Amendoeira Faldo Course

The verdict

The Faldo Course at Amendoeira is the Algarve's answer to the modern, strategic inland layout, and a course that plays differently to almost anything else in the region. Where the coastal stalwarts around Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago are tree lined parkland, the Faldo is a rugged, slightly desert toned design routed through rocky hills near Silves, inland from Armação de Pêra. Nick Faldo and his design team opened it in 2008, and the stamp of a major champion who thinks his way around a golf course is everywhere: generous off the tee in places, but demanding precise angles and clever placement to attack the large, contoured greens.

It is the tougher and more celebrated of the two courses on the property, with the shorter Christy O'Connor Junior Course alongside it as the easier, friendlier companion. From the back tees the Faldo stretches to around 7,125 yards, a genuine par 72 examination, yet a full set of forward tees keeps it fair for the visiting golfer who picks sensibly. For a Algarve trip that wants variety beyond the famous coastal courses, a day on the Faldo is the inland round to add, a proper strategic test wrapped in mountain and orange grove scenery.

The holes worth the trip

The character of the Faldo Course is set by the land it sits on. Faldo routed the holes through rocky outcrops and natural watercourses rather than flattening them out, so the round is a series of decisions: which side of the fairway opens the green, when to take on a carry over a barranco, and when to lay back and trust a wedge. The greens are the defining feature, big and gently tiered, so the approach is rarely just about distance; it is about finishing on the correct level to leave a makeable putt.

The par 5s are where the course shows its teeth and its generosity in equal measure, reachable for the bold who flirt with the rocky margins, punishing for the loose. Several of the par 4s ask a committed line off the tee to avoid being blocked out by the terrain, the kind of strategic question that rewards a player who walks the course with a plan rather than swinging away. It is not a course that overwhelms with water hazards in the coastal style; instead it defends itself with angles, contour and the discipline it demands.

From the championship markers at around 7,125 yards it is a stern test, but the Faldo was built for resort play as much as for low handicappers, and from the forward tees it becomes a thoroughly enjoyable, scenic round. Take a buggy, respect the rocky edges, play to the fat side of the greens, and you will come off having played one of the Algarve's most interesting inland eighteens.

Where to stay nearby

Most golfers play Amendoeira as part of a wider central Algarve trip and base themselves on the coast a short drive south, around Armação de Pêra, Carvoeiro or Albufeira, where the choice of resort hotels, apartments and restaurants is widest. The resort itself sits inland in a quieter, countryside setting near Silves, a handsome old Moorish town worth an evening, which suits golfers who want calm and easy access to both Amendoeira courses.

The central Algarve location makes the Faldo an easy fixture in a varied week. Pair it with the coastal parkland of Vilamoura Pinhal and the Dom Pedro Old Course, or the polished Quinta do Lago South, and you have a trip that mixes the region's classic tree lined golf with this rugged inland change of pace. A few nights on the coast turns the Faldo into one stop on a complete Algarve itinerary.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Amendoeira.