Amendoeira Faldo Course

From the back tees, the Faldo Course stretches beyond 7,300 yards, a par 72 that makes you earn a score through thoughtful placement rather than sheer force. Sir Nick Faldo’s 18 hole design runs through a natural valley, where olive trees frame the fairways and the view opens towards the mountains and Algarve coast. Desert style bunkering gives many holes a strong visual line, but it is the combination of undulating ground, water hazards and angled approaches that shapes the round. Tee shots need a clear plan, as the best side of the fairway can make a marked difference to the next shot. The greens are maintained to tournament standard, with gentle contours that reward a confident read and punish a casual putt. Opened in 2008, the course has settled naturally into its setting while retaining the firm strategic character associated with Faldo’s work.

A stay at Amendoeira gives you the useful option of pairing the Faldo Course with the O'Connor Jnr. Course, creating two distinctly different rounds without leaving the resort. That makes it particularly well suited to groups who want to play every day, while still keeping travel between golf to a minimum. The Faldo is likely to be the course that prompts discussion afterwards, especially where bunker carries, water and changing lies have influenced the scorecard. Alcantarilha is around 30 minutes from Faro Airport, so it is a straightforward transfer after a morning flight from the UK or Ireland, with enough time to settle in before the first tee time.