The course is a showpiece for the imagination of Frank Pennink, one of the most prolific golf course designers in Portugal.
At Palmares, which is close to the beautiful and historic western Algarve town of Lagos, Pennink has created a course of undeniable beauty and quality.
The reputation of the course – a Par 71 – derives from its skilful use of two different kinds of landscape, as well as its excellent level of maintenance.
So, after starting out on a difficult dogleg Par 4 from a high tee, the golfer soon gets into the links which run behind the beach of Meia Praia, a great expanse of white sand and high dunes.
At hole number six the course turns back inland in the direction of the clubhouse. From here on, the player faces just the opposite challenge, with holes designed along curvy valleys bordered by pine trees, and affording beautiful views over Lagos Bay and the Monchique mountains. It is a perfect mixture of links and inland golf. From the veranda of the clubhouse, set between holes 9 and 10, the view covers 25 km of Atlantic ocean coast.
Nearest Accommodation
Hotel Tivoli Lagos, Porto Dona Maria, Hotel Marina São Roque. Accommodation Algarve
Nearest Golf Courses
Penina, Morgado do Reguengo, Alto Golf
Pro’s Playing Tips
The first hole, a par 4, must be one of the most stunning in the Algarve. The tee is high up, looking directly out to sea. The fairway drops away steeply to a green which is tucked away out of sight. It’s a slight dog-leg to the right, a stroke index 4, so you have some sort of an idea of difficulty. A good drive and thoughtful approach, and there is the chance of an early par. The next five holes run along at sea level, parallel to the beach. It is usually the par-5 fifth which upsets the score. You have the back of the dunes running the entire length to the right side, and pretty much sandy waste on the left. The fairway is generous enough, but somehow the sand acts as a magnet for the second and third shots. The green is concave and if you fire in and run past the flag, somehow the ball never seems to run back.
The tenth is a 165-meter par 3 from an elevated tee to an elevated green, across the valley. It’s never the same shot; there is always the wind making it look further than it looks. You have a couple of par 4’s then… the twelfth – 400 meters, and the sixteenth that is 418 meters. From the back tee all you can see is the rising ground, A good drive and you should get to the top where you can see the green. But it’s not all straightforward, because the fairway then drops away to your left. If you are too far right, you will end up in the figs and olives. The seventeenth, although only 458 meters and a par 5 is a dog-leg left, pretty well all downhill. There is a great temptation to fire the second over the fairly open area of scrub on your left, looking for a certain birdie. Don’t.
Palmares Golf Course Data
Architect: Frank Pennink
Opened: 1975
Holes: 18
Par: 71
Length: 5.961 meters
Pro’s: Luís Espadinha & José Dias
Requirements: A Handicap Certificate
Facilities: Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Green, Trolleys, Buggies, Club Hire, Pro-shop, Restaurant, Bar, Snack bar.
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