Spain Golf – Empordà Golf will host the Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava of the European Challenge Tour next October

Emporda Golf Course

Empordà Golf will host the Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava of the European Challenge Tour next October

The European Challenge Tour announced today that two events in Spain, the Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava, will take place in consecutive weeks at Empordà Golf this October.

The Empordà Challenge will be held from 14th to 17th October, while the Challenge Costa Brava will take place from Tuesday 19th to Friday 22nd October. The latter will mark the end of the regular season of the Road to Mallorca, determining the field of forty-five players for the Grand Final of the Rolex Challenge Tour sponsored by The R&A from 4 to 7 November.

Empordà Golf Course is the former venue for the European Tour and European Tour Qualifying School events, and the two Challenge Tour tournaments will be played on the Links Course, which underwent major renovation works during 2020. These two back-to-back events replace the Hainan Open and Foshan Open in China, which were cancelled earlier this month due to the continuing effects of the global pandemic.

“We thank Empordà Golf and the promoter, JGolf, for their help in bringing these events to fruition. It was important to us to provide our members with these replacement tournaments to ensure that playing opportunities were maximised at an important time of the season and, having enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Javier Gervás and his team, we knew it would be possible to organise a solution with their help,” said Jamie Hodges, head of Challenge Tour.

“Empordà Golf has stood the test of time in terms of hosting professional events and we are excited to spend two weeks in Spain at such a wonderful venue,” adds Hodges.

“When the slot on the Road to Mallorca calendar came up, we worked hard to help cover those crucial two weeks on the calendar. We knew that Empordà Golf was keen to go one step further in terms of the professional tournaments it has hosted and so we set out to host the last two Challenge Tour tournaments before the Grand Final,” explains Javier Gervás, general manager of JGolf.

“They have made a great effort and I am sure they will be rewarded. We are now going to have two decisive tournaments in Spain this season with international coverage that will put Empordà Golf in the world golfing spotlight,” adds Gervás.

“The decision to hold the Empordà Challenge confirms the efforts being made by all the clubs on the Costa Brava to improve their facilities and become a world-class sports destination,” says Emilio Cuatrecasas, President of Empordà Golf Club.

“It is also worth noting that the growing popularity of these international tournaments is driving many young people to play golf, and the clubs are feeding not only their energy but also an updated vision of the sport that will bring considerable progress in the sporting, social and environmental fields,” adds Cuatrecasas.

The Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava will be the second Spanish swing of the Road to Mallorca 2021 after the Challenge de España and the Challenge de Cádiz, held at the Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri last June.

The Empordà Challenge and the Challenge Costa Brava will be supported by the Challenge Tour, Empordà Golf, Girona Provincial Council through the Costa Brava Tourist Board, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Kyocera. The promoter and organiser is JGolf.

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Portugal Golf Holidays – Algarve new Restaurants

Restaurant Well Vale do Lobo. Algarve new Restaurants

Restaurant Well Vale do Lobo

Algarve new Restaurants

With the arrival of the summer holidays and the warm and long days inviting for delicious outdoor meals, new restaurants emerge for lunch, dinner or a simple gourmet snack.

During the pandemic, the Algarve saw the emergence of new restaurants, which try to counteract current adversities. From the seafood of the Algarve coast to the flavours of the East, there is so much to taste in the Portuguese’s favourite summer destination. If you are in the Algarve or going there, take a look at some of the new spots.

Restaurant Al Sud

Chef Louis Anjos signs the menus of the new fine dining restaurant at Palmares Ocean Living & Golf Resort, in Lagos. Space invites you to enjoy various tasting moments, with the best that the region has to offer, especially the seafood diversity. Tuna with oysters from the Alvor river, oscietra caviar and granny apple, Iberian pork noodles with stew broth, Monchique corns and fine herbs, sea bass with rice from the Sado Valley region, mussels and saffron or Algarvian prawns with fatty bacon, are some of Al Sud’s proposals.

Location: Palmares Golf Course, near Lagos golf breaks

Restaurant Pier by the sea

The seafood restaurant and brewery owned by the chef César Lourenço left the Santa Eulália area, where it had been for three years, to settle right in the centre of Albufeira. Seafood continues to have the chef’s quality guarantee, who offers the Super Onda de Marisco boards as suggestions. Highlights include the seafood rice, but also the Tuna Prego in caco bread from Cais ao Mar, the loin Picapau and the Pata Negra ham, at the starters.

Location: Rua Almeida Garret, 27, near Albufeira golf breaks

Restaurant Tico Tico Algarve

Seafood and appetizers are the star of this new space on Quarteira’s waterfront, with the beach right at your feet. On the terrace facing the sea, entertain yourself with barnacles, crab or cuttlefish roe, octopus salad and fish-egg salad. For full meals, Tico Tico Algarve has xerém clams, Octopus Pataniscas and Bitoque.

Location: Avenida Infante de Sagres, Edificio Elegante, block C, Quarteira, near Vilamoura golf breaks

Restaurant Well Vale do Lobo

Sushi is a must in this new space at Vale do Lobo Resort. Inspired by Bali and Greece, the Well is located in Vale do Lobo square, right next to the pool and overlooking the sea. A sophisticated space, Well Vale do Lobo also has tacos, pokes, baguettes and snacks such as cuttlefish strips, chicken wings with chilli sauce and beef croquettes.

Location: Vale do Lobo Resort, near Vale do Lobo golf breaks

Restaurant Umami

In Quinta do Lago the first Asian restaurant opened its doors. Specializing in the Japanese cooking method robatayaki (food cooked over hot charcoal), Umami promises to combine a luxurious experience with a true sensory experience. The fish of the day is presented in caramelization of fermented soy, black garlic and fish liqueur, and the meat, Wagyu, with potato cream, a mix of wild mushrooms and mizuna. Then there’s Scallop Tempura, Chicken Yakitori and Gyozas, among other dishes.

Location: Rua das Palmeiras Rot.6, Av. André Jordan, near Quinta do Lago golf breaks

Restaurant Amare Beach Club

Hotel Faro‘s beach club returns renewed and with a new name for another summer. This is the ideal spot to have breakfast with toasted and bowls, lunch on hamburgers and salads, snack with oysters, clams and shrimp in tempura or dinner. Hotel Faro‘s Amare Beach Club is situated on Faro beach.

Location: Avenida Nascente 6, Praia de Faro, near Quinta do Lago golf breaks

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Portugal Golf – Salgados golf course in Algarve

Salgados golf course Bacalhau Strings Tournament

Salgados golf course Bacalhau Strings Tournament

An invitation was extended from Salgados Golf Course to Chez Carlos Golf Society to participate in their *Strings* tournament.

7 of our members accepted and were met with a warm day with an abundance of wind and anyone who has played Salgados knows that means some difficult playing conditions are in your immediate future.

The golf course itself is actually in top notch condition and the greens were quite quick. Putts had to be judged for speed quite precisely or there was a penalty to be paid for any exuberant efforts that missed.

The greens were near perfect for roll and it is appreciated that it was apparent the earlier groups made the effort to repair their pitch marks which isn’t always the case around the Algarve. The concept of the Strings game was somewhat lost on a few of our members but the round actually moved along at a reasonable pace. None of our Chez Carlos group placed in the prizes for scoring, but Jim Gillis came away with the long drive prize of one large bacalhau. As has been the case in these Salgados events, the lunch provided afterwards was spectacular.

Several codfish dishes and plenty of other options for those born without the I like fish gene, with an assortment of salad options and a well-done sweets and fruit table for dessert. The cheesecake was amazing and there was plenty of wine which seemed to be much appreciated by all. Simply said, the value for these events hosted by Salgados are unbeatable and everyone has a great time. Its a bit of an earlier start than our usual, but highly recommended to try at least once.

By Jim Gillis organizer of C.C.G. Society

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