Championship Venue

Amendoeira — Faldo Course

Alcantarilha, Algarve · Designed by Nick Faldo (2008) · Est. 2008

The Faldo Course at Amendoeira, in the hills behind Alcantarilha near Silves, is one of the most distinctive layouts in the Algarve — a bold, modern, target-golf design by six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo, opened in 2008. Faldo drew on the rugged, arid terrain to create something closer to a desert course than a typical Algarve parkland, with fairways carved through scrubland, dramatic waste areas, rock outcrops and native planting rather than lush pine.

At par 72 over around 6,600 metres, it is a genuine championship test that demands precise, strategic golf: carries over waste ground, angled greens and clever risk-and-reward options reward the thinking player. It is a striking contrast to the coastal resorts, and its inland setting keeps green fees keener than the marquee names.

The Amendoeira resort also has a second course, the O'Connor Jnr layout, making it a fine two-course base a little away from the coastal crowds.

Holes worth knowing

1The waste-area carries — Faldo used the rugged terrain to demand strategic, precise driving over scrub and sand, unlike anything on the coast.
2The angled greens — risk-and-reward options and cleverly tilted greens reward the thinking player throughout.

Highlights

Bold desert-style design by Sir Nick Faldo (2008)
Waste areas, rock outcrops and target golf
A striking contrast to coastal Algarve courses
Two-course resort inland near Silves

Good to know

→This is Nick Faldo's Algarve statement — a desert-style, target-golf course quite unlike the lush coastal parklands, so expect a different, strategic challenge.
→The resort has a second course (the O'Connor Jnr layout), making Amendoeira a good two-course base away from the coastal crowds.
→It sits inland near Silves — the old Moorish capital of the Algarve, with a red sandstone castle worth a visit on a rest day.
→Being inland, green fees are keener than the marquee coastal resorts for a course of real championship quality.
→Faro Airport is about 40 minutes; the beaches around Armação de Pêra are 15 minutes down the road.