Revamped Algarve course celebrates first anniversary
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One year on from its opening by designer Robert Trent Jones Jnr, Onyria Palmares deserves to crack open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.
Having launched to some acclaim in June 2011 following a €10m redesign of Frank Pennink’s original – and popular – layout, the plaudits continued to rack up and the course was, ultimately, voted Portugal’s second-best course by readers of Today’s Golfer magazine just six months after its opening!
And it also ended 2011 as a remarkable new entry at 26th in Golf World’s poll of Top 100 European Golf Courses. But that’s just half the story … or two-thirds of the story anyway.
The three loops of nine holes – the Alvor, Lagos and Praia courses – enjoy expansive panoramic views across the Bay of Lagos, with each lay-out offering a different kind of golfing challenge in a glorious and natural environment.
Word has continued to spread with more than 14,000 rounds having been played in 2012 already, and sales director Joao Pinto Coelho believes the resort’s reputation will continue to grow.
He said: “We enjoyed a fabulous first year and to be regarded so highly by two of the UK’s most prestigious golf magazines within the first six months was testament to the work put in by Onyria Resorts and, of course, the inimitable Robert Trent Jones Jnr.
“The reaction to the golf course from visitors has been universally positive. I remember what an Irish friend said to me when he first came over to visit. He said ‘I won’t tell anybody about Onyria Palmares otherwise very soon you won’t have availability for me to play anymore’. He was joking but as people are becoming more aware we are finding ourselves busier and busier.”
The 27-hole resort has been heralded as one of the courses in Portugal by many respected pundits, while members of the English Golf Union’s regional training squads took advantage of its first-class facilities during a warm weather training camp during the winter.
While the Alvor course plays through pine tree-lined corridors with the majority of holes ascending hillsides or descending through intimate valleys, the Lagos course is a mixture of parkland and links features, and the Praia is set on classic seaside dunes-land exposed to the elements.
The 27-hole set-up is part of the Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort which will see a total long-term investment of €300m by the time it is completed.
In addition, visitorss can take advantage of a wide range of facilities including a golf driving range with two training centres, a panoramic clubhouse and an array of different sports and leisure activities, while residents will be able to enjoy an impressive shopping area as well as exclusive access to a beach club.
With breathtaking views, the venue offers a unique location in the Algarve with dazzling views to the Ria de Alvor, Meia-Praia and Bay of Lagos.
