Penina Hotel & Golf Resort (Championship)

In reality it is true that the Algarve region in Portugal is a relatively new golfing spot, but this isn't an unfavourable opinion since age doesn't always equate to make a good golf course! The most historic of all golf courses in the south of Portuguese Golf courses are "The Penina" because it is reverently well-known. It was built during the year 1966 by Sir Henry Cotton it is situated within a lovely 360-acre estate situated between the fishermen's village Portimao and the historical Lagos town. Lagos.

Penina was constructed on land utilized for rice cultivation and Cotton planted more than 360,000 trees and shrubs in order to give the wooded look the course is known for. He also carefully and sensibly transformed the land, including constructing the natural lakes and streams to create a spectacular golf course. The course's quality was instantly acknowledged by everyone who played on the course and since its opening, Penina has served as the venue for numerous professional tournaments, such as The Portuguese Open on no less than 10 occasions.

Its Penina Hotel & Golf Resort layout is a conventional layout with two loops of nine holes. However, not traditionally it is a par 73 and has only two par 5 holes on the nine front, and four holes on the back. When the sun is shining, as it does often and the scent of eucalyptus lingering in the air from the numerous trees, golfers could be misled as thinking they were playing the perfect relaxing golf experience. This is an error. From the beginning in the game, you can see the standard of the course and the testing the golfer going to undergo is evident.

The gentle fairways are well-maintained The hazards are well placed and abundant, as are the fairways. The greens and hazards are in excellent condition, however they are hard to read and frequently difficult to locate. From the beginning, the golfer's skill will be put to the test. One hole on Penina is a dog-leg that's long left, which leads to a secure narrow green. It follows by SI 1 which is a 401-meter par four that runs with a sloping and domed green, which is hidden to the left and surrounded from the front by streams.

The most popular holes along the first nine is five, seven and 9th. The 5th is the sole hole that is a par 5 that is on the front 9 that is only 451m off the back of the tees but it's a well-designed hole that is both risk and reward. A solid drive through the middle of the fairway can make the golfer think about trying to reach an eagle in two strokes, however, a huge lake and an out of bounds are waiting for anyone with the best approach shot.

The 7th hole is a fantastic short par four, with left-over lake and a stream running across the fairway in the distance of driving. A wide, narrow green, surrounded by two huge bunkers, a well-constructed approach, both in line and length is needed. On the front nine, is the 9th, which is a dog-leg left hole that is only 388 meters at the championship's tees however, the hole is longer due to the fact that the approach is upwards towards a narrow, sloped green.

As mentioned previously, that the second nine of Penina has four par fives: the 10th, 11th 17th and 18th. However we believe that the best holes in the back nine is the 12th and 13th, although all the others can be considered to be weak.

The 12th hole is an impressive long par four that measures 385 meters. The hole is almost straight, and with just one bunker on the fairway, and trees in the way on the tee, not until the player arrives at the ball to begin the approach that the true beauty of this hole be appreciated. The green, although not big, lies just behind a lake which runs through the hole to cause more awe on the next hole, the terrifying, beautiful 13th.

It is reported that one out of five golfers will fall foul of the lake which guards the 13th, which is a long par three that is 185m away from white tees. In actuality the dredging effort in 1986 was able to recover an astounding 20000 balls from the lake. The green is wide, narrow and sloping back towards the water, so choosing the right golf club is vital.

Two par fives in the final round provide some respite, and the possibility of making a birdie or two that will hopefully finish your Penina experience with the right note. While it's not a masterpiece, is a great course that is attractive and a difficult classic Mediterranean layout. It is highly recommended.