Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort was one of the most talked-about new golf courses of 2011 and is looking forward with relish to the new season after claiming a leading industry travel award – just six months after opening.

The 27-hole complex, situated in the western corner of the Algarve, was voted runner-up in Portugal’s Best Courses by readers of Today’s Golfer magazine with only Vilamoura’s prestigious Old Course beating it to first place in the poll.

Onyria Palmares received widespread acclaim after it was redesigned and officially opened by world-renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones II last June and the venue is set to become a firm favourite among travelling golfers in the coming years.

The three loops of nine holes – the Alvor, Lagos and Praia courses – enjoy expansive panoramic views across the Bay of Lagos, with each lay-out offering a different kind of golfing challenge in a glorious and natural environment.

While the Alvor course plays through pine tree-lined corridors with the majority of holes ascending hillsides or descending through intimate valleys, the Lagos course is a mixture of parkland and links features and the Praia is set on classic seaside dunes-land exposed to the elements.

Trent Jones II said last year: “The Algarve is a renowned golf destination, much like Pebble Beach or St Andrews. So when I first came here I said ‘Well I have to play up here, we have a lot of good golf courses in this region’. But when I saw the land I thought ‘Wow! Maybe once a decade I might get a piece of land to work with like this’.”

Built at a cost of €10million, Portugal’s newest golf course is part of the Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort which will see a total investment of €300million when it is completed.

Work on the resort’s five-star hotel started last year and is due to be finished next summer while the complex will also include a selection of villas.

In addition, guests can take advantage of a wide range of facilities including a golf driving range with two training centres, a panoramic clubhouse and an array of different sports and leisure activities, while residents will be able to enjoy an impressive shopping area as well as exclusive access to a beach club.

With breathtaking views, Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resorts offers a unique location in the Algarve with dazzling views to the Ria de Alvor, Meia-Praia and Bay of Lagos.

For more details, go to www.onyriapalmares.com