What Makes Penina Golf Resort a Timeless Jewel in The Algarve

THE Algarve boasts some of the best golf courses in Europe and when you combine it with Portugal’s wonderful climate you have a pretty irresistible mix.

The region boasts more than 300 days of sunshine every year and a variety of spectacular golf courses that will live long in the memory.

Perhaps the most famous of all is Penina, designed by the legendary Henry Cotton. It was also the first course to be built in the Algarve. And while many others have since been created, Penina has stood the test of time and remains a must-play for anybody visiting the region.  

Penina Hotel and Golf Resort

The 5-star Penina Hotel & Golf Resort is set in 360 acres with 196 well-designed guestrooms. Each room comes equipped with comfortable beds, a 32-inch flat-screen satellite TV, a bathtub with shower, in-room safe, air conditioning, and a private terrace with pool or mountain views.

Restaurant & Bars

There is a terrific range of dining options available onsite. With indoor and outdoor seating, the Sagres Restaurant serves international cuisine in a casual and relaxed ambience. For a more formal atmosphere, try Le Grill Restaurant, which also serves international cuisine. Guests can also dine at the Italian inspired L’Arlecchino Restaurant and the Dunas Beach tapas restaurant, as well as two other dining options.

Spa & Leisure

The venue is also well equipped for non-golfers and guests looking to unwind. The beach is close to the hotel, and there is also a swimming pool, sauna, bicycle rental, a kids club, shopping and live entertainment available for guests.

Nearby

Only 800 metres away from the resort is the Ancão Nature Reserve where visitors can try their hand at water sports or walk around the beautiful surroundings. Alternatively, golfers can play the other courses located nearby such as Pinheiros Altos and San Lorenzo, where you will get reduced rates if you are staying at Penina.

The Golf Course

Henry Cotton had a hand in designing many of the courses in the Algarve but his masterpiece is Penina, the first 18-hole layout to be built in the Algarve. 

Penina has hosted the Portuguese Open on many occasions.  

Flanked by streams, water hazards and ditches, it is famous for subtle slopes and raised greens. A par 73, it remains a thing of beauty and offers a terrific challenge to golfers of all abilities.

Cotton oversaw the planting of thousands of trees and shrubs, transforming the landscape into a vegetation rich, lush land, perfect for playing the game of golf. From this initial build, there quickly sprang another 30 courses across the region - the Algarve had been changed forever. As the towering pines and eucalyptus trees reached maturity, the course was given a definitive character that remains unmatched across the region even today.  

The course is characterised by an unusual grouping of par fives, with four of the five arranged together in pairs in the beginning and end of the back nine.

The hotel provides a fabulous backdrop to the 18th hole, which is a stunning par five. The ideal drive should be short of the drainage ditch, with bunkers protecting the green to be avoided by your second before a pitch to a magnificent three-tier green. Also worth mentioning is the par-three 13th, which has been voted one of the best 500 holes on the planet. A lake borders the right-hand side, coming into play off the back tee, whilst the sloping green is guarded to the front and left by a pair of dangerous bunkers.

9-Hole Resort Course

The nine-hole Resort Golf Course at Penina Hotel offers 18-tees so players can play a full round if they wish. The track is full of its own challenges, though not to the calibre of the championship golf course, that will still test players, making this a great warm-up golf course before taking your game to the main layout.

For more information on Penina Hotel & Golf Resort, please visit Golfbreaks.