Faldo course at Amendoeira

[upsidedown]

Due to play there on Friday week , interested to hear any views from those who have played it ? Chap at our place was rather scathing !!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

It’s a good course- a lot of bunkers, you need to drive well, and it covers a large piece of real estate.
I enjoyed it.

 

[USER1999]

Good course, but quirky. You really do need the stroke saver, otherwise you will not have a scooby on some holes. On the long par 5 over the rock (660 yards?), don't hit driver if you hit a half decent ball. The fairway runs downhill to waste land, and it's easy to lose the ball.

Lots of waste areas.

 

[glynntaylor]

Have a buggy! Awesome course!

It took us just over 5 hours... there wasn’t any slow play just long distances between holes!

 

[upsidedown]

Cheers so far, yup we have a buggy as part of the Winter deal. Not sounding as bad as it was being painted to me earlier on today

 

[louise_a]

A bit tricked up for me, do you need bunkers over 100 yds long? a long way between some holes so a buggy is a must, I preferred the O'Connor course to be honest.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

If I recall correctly you have to use a buggy, there’s no option otherwise

 

[pokerjoke]

36 points and not one bunker hit.
I really enjoyed the course,think you will too.

 

[Grantley1988]

Fun course but you get punished with good shots which is annoying. I’ve played it 4 times and would still be excited to play it again. There is a great par 5 on the back nine which is the furthest point from the club house. A great spot.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Have played it 4 times over two trips, I like it. As has been said, don't attempt to walk it, it's a long trek. They put an old boy single with one of our three balls, his wife was coming along for the ride, he planned to walk it whilst she took his buggy spot. Fortunately we convinced him not to. She stayed in the library whilst he played. After, he was very grateful for the advice. The par 5 at the furthest point doesn't need a driver - too easy to run out of fairway. Everything off the fairway is scrub, and mostly red staked. No halfway, but the drinks trolley comes round a couple of times. There's a very short par 3 on the back 9, almost just a knock off the tee and let it fall, because of this, it gets a bad rep as a mickey mouse hole/ course, I think that's a bit unfair.

Are you not playing the O'Connor too? If you are, don't walk that one either - we did one afternoon as no buggies available for the additional round. Admittedly it was our second round of the day, we only planned 9 holes, but like the Faldo, they both run out to the farthest point and then turn back. There was nowhere to cut through easily (a fair bit of water dividing the holes), we ended up walking about 14 holes in a very stiff breeze, which just cleaned us out. Two of the lads jumped up on the road at about 14 or 15 (can't remember exactly), walked in and picked up a couple of buggies to come back and rescue everyone

Rounds on both courses can be very long, if the course is rammed, but also because of the distance between holes.

We've been elsewhere for the last two years, but the gang have pushed to return as the setup there is pretty good. Apartments have been excellent, courses in good nick, buggies included, clubhouse food pretty reasonable. Not much in the local town - need a taxi to get there if you haven't got a car, but there are two restaurants side by side in front of the church. Both good food, although one of the gang got ill after eating in the smarter looking shop fronted one. The better of the two is the one that looks more run down, and as if it's someones kitchen, with formica tables stuck outside. the host was really good, and treated us very well, the bill for 8 of us came to about 120 euros all in.

 

[Colonel Bogey]

130+ euros for one round in March.....how????? The course is empty?????

 

[upsidedown]

Really enjoyed it and HiD did too 😉 Played off the whites and she was off the reds and we both had 32 points . Forgot about the tip for the SS relying on the Garmin we have so paid the price on the B9 by being too long a couple of times which cost me two balls 😯.
Highlight was birding SI 1 with driver ,7 iron to 18 inches 😁
Greens had not long been hollow cored so not their best as also a bit long so slow .
Views from the top of the course we're immense and having gone round in 3 hours and 18 degrees sunshine what's not to like . Will be back year to play the O'Connor 😁

 

[Oddsocks]

Did anyone play the 9 hole flood lit course while out there, we never and was gutted about it. We stayed in the villa’s, surperb!

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Buggy is absolutely essential don’t think for a minute it’s doable on foot unless you’re an ultra distance triathlete in your spare time. First hole really narrows in from the right and it’s very easy to end up in the bushes, although it looks from the tee like you have loads of space. Stay left if possible. 2nd par 3 is pretty straight forward but I found I needed to club up. Don’t go right off the green as you’re down a massive ditch. 3rd is across a valley and has a blind green unless you’re massive off the tee. 4th is crazy. The fairway is hardly visible from the tee and there’s rocky outcrops all over the place on the left but there’s room once you’re down there. Wind was behind when I played and greenside in 2 was possible (its a long par 5). 6th straight forward driver wedge. 7th was one of those holes that’s rediculously long, I remember the greenside short bunker was a nightmare. 8th par 3 deffo club up but don’t be long. There’s a huge fall off at the back of the green, there’s a bunker that look like it’s the shape of the UK. 9th back up the hill to the clubhouse pretty straight forward and wide. 10th very long par 4. I was convinced it was a par 5 🤣. 11th par 3 looks dead easy but I struggled to hit the 2 tier green. It’s only a wedge but punishes you severely if you miss it. 12th is a bit of a joke. It’s uphill, very steep all the way up to the point you’re actually worried the ball could just roll all the way back down, easy green. 13th, strange layout with a big crop of trees in the middle of the fairway. Stay left off the tee green was hard to hold. 14th I found was very numb and boring. Very undulating downhill, if you’re short off the tee it’s uphill back to the green. 15th was nice, uphill all the way but only driver wedge and quite easy with the fairway filtering the ball down to the left where you can see the green. If you’re Right it’s a blind green. 16th par 3 from elevated tee to a huge green. Dead easy. 17th fairway is more bunkers than grass, good luck the bunkers are ridiculously deep, green in 2 from a fairway bunker is impossible. 18th quite straight forward, a good tee shot will get you to the green in 2 but it’s a long approach. Layup and wedge if you’re short off the tee. Huge risk reward all the way round 👍🏻

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Did anyone play the 9 hole flood lit course while out there, we never and was gutted about it. We stayed in the villa’s, surperb!

Yes, it’s off mats but was loads of fun and excellent for wedge practice. I just took a 50* wedge and a putter. Could get ridiculous amounts of backspin with a tour ball

 

[Tashyboy]

Fun course but you get punished with good shots which is annoying. I’ve played it 4 times and would still be excited to play it again. There is a great par 5 on the back nine which is the furthest point from the club house. A great spot.

Totally agree with this, hit some stonking drives down the middle only to see them role off the fairway into bunkers. Did my head in. Think it is a course you play and then would want to play again so you would know where to put your ball. The mention about not playing a driver off one of the holes coz it runs out to scrubland being an example, hit a stonking drive on that hole only for the ball to be lost. That aside enjoy me man.