Tavira, Portugal
The Algarve is Portugal’s most popular tourist destination and Boasts a warm climate and an array of great golf courses. Hidden in the hills east of Tavari, close to the Spanish border, Monte Rei is the best of the courses in the region. With stunning views of the Serra do Caldeirão Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, the championship course designed by Jack Nicklaus is a challenging test of golf. The course has an interesting variety of hole lengths with five par fives and five par threes and each hole is blended well into its surrounds. Indigenous plants and native grasses surround fairways and greens, and several lakes bring water into play on eleven of the holes. Characteristic of Nicklaus designs, the fairways are generously wide and the imposing bunkers are superbly placed, but fair to escape from if you do stray from the intended direction. It is difficult to choose a favourite hole on this course; all present interesting challenges and are all kept in excellent condition. A 15 minute gap between starting times keeps each group in isolation on the course and provides plenty of space. Service at the course is five star rated with ice boxes on the golf carts, clubs carried to and from cars on arrival and nice touches like cold towels provided after nine holes. A visit to Monte Rei is always a memorable one.
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