A change of venue at short notice saw the Society play the Oceanico Victoria on Saturday. It has now become a must play golf course for many after seeing it host the Portuguese Masters since 2007 when englishman Steven Webster won his first European Tour event.
The Algarve had experienced a great deal of rain in the week resulting in the course not allowing buggies on the day – a feature which is usually mandatory during normal conditions. It measures 6609mts off the back tees & the yellows 5628mts so the wet conditions did not allow the ball to run so it played every metre on the day. General maintenance with verti-draining was in evidence on the greens especially the back nine and sanding leading to some of the entrances – it really wasn’t a problem. It is something you come to expect in the first few months of each year.
The forecast of warm sunshine for the next couple of weeks will see the course blossom just in time for high season golf here in the Algarve. If you have never played it give it a go and try and par the last three holes!
Tournaments
Tee Times Golf Tournaments – All golf tournaments and golf solidarity events.
Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort – Midweek Game
On occasion the Society plays a midweek game if there are anxious golfers looking around for a game. The all new Onyria Palmares Golf Course near Lagos had just opened so it was fitting that we should give it a try. The ‘old’ Palmares was opened in 1975 and was a firm favourite for many golfers over the years as it had some of the best views from any golf course in Portugal and to play down to the Ocean was something special not to mention the scent of orange tree blossom blowing across the course.
The new owners tasked Robert Trent Jones Jr with refreshing a true classic. The first phase sees 18 holes operational this month. The layout is truly impressive though at the moment you have to tolerate that you are in a construction site as the additional nine holes do not come into play till next year. The condition is excellent; it just needs to mature and only time will do that as it did with the old one.
“Onyria Palmares Golf Course is special on so many levels. The expansive ocean views, dramatic elevation changes, quintessential Mediterranean intimate valleys, and expansive dunes land have blessed us with the environment to craft a golf course with an enormous depth of character and challenge’ describes Robert Trent Jones Jr – the Society agrees.
We can’t wait to try the new nine as part of it plays across the railway line that so many of us are familiar with. Glancing down to it from the clubhouse, which itself will be rebuilt, the whole project looks stunning set to a backdrop of a still blue ocean. A warm welcome awaits all that go and visit.
Laguna – Weekly Competition
Laguna GC was the venue for our last April Stableford Competition.
The course was in reasonable condition, but the greens although offering a fair roll to the putts were very hard and several non responsive to the regulation shot in. They have allowed the grass to grow around the aprons to the greens, making the short game an important factor following the previous missed green shot.
Bit of sun with cloud cover and cross wind made the tough back nine a difficult proposition, for many of our Players and the low scoring reflected this.
Nearest the pin on the 2nd was won by Jeff Seymour
Jim Russell playing the last game of his holiday, persevered and came in 3rd with 28pts
Charles Bradley-Smith assisted by his Caddie Alan had a fine front nine, but a more adventurous back nine resulted in a 32pt total and 2nd place, one of only 2 players to break the 30pt barrier on the day.
Jeff Seymour with 33pts was the other player and took 1st spot.
With flights now almost back to normal we will be welcoming more of our guest travelling golfers this coming Saturday at Pinhal GC.
See you there, if not before
