Monchique Resort & Spa Hotel *****

Located in a valley in the inland Algarve, between Portimão and Monchique, the Morgado Golf Course is challenging both to amateurs who are just starting out in the game and to highly-experienced golfers seeking to put their technique to the test. This is a par 73 course but its length is attenuated by the generous width of the fairways. However, you may be penalised if your less successful strokes happen to land in one of the bunkers scattered around the course.

Designed by Christy O'Connor Jnr., this course complements the neighbouring Faldo Course and also takes full advantage of being situated in a fertile valley. Its various water features, both lakes and watercourses that are spread throughout the entire course, demand accuracy and test from all golfers, and the rich topsoil has been skillfully landscaped and planted with mature palm trees, affording a lush, ornamental setting like an extensive oasis.  This course has tees that are generally connected to the fairways, but its greater overall distance, the water hazards and big greens provide its challenge. Golfers must also be prepared to read the subtly contoured putting surfaces that are strong features.  Holes 7, 8 and 9, average length par 4's, offer a particular challenge as all three run alongside lakes, so golfers' concentration and accuracy of tee-shots as well as approaches are vital. 3rd and 17th holes are both excellent par 3's.  Two consecutive par 4's, the 14th and 15th with large rolling greens, are tough hurdles to overcome at such a critical stage of the round, and then the finishing hole, 356m off the white tee, requires a precision drive to set up the approach to a two tier green benched into the hillside. Christy's 18th hole brings the course to a fantastic finish, a gentle climb with the river running along the right hand side. 'This hole is a humdinger; once you get up here and look down on the golf course, you will feel you have been blessed.'

Designed by Sir Nick Faldo with strategic play in mind this 6598m PAR 72 championship course demands careful positioning to score well.  "The land at Amendoeira is dramatic and the project has the potential to be a real talking point in the Algarve. With so many courses in the region, that's no mean feat", pointed out Nick Faldo, during his visit in 2007.  In a modern twist of a traditional recipe, cacti and wild herbs replace the role of Sunningdale's heather, spartan Holm oaks and ancient olive trees take the place of a lush English woodland, and desert scrub bunkers of crushed limestone replace Berkshire’s sandy tracts in a golf course that revels in the classic principles of strategic play.

Despite its relatively short length, Álamos Golf Course is a challenging test for any golfer. Affording splendid views over the Monchique mountains, lakes and farmland, the sensation here is one of being far from everything. This is a shorter course than Morgado Golf Course (Par 71), but it has all the necessary features to meet the expectations of the most demanding golfer. Rather than simply a test of your golfng skills, this course clearly demonstrates that man and nature can come together in harmony.