Pine Cliffs Resort

The pretty 9-hole Pine Cliffs hotel course opened in 1991 and it’s one of Portugal’s most original golfing layouts, with fairways routed through a delightful pine forest that sits on cliff tops along the Algarve coastline.

At 2,450 yards from the back tees, Pine Trees is not long – only a couple of its par four holes measure more than 350 yards – yet it presents an engaging round for the many holiday golfers who play here. One of its early members was Nigel Mansell, the 1992 F1 motor racing world champion, who was president of the golf club in its formative years.

The 434-yard 5th is a tough proposition to play here when the wind is up along the edge of the cliffs and it’s followed by the feature hole on the card, the par three “Devil’s Parlour,” where the tee shot must fly all the way to a green that lies 200 yards across an intimidating jagged precipice that drops down sharply to the beach below.