Portugal

[stevek1969]

Well next May were of to the above for one of the lads 40ths ,16 in total should be a blast .

Go an email today from one of the lads running it and we're playing Pinhal,Laguna and Millennium and staying at Vina Gal in Vilamoura anybody played any of these tracks and if so your thoughts on them.

 

[Yosser]

Well next May were of to the above for one of the lads 40ths ,16 in total should be a blast .

Go an email today from one of the lads running it and we're playing Pinhal,Laguna and Millennium and staying at Vina Gal in Vilamoura anybody played any of these tracks and if so your thoughts on them.

Yeh, played those three courses last July and I'm going again in a couple of weeks to play the same three courses. I'd only just started playing last year and choose those three as they looked relatively straight forward which Millenium was, Pinhal was a bit more challenging and Laguna more so due to the amount of water hazards. To be honest I don't remember a massive amount of trouble on any of the courses compared to the parkland courses I play on here. All the Oceania courses are immaculately kept and the facilities are very impressive with extremely professional staff throughout.

In June/July it is VERY hot which is why it is low season for golf, so before I went I booked 8am tee times using www.teetimes.pt. Its a bit more expensive to play at that time but its cooler and allows you to get back early to do other things. At the time I only had a set of Dunlop clubs because I wasn't sure I would take to the sport. By the time I was booking Portugal, I was hooked and therefore in the market for a set of clubs so I thought I would hire a decent set that I fancied and try them for the week. I hired a full set of TM RBZ irons and woods for 66 Euro inc insurance, given that EasyJet wanted £50 to take my own set, it was a bit of a no-brainer. As it turned out I loved the RBZ woods but didn't really get on with the irons, so I've just bought the woods - so it probably saved me a few bob.

I used www.clubstohire.com, you book on line and pick them up at Faro airport, you don't have to muck about packing a carrying your own clubs through airports and you get £1400 worth of brand new clubs for a week to see if you really like them rather that just hitting a few shots in a shop/range. I'm doing the same again, although this year I'm trying the RBZ Stage 2, although with hindsight perhaps I should have hired the Mizuno JPX825 just to see what they are like - er but I;m not supposed to be in the market for clubs anymore.

 

[stevek1969]

Cheers for the reply mate, we're going in May and tee times booked for 1pm all 3 days, we're taking our own clubs with Jet2 and have a good deal for the 5 nights we're ,think i'm one of the high handicappers going of 13 next is 19 so a decent standard of golfer going.
I fancied the Old course but think most of the guys fancy saving there money for the Jack the Rippers

 

[Dodger]

You will have a ball Steve,yes it'll be hot but not too hot to stroll around in.

I have not played any of these but have been for a look and the above post says it all......they should be in great nick as long as there is no 'winter' work going on as they tend to do the greens in June or July.

The Old is superb,if you have a spare day play it.

Super Bock all the way!!:cheers:

 

[richart]

Not played the courses you mention Steve, but can fully recommend the Old Course as well. It was one of the few courses I have played that wanted a handicap certificate, although this was few years back.

 

[Yosser]

You will have a ball Steve,yes it'll be hot but not too hot to stroll around in.

I have not played any of these but have been for a look and the above post says it all......they should be in great nick as long as there is no 'winter' work going on as they tend to do the greens in June or July.

The Old is superb,if you have a spare day play it.

Super Bock all the way!!:cheers:

Yes I've heard that the Old Course and Victoria are a great courses, they held the Portugal Masters at Victoria there last year I seem to remember. San Lorenzo has also been recommended to me, dunno didn't see that one.

Your right about the winter work, last July Pinhal had two temporary greens but that was reflected in the price and it was reduced from about 75 Euro to 45 Euro and this was made clear at booking. The other two courses were unaffected.

HeHe yes Super Bock, Euro a pint!!

 

[Hobbit]

Played Laguna and Millenium, and enjoyed both. Don't recognise the hotel you're staying at - stayed at the Vila Gale Marina in Vilamoura. Had a great time and would happily go back again.

 

[Simbo]

Played pinhal and millennium 2 weeks ago, millennium was good but thought pinhal wasn't in that great condition, decent enough track though. You really should go and play the old course mate, it's a far superior course to the 3 you are playing,,imo of course, but it is a harder course than those 3. Victoria is just behind the old course IMO. Weather can be a bit hit and miss in may so be prepared. We had handicap certificates with us but no course asked for them

 

[IM01]

+1 Old Course

+1 Super Bock

 

[John Boy Saint]

Only played Millennium off that list and I have to say that I was very disappointed, even more so now having played loads of other courses in the area, admittedly mostly to the east. The course was fairly inert but the over riding feeling was that of a Golf processing plant. Pay an not insignificant amount of money and from about hole 4 getting hassled by the Marshals to hurry up despite being well in touch with the group in front and comfortably ahead of the group behind, add into this every other green was sanded, I have never felt so miserable on a golf course and ultimately after the 3rd un necessary nudge from a Marshal most of us were pretty hacked off and as a result our Golf was going downhill to the point of not really caring. As a higher handicap player I have never been told to get a move on.
Hopefully ours was a one off, looking at that list i am sure you will have a very good time.

My Missus keeps asking what do I want to do for my 50th next year, this does sound like a good wheeze.

 

[stevek1969]

Cheers for the info lads,need to get to Nandos's and get a few Super Bocks down the neck. Going to try and get a game on the Old depending on rough i feel.

 

[deanobillquay]

I did golf on the algarve last year for my 40th - gramacho and vale da Pinta, returning there next year and hoping to do vilamoura area.

Enjoy :thup:

 

[stevek1969]

Cheers mate, still a year away but looking forward to something different rather than our yearly trek around links courses in Ireland:whoo:

 

[alnecosse]

Steve played the same three courses 2 yrs ago in May and couldn't fault them they were all in good condition. With free shuttle service back and forth from most of the hotels, but i would say play the old course think we paid about 100 euros, but some good deals to be had when your out there. Your talking 4 1/2-5 hrs for a round but when the suns shining just didn't seem to matter,
loved every minute of it.

 

[Yosser]

Just got back, played Laguna, Millenium then Pinhall and hired a buggy for the three rounds which doesn't half make a difference when its so hot. I did enjoy it but have to confess that I really struggled, much more so than I remember last year. I lost eight balls at Laguna, four on the last five holes which were playing decidedly Links-y with a very strong left to right wind coming from the coast taking decent shots into the water hazards. Laguna was quiet so the starter sent me out on my own, so I just put my rubbish performance down to me being rubbish. However at Millenium I was in a four ball and a three ball at Pinhall and I noticed everybody seemed to be struggling, even low handicappers, I played with a Dutch lady off 10 who was a superb ball striker and even she struggled in a couple of the bunkers. She was saying, as was everybody else that the grass was too long, the first cut was long and thick and the second just a nightmare, also the bunkers had thick wet sand, very difficult with my standard SW hire club. So if you add those factors in with lightning fast greens it made for a lethal combination, challenging and entertaining to say the least! I only lost one ball in the remaining two rounds and I worked out that the bump and run wasn't a good idea as the ball seemed to grab on the fairway, so much more pitching was required, also I would have preferred a wedge with less bounce for the bunker shots. Obviously if you hit every fairway and green there's nothing to worry about.

The one thing which did irritate me slightly was that Millenium had one temporary green in operation, which the starter should have informed us about before we tee-d off. Pinhall had two and it was only after I asked that he pointed out which holes were affected and he then announced it to all the groups I was stood with on the first tee. I mentioned earlier in this thread that such mainteinance issues are usually pointed out to you even before booking and they usually give a discount, which wasn't offered so its slightly disappointing. Next year I might take my own clubs if I cannot get the same equivalent hire set.