Pestana Vila Sol - Portugal- buggies

[timd77]

Hi,

We’re planning our next golf holiday for next year, and have pretty much settled on Pestana Vila Sol. Course looks half decent, good location, decent value.

Snag we’ve hit us that golfbreaks are telling us that they can’t include buggies in the price as they can’t be pre-booked, you just sort them out on the day, if there are any left. This will cause an issue for us as we’ve got some older lads who couldn’t walk a golf course 3 days in a row, plus, who wants to walk on a golf holiday in the heat!

Has anyone played the course before and come across this issue? Is there any way around it?

 

[Mel Smooth]

Book eariy tee times?

 

[HobyKenobi]

Played at the start of May, 2pm Sunday tee time and they had no buggies left for us, had to hire trollies and walk, didn't mind as was only about 20 degrees and we were fit enough to walk, thankfully!

 

[IanM]

I'd ring/email the course myself and sort it in advance of booking.

 

[Slab]

Find out how big their fleet is then it'll be easier to book tee times around that number AM or PM ( i.e a buggy booked by someone teeing off at 8.30 should be available to hire out again at 2pm, allowing for a 5hr round)

 

[timd77]

Played at the start of May, 2pm Sunday tee time and they had no buggies left for us, had to hire trollies and walk, didn't mind as was only about 20 degrees and we were fit enough to walk, thankfully!

Oh god, doesn’t sound promising!

 

[timd77]

Book eariy tee times?

Find out how big their fleet is then it'll be easier to book tee times around that number AM or PM ( i.e a buggy booked by someone teeing off at 8.30 should be available to hire out again at 2pm, allowing for a 5hr round)

Had thought of that but the problem is there will be 12-16 of us, and don’t really want the stress of not knowing whether we’ve got buggies until just before we tee off, as they wouldn’t be guaranteed.

I'd ring/email the course myself and sort it in advance of booking.

We’re doing that, but posted on here in the hope that someone has actually been there and knows how to sort it.

 

[SurreyGolfer]

Not quite answering your question but I played there in November 3 days running and carried in 20-25 degrees. It was fine, course is relatively easy to walk. So if you, for example, manage to secure buggies for 2 of the days I wouldnt worry about having to walk on the third day

 

[gazza271]

I got back from Tenerife last night, we had one course where they didn't include buggies in our booking but were happy to reserve them for us and we paid on the day. Would expect that to be pretty similar procedure most places to be honest ? Ours was booked through golfbreaks as well.

 

[gazza271]

Sorry, just read properly and seen you can't pre book

 

[Bazz]

We're there in October, will check for you then.


Edit: Ignore me, nobody is waiting 5 months for an answer.

 

[timd77]

We're there in October, will check for you then.


Edit: Ignore me, nobody is waiting 5 months for an answer.

No problem. Out of interested, who have you booked through, and did they also tell you that buggies can’t be booked?

 

[Bazz]

No problem. Out of interested, who have you booked through, and did they also tell you that buggies can’t be booked?

Golfbreaks. Yep that's exactly what they said. I think we'd be ok because our 3 tee times are all at 8 or before. We're all walkers so not that fussed, but if you need one and tee off later I think you need to go direct to the course.

 

[Platypus]

We've just returned from a four round, long weekend in Alvor.
All four courses were Pestana owned (Alto, Gremacho, Silves & Pinta) and none of them allowed pre-booking of buggies.
Our group size was 16, so 8 buggies required.
Whilst we did manage to get enough buggies each day it was a bit iffy, especially for the round we had booked after midday...
At that course we were stood on the first tee with only five buggies, hoping for more to come in as the first of our groups teed off.

Really can't understand their logic.

 

[timd77]

We've just returned from a four round, long weekend in Alvor.
All four courses were Pestana owned (Alto, Gremacho, Silves & Pinta) and none of them allowed pre-booking of buggies.
Our group size was 16, so 8 buggies required.
Whilst we did manage to get enough buggies each day it was a bit iffy, especially for the round we had booked after midday...
At that course we were stood on the first tee with only five buggies, hoping for more to come in as the first of our groups teed off.

Really can't understand their logic.

Interesting, thanks for the reply. What times did you tee off? What would you say are the best tee times to increase the chances of getting buggies? Bearing in mind there’s no chance we’ll be in any sort of state to tee off early!

It is crazy logic. Pretty much golf paradise around there, you’d think they’d want sufficient buggies for everyone who wanted one, make the most of it. Very unlikely I’d use a buggy in the uk, but abroad it’s all part of it.

 

[Slab]

A resort course really needs a fleet of around 50 buggies if they want to make sure everyone can get one

 

[Platypus]

Vale da Pinta 11:27
Silves 11:33
Gramacho 12:36
Alto 09:45

I'm guessing a little, but to give the best chance of getting a buggy I'd say you need a Tee time before 11am
Like you say, most groups of us holiday golfers can't recover from the night before for an earlier start

 

[CliveW]

Have you thought of arriving early in the morning and booking a buggy on a first come first served basis?

 

[Bazz]

Got back yesterday and there didn't seem to be any issues with buggies, there seemed to be a far few lined up, we walked though.

We teed off at 13.21 on Saturday and it was proper slow so just expect that and you won't be disappointed.

We played Gramacho at 7.39 on Sunday and flew round as we were the second group, probably my favourite course out the lot. Golf was all inclusive for us so we did Alto in the afternoon and managed 13 holes before we'd had enough of waiting around, but we were happy enough as we'd done a full 18 in the morning.

Monday we teed off at Pinta at 8.51, behind a group of mixed Germans in what could have been there first time out the house let alone a golf course, 4.5 painful hours. The organiser of their comp said the course had double booked some tee times so they were late going out. Played Silves in the afternoon and managed 8 after all agreeing we'd rather off ourselves than carry on...to get to the clubhouse we had to walk back from 8-1, there was no easy way off the course.

I couldn't fault the courses, decent condition but they literally couldn't care less about pace of play. Just take the money and off you go.

To answer your actual question, seemed like they had loads of buggies..

 

[timd77]

Got back yesterday and there didn't seem to be any issues with buggies, there seemed to be a far few lined up, we walked though.

We teed off at 13.21 on Saturday and it was proper slow so just expect that and you won't be disappointed.

We played Gramacho at 7.39 on Sunday and flew round as we were the second group, probably my favourite course out the lot. Golf was all inclusive for us so we did Alto in the afternoon and managed 13 holes before we'd had enough of waiting around, but we were happy enough as we'd done a full 18 in the morning.

Monday we teed off at Pinta at 8.51, behind a group of mixed Germans in what could have been there first time out the house let alone a golf course, 4.5 painful hours. The organiser of their comp said the course had double booked some tee times so they were late going out. Played Silves in the afternoon and managed 8 after all agreeing we'd rather off ourselves than carry on...to get to the clubhouse we had to walk back from 8-1, there was no easy way off the course.

I couldn't fault the courses, decent condition but they literally couldn't care less about pace of play. Just take the money and off you go.

To answer your actual question, seemed like they had loads of buggies..

Great, thanks mate. We’re booked in now, going for 1-2pm tee times so hopefully we’ll be ok