Penina Championship

The 12th sets the tone for the Sir Henry Cotton Championship Course, a hole where the approach must carry around 66 yards of water before it can hold the green. Water is a regular consideration across this par 73, with streams, ditches and hazards shaping decisions from the tee onwards. Raised greens and gentle changes in level place a premium on distance control, especially when the wind gets involved. Several tee positions make it possible to set the right test for the group, but this remains a course that rewards patient course management rather than forcing every shot. The closing stretch is particularly memorable. At the par three 16th, the tee shot threads between a creek and out of bounds, while the par five 17th asks for a drive over a creek roughly 197 yards from the tee, followed by a fairway wood towards a large, bunker guarded green.

Sir Henry Cotton designed the Algarve’s first 18 hole course, completed in 1966, and it has since staged the Portuguese Open on ten occasions. It is kept in playing condition throughout the year, with a traditional championship feel that has not been softened by its resort setting. There is useful scope for extra golf beyond the main course. The Resort Course provides a nine hole option for a more relaxed practice round, while still offering an 18 hole test for stronger players. The nine hole Academy Course is especially handy for sharpening tee shots, approaches and short game work around its compact greens.

Between rounds, Penina Hotel & Golf Resort keeps the day straightforward, with complimentary self parking, Wi-Fi across the resort and a 24 hour concierge. Alvor Beach is within reach on the seasonal hotel shuttle, and from 1 June to 30 September the beach club provides sunbeds, shades, towels and refreshments. It is an easy way to trade the water hazards of the course for an afternoon by the Atlantic before returning for another round.