Golf Life
A temperate climate, luxurious hotels and some of the finest fairways in Europe the Algarve the number-one destination for winter golf
Featured February 12 Words by Amy Dennis/Photos Mariano Herrera
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HE WEARS Visor, Titleist, £14; polo, Fred Perry, £60; trousers, Tommy Hilfiger, £105; belt, Hackett, £65; glove, Nike, £17; watch, Citizen, £199; club, ClubstoHire.com
(above)
HE WEARS Visor, Titleist, £14; polo shirt, Luke, £45; jumper, Hackett, £160; shorts, J Lindeberg, £90; belt, Tommy Hilfiger, £35; shoes, Adidas at Golfsupport.co.uk, £51.99; socks, Adidas, £7; sunglasses, DKNY at Sunglass Hut, £96; club, ClubstoHire.com
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SHE WEARS Shirt, Kew, £65; cardigan, Paul Smith, £265; shorts, Paul & Joe, £170; belt, Hackett, £65; sunglasses, D&G at Sunglass Hut, £96; glove, Footjoy, £17
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HE WEARS jacket, Fred Perry, £175; short-sleeved shirt, Paul Smith, £179; trousers, Paul & Joe, £240; belt, Hugo Boss Green, £75; sunglasses, DKNY at Sunglass Hut, £96; glove, Nike, £17; watch, Citizen, £199; club, ClubtoHire.com
(above)
HE WEARS visor, Hugo Boss Green, £55; blazer, Luke, £120; turtle-neck top, Hackett, £110; trousers, Footjoy, £70; shoes, Adidas at Golfsupport.co.uk, £51.99; socks, Adidas, £7; glove, Nike, £17; watch, Citizen, £199; club, ClubstoHire.com
(above)
SHE WEARS Jacket, Lacoste, £250; shirt, £85, and trousers, £125, L K Bennett; belt, Paul Smith, £85; sunglasses, D&G at Sunglass Hut, £108; shoes, Footjoy, £72; socks, Lyle & Scott, £15
(above)
SHE WEARS Visor, Titleist, £14; jumper, Lyle & Scott £95; glove, Footjoy, £12.50; club, ClubstoHire.com
(above)
HE WEARS Hat, Paul Smith, £40; polo shirt, Luke, £45; sleeveless pullover, Hackett, £120; trousers, Tommy Hilfiger, £105; glove, Nike, £17; watch, Citizen, £199; club, ClubstoHire.com
THINGS HAVE CHANGED somewhat on Portugal's Atlantic coastline since Sir Henry Cotton first designed Le Méridien Penina golf course in the 1950s. Back then, the Algarve was a playground of the super-rich, when the legendary English golfer-turned-course-architect really put the region on the map with its first-ever luxury golfing resort. Fast forward 60 years and this picturesque part of the world has become an all-year round hotspot for lovers of the game. With over 30 top courses spread over a number of beautiful resorts within an hour's drive of Faro and average winter temperatures of 18°C, it's easy to see why millions unpack their clubs here each year. Indeed, it's so enticing that many also end up buying property in the area. You could say that it's the perfect place for a bit of fore play - as we found out when we visited two top resorts.
LARANJAL
The Laranjal course is the newest jewel in the Quinta do Lago crown. Arguably the Algarve's best-known - and most prestigious - golfing resort, Quinta do Lago's original pair of courses were built in 1974 by William Mitchell and Joseph Lee, two architects who wanted to bring the highest American standards of golf-course design to the Portuguese terrain.
Built three years ago, the latest addition is a worthy sibling and it's already won awards for its narrow fairways and well-defined greens. The land was originally an orange grove (that's what the name means in Portuguese) and this 72-par course still has an air of a country finca (estate) with orange trees lining the paths. It also has the backing of a world-famous golfer. Irishman Paul McGinley is best known for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup and he has now set up his academy at Quinta do Lago. Green fees range from €101 in the low season (1 June - 31 August and 15 November - 14 February) to €128 in high season (15 February - 31 May and 1 September - 14 November) for an 18-hole game on Laranjal. quintadolagogolf.com
QUINTA DO LAGO
Spread over 810 hectares of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, it's not just the courses that help Quinta do Lago stand out. The resort has 1,100 properties for season-long golfers and a seriously good hotel.
The 141 rooms and nine suites of the five-star Hotel Quinta do Lago have views over almost four hectares of grounds and out to the Formosa estuary and the sea. In the high season, this is the place to stay and you'll regularly find members of the jet set relaxing in the spa or dining on the terrace restaurants. Both Chris Evans, the millionaire British radio presenter, and Princess Caroline of Monaco have stayed here, and there's a real air of luxury as you follow the winding staircase that leads from the marble lobby to two high-end restaurants and the Laguna piano bar. After dark, when clubs are down, the Brisa do Mar and Ca d'Or restaurants teem with couples, fresh from the greens and ready for nothing more strenuous than a full round of eating and drinking.
VALE DO LOBO
If star spotting is your thing, then make a beeline for Vale do Lobo. The largest of the luxury villages in the area, its two courses boast a truly stunning backdrop, with two kilometres of beach extending into the distance past the final hole. This is surely one of the reasons that footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and David and Victoria Beckham are regular visitors. The properties range from one-bedroom townhouses, with a modest asking price of €180,000, to multimillion euro real-estate developments - and all are within easy distance of the course. There will soon be around 2,000 properties in total, and while around 150 residents live here year round, you'll also find droves of holidaymakers coming and going throughout the year, snapping up the best beachside boltholes to rent. After all, it's not every person who can claim to have a world-class golf course in their back garden. valedolobo.com
OCEAN COURSE
Vale do Lobo's two courses, the Ocean and Royal, are both a joy to behold - leading away from the bustling clubhouse and teeing-off green, and over a series of tricky fairways lined with high trees. Both were based on the original ideas of Sir Henry Cotton, who designed Le Méridien Penina, and are suitable for all level of players. If you get to the greens early enough, you may even see the 11-time Portuguese champion António Sobrinho zipping between the bunkers in his buggy to practise a few swings before the amateurs reach the bottom of the course. Visitors will pay €155 (18 holes) on the Ocean and €10 more on the Royal (book online in advance for substantial discounts). While the Royal certainly has a dramatic final few holes, with a tricky shot to hole 16 over the bright terracotta cliffs, the Ocean course is equally eyecatching: running through the nature reserve and down to palm trees on the beach. You may well find Vale do Lobo's other golfing pro, Steve Watkins, here. A lesson with him or António starts at €45 for 30 minutes. valedolobo.com
PHOTOGRAPHER Mariano Herrera FASHION DIRECTOR Nino Bauti ART DIRECTOR Blue Buxton PRODUCTION Amy Dennis HAIR & MAKE-UP Krystle Gohel using Bobbi Brown MODELS Polly (nextmodels.com), James Farrar (d1models.com)
STOCKISTS citizenwatch.com, clubstohire.com, footjoy.co.uk, fredperry.com, golfsupport.co.uk, hackett.com, hugoboss.com, jlindeberg.com, lacoste.co.uk, lkbennett.com, luke1977.com, lyleandscott.com, kew159.com, nike.com, paulandjoe.com, paulsmith.co.uk, sunglasshut.co.uk, titleist.co.uk, uk.tommy.com
SPECIAL THANKS Jennifer Freire at Hotel Quinta do Lago, Gatwick Express, ClubstoHire.com, Europcar
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