orange groves and I wanted to bring some inside the course as well. I have managed to create such a hole, the fifth, which has orange groves left and right and should be a real beauty to play. There is also a huge orange grove off to the left on the fourth hole.”

Part of the Amendoeira Golf Resort, which is located in the central Algarve district of Silves, the O’Connor course is a perfect complement to its highly rated sibling, the Faldo course, and this pair of 18-hole championship layouts are supplemented by a floodlit 9-hole par three track and a couple of practice chipping and putting areas – all that you might expect at a high-end modern golf complex.

Water, in the shape of ponds, creeks and wetland areas, comes into play at many of the holes, particularly on the front nine, so golfers of a nervous disposition are advised to stock up on golf balls before taking on this tough little cookie. Par threes at the 3rd and 6th are feature holes on the outward half, with pushed shots on either hole resulting in a wet golf ball.

The inward half presents a number of memorable holes, though the first of these at the par four 10th might be remembered for the wrong reasons because the acute angle of the right dogleg on this par four might be regarded as a little too severe by many. The 374-metre 18th hole also doglegs towards the target, but a little more gently this time, as the fairway rises slowly towards the two-tiered home green.
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Reviews for Amendoeira (O'Connor)

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Description: The future is bright for the Christy O'Connor Jnr. course at the Amendoeira Resort, which opened in October 2008, in fact, the architect “wanted one hole where it was just oranges”… Rating: 4.4 out of 6 Reviews: 8
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Dan Hare

Played with a society and we found it very playable and great fun. The part where you play alongside and under a flyover is a bit strange, but other than that we really enjoyed it, particularly the uphill 9th and 18ths that finish under the very comfortable terrace.

Excellent staff, and much more fun than the Faldo.

December 30, 2018
4 / 6
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Sandro M. Muffat

This is the second course at the Amendoeirra resort and a little bit less challenging than the Faldo course, but also some really nice holes with a lot of water in play. Like the Faldo course also really interesting layout and makes fun to play. Really nice finishing hole with the clubhouse sitting above the green.

October 09, 2018
4 / 6
Amendoeira (O'Connor)
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alan adam

much more holiday course than the Faldo track on site but still a great layout and in excellent condition--the odd weak hole here and there , but some great others make it a treat to play--always in great nick and good speed on the greens

April 17, 2017
5 / 6
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Nicholas Kjelgaard

There are some nice holes, but there is no variation on the course. The greens were slow where we expected more. We played this two days ago and we are struggling to remember the course. Having played a lot of courses in the Algarve this is not a course I would go back to. However I like traditional courses and this being a manufatured course for me to rank this highly it has to be good. If you like manufactured courses then go for it.

June 13, 2016
3 / 6
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richard
Played this course several times , it's by far the best of the Oceanico courses . Last played late October 2012 on a mixed day of sunshine followed by torrential rain - amazingly the greens never became unplayable and were still true .Love the first hole , huge landing area with water hazards on all four sides - nice straight drive rewards with a nice approach to this tricky Par 5Expensive but worth it if you can get a deal .
November 14, 2012
5 / 6
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Anthony McNamee
Played this late May, and not particularly well at that... but still enjoyed the experience. It had great greens, excellent fairways, very good par threes and fives, and enough water and other tricks to make you put on your thinking cap before playing any shot. Only two let downs. The 10th hole is a shocker, a truly horrible 90 degree dogleg left where it is impossible to work out what to do until it is too late. Also, the bunkers could do with more sand. But these are small gripes, more than levelled out by the rest of the experience. Worryingly for Oceanico, we were a group of 11 and more or less had the course to ourselves. As the clubhouse is shared with Faldo and we had the full run of it too, it would suggest that maybe less than 50 people played these two courses on a perfect Sunday in May. There's something not very right there. But the place is a visual treat and every last stone has been turned to get it like that. On the whole O'Connor was well worth travelling over from Vilamoura.
May 31, 2010
5 / 6
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Brendan McLaughlin
Very good course. Enjoyable with generous fairways in good condition. We'll be back next year as it suited a mixture of handicaps.
March 21, 2010
5 / 6
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Bernhard Koehler
Good golf course in good condition, but if you be there, try the faldo course, this is by far the better one!
May 26, 2009
4 / 6
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jim
May 26, 2009
Both courses in excellent condition.The greens are the fastest I've ever played. I prefer the O' Connor course. The Faldo seems a bit too "tricked up" for me.
Ally McIntosh
May 28, 2009
The two courses are very different and aimed at a different market. The O'Connor course is an easier walk and undoubtedly more playable for the high handicapper. The Faldo course unfortunately necessitates a buggy due to some big green to tee walks. The course, based more on an Arizona desert setting, has big bold shaping which may not be to everyone's tastes. However, it has had plenty of strategic thought put in to the design and thus ensures the golfer has to think about his shot choice. The Faldo course will be the one they are pushing for the Pro events. As an aside, the off-course and practice facilities are absolutely top-end. No expense spared.