Portugal golf – Alamos Golf Course

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Alamos Golf Course

Alamos Golf Course

Alamos Golf Course 21 July 2021

Our golf fix on 21 July was provided by Alamos Golf Course near Portimao.
The course itself was in great shape for this time of year, better than we have seen it during the hot summer months in the past.
It is apparent that some effort is being made to keep the golf course in playable condition as the fairways are green, well maintained, and proper lies result.

It has been a knock on the course in the past that this was not the case and areas of fairways were dried out and such is not the case this summer season.
Chez Carlos Golf Society played here at Alamos several weeks ago as well and the green were exceptionally quick and dangerous.
This time around, they were slower, ran true and were receptive to approach shots. A few in our group of 12 played some of their better rounds of the season. Louise Graham (39), Gordon Fleming (37) and John Harris (33) finished top 3 on the day.
John Harris also had shot of the day on our nearest the pin hole at #16.

Alamos is a great little course that even though it is short to some degree, provides challenges for all levels of players and makes for a fun day.
On this day if there was a complaint that could be considered relevant, it was that the greenside bunkers had been soaked to the point of unplayable mud in efforts to keep the greens in good nick.
They were bad enough that I would suggest the greenskeeper post GUR signs and deemed that relief from these bunkers was mandatory. Although I did not feel as affected by this as my playing partners, I empathized with their frustration and how it impacted their scoring and their day as well as being splattered with sloppy mud in several situations. The variety of holes and choices when it comes to strategy to play this golf course is always intriguing and keeps it interesting. Personally, I feel the more I play this course, the more it grows on me because it does have nuances that make you think and execute good golf shots to score well.

You can also read other posts about Golf in Portugal:
Amendoeira O’Connor Ocean Course
Trade Circuit at Old Course in Vilamoura
Seniors Golf – Portugal vs Andalusia

Portugal golf – Amendoeira O’Connor Golf Course

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Amendoeira O'Connor Golf Course

Amendoeira O’Connor Golf Course

Another warm and sunny summer day in the Algarve took Chez Carlos Golf Society to Amendoeira O’Connor Golf Course on 17 July.

We had a group of 20 players all set with intentions of conquering our golf demons and holing putts from ridiculous distances, but the O’Connor Jnr Course had other plans in mind for most.
Aside from a few excellent efforts by a few of our members that deserve commendation, O’Connor defended itself well.

Fraser Graham (39), Ian McAleese (38), and Adrian Fraser Jones (36) were the only 3 that could manage to beat the course and accumulate 36 or more stableford points on the day. Nick Coulson took nearest the pin honours on hole #13.
O’Connor Jnr, as always, was in very good condition tee to green, and the greens themselves were not lightning fast as we have seen them in the past but ran true and consistent and pin placements provided a fair test of skill. As is usual with Amendoeira, the staff and the service they provide from front desk to caddy master is exemplary, efficient, and quite friendly and helpful which is greatly appreciated always by our members.
Included in the special for our group was buckets of balls for the range which has legitimate grass tees and an excellent little practice chipping green for warming up prior to hitting the course.

In my humble opinion, the O’Connor course is a fair test to all levels of talent or lack thereof. Short hitters will be pushed to their limits to get there, and long hitters will be dealt with accordingly for errant tee shots.
Around the greens requires some nifty shot making to produce scores. Measuring by attendance from our membership, it is quite apparent that O’Connor Jnr is one of our group’s favourites in the Algarve.
The course is without a doubt top notch and the service is second to none at Algarve golf courses. If I had a peeve, it is with the GPS on the buggies that restricts their pace in critical areas around the course, which is understandable and acceptable. Having the caddy master explain this to patrons as they assign buggies would be appropriate so they understand their buggy is not dying on them as they proceed to the first tee box when it activates built in slow speed restrictions.
Also, the buggies are coded not to work at all in the parking lot, which makes little sense when players go to load up their clubs from their vehicles and is an annoyance that seemed unanimous amongst our group.
Several times as I wait for our members near the caddy master station, I have witnessed patrons approach the desk upset their buggy died in the parking lot only to have them made aware of the circumstances at that time.
Saying that if this is the only complaint one can make about their Amendoeira O’Connor Jnr experience, it is quite petty.
This golf course is one of Chez Carlos Golf Society’s favourites and quality of course and golf experience for value is as good or better than most in the Algarve.

You can also read other posts about Golf in Portugal:
Trade Circuit at Old Course in Vilamoura
Seniors Golf – Portugal vs Andalusia
Vale do Lobo Ocean Course

Golf in Spain – Sotogrande Golf Challenge

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San Roque Old Course. Sotogrande Golf Challenge

San Roque Old Course

The 2nd round of the Sotogrande Golf Challenge already has winners.

The Clube São Roque takes over as the venue for the third stage of the circuit on July 24 at the recently renovated, Old Course.

Covadonga Basagoiti- Juan Álvarez-Rendueles and Francisco Benítez – José Luis Iglesias have achieved their goal of winning the classification of the second regular round of the Sotogrande Golf Challenge 2021 held at Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort.

The San Roque golf course, Alcaidesa Heathland golf course, an expert in hosting top-level international events, was presented with a demanding set-up in which all participants had to show their best version to achieve a positive result in an international benchmark golf course. In addition, Ana Ruiz, stressed the magnificent state of Alcaidesa’s design and how it has served as a claim so that great sports figures on the international scene, such as Liverpool FC footballer Jame Milner, have come to enjoy this second stop of a circuit that will end its regular phase on September 18 and 19 at the Real Club Sotogrande.

Among the sixty players who finally gathered in this test, the couple formed by Covadonga Basagoiti and Juan Álvarez-Rendueles knew how to get their best version of the game and win with 39 scratch points, based on a magnificent command of the reading of the puts. In second position with 37 points, Ernesto Mira Hafner and Gonzalo Gross finished with the honey on their lips for not getting a direct pass to the Real Club Valderrama grand final in November.

Speaking of the handicap category, Francisco Benítez and José Luis Iglesias (44 stableford points) were the ones who best knew how to adapt to a better ball pair modality in which the success of the rapport is essential to achieve a great result. In second position, with the same score, finished Cándido Romaguera and José Manuel Dicenta. The prize for the nearest the pin on the 14th hole went to John Groszek who managed to get his ball just over a meter away from the hole on this magnificent par 3 of the Heathland course.

The next venues for the Sotogrande Golf Challenge will be July 24 at the San Roque Club Old Course, August 14 at Almenara Golf, August 28 at Club de Golf La Cañada and next September 18 and 19 at the Real Club Sotogrande in what will be the last test, before the grand final that will be held at the Real Club Valderrama on November 11, 2021, just a few weeks after the Estella Damm Andalucía Valderrama Masters 2021.

The website www.sotograndechallenge.com collects all the classifications as well as the registration possibilities individually for each of the tests that still must be disputed and that, represent a real challenge for all participants.

The Sotogrande Golf Challenge Circuit is a direct promotion of the San Roque City Council to promote the destination as a benchmark within the sports tourism segment at a national and international level.

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