The Ocean Course provides attractive links-style holes adjacant to the Atlantic, and is considered to be one of the finest courses on the Algarve. There are parkland holes, too meandering through the Vale do Lobo estate. The combination provides a challenging course for golfers of all handicaps. The front nine holes of this course underwent a complete remodelling in 2003. The Opening hole is now a tough, par 4 of 423 metres off the back tees. A slight dog-leg left, you need two really good accurate shots to have any hope of scoring well on this hole.
The next 3 holes pretty much follow the contours of the land, with stragic hazards to be taken into consideration. Holes 5 and 6 are new. Six is a testing par 5 with an apparently narrow landing area for the drive between a group of bunkers to the left, and a lake which runs the entire length of the hole to the green on the right. .
The 344- metre ninth is a dog-leg left, with approach to an elevated green. A cascading stream tumbles down the left side of the fairway before feeding into a channel bisecting the fairway and flowing into a lake. The overall effect is very attractive.
The 11th and 14th Hole are challenging par 4's. The greens are set against a backdrop of white sand and the sea. Running parallel to the shore, the par -3 fifteenth offers a tantalisingly large green, but the 'out of bounds' to the left is the beach.
The 18th hole is a very challenging par-5 uphill towards a narrow entrance to a tiered green. Making a par here is not easy.
Driving Instructions:
20 Kilometres west of Faro Airport on the Quinta da Lago estate. There are three main roads to the coast from the village of Almancil. The courses are well signposted from Almancil.
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