Recommend May 2011 - (Page 75)

Opposite page: Portugal’s Penha Longa Hotel Spa & Golf Resort has a rich historical patrimony. and embracing streams, lakes and ponds that bring water into play on almost half the holes. The course makes high demands on almost every player. Accompanying the championship course are two 9-hole layouts, both less demanding than the main attraction and both designed by Cotton. Driving a short distance west, golfers enjoy another pioneer—the now-established course, Palmares Golf Club, overlooking Lagos Bay and the historic town of Lagos. British architect Frank Pennink created the course, as he did the Old Course at Vilamoura in central Algarve. STAYING: Located near Albufeira and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, award-winning Vila Joya is a boutique resort nestled amidst gardens and palms. Its Moorish-inspired buildings are fitted with 12 luxury standard and deluxe double rooms and eight beautifully appointed and spacious jr. and Royal suites. All rooms have views of the Atlantic and either a terrace or balcony to enjoy it from. Vila Joya provides its guests with the only two-star Michelin restaurant in Portugal, and other top amenities include the Joy Jung Spa, heated pool, open-air jacuzzi, and tennis court. The resort offers golf packages, including the 3-night Classic Short Golf Break priced from $805 pp dbl, including accommodations, breakfast, full-body massage, use of the Joy Jung Spa facilities and greens fees on three courses—all of which have a driving range, putting and chipping greens, pro shop, restaurant and bar. PLAYING: The Old Course in Vilamoura, one of five Vilamoura courses, is set in an umbrella pine woods with an undulating terrain. The 18-hole, par 73 course was recently remodeled, and the key holes are the four par 3s. The Silves Oceanico Faldo Golf Course, designed by Nick Faldo and inaugurated in 2008, is located in the Western Algarve, inland two miles from Armacao de Pera. This is a challenging 18-hole, par 72 course, with a hilly terrain in an undulating landscape. And the Victoria Golf Course, located in Vilamoura, debuted in 2004. Arnold Palmer is the architect of this currently longest 18-hole course in Portugal. Each hole has been designed to give the player a choice of five tees to play off, in order to make it suitable for golfers of all handicap levels. the lisbon coast STAYING: Located just a half-hour drive from the heart of Lisbon and a few minutes from the historic town of Sintra, the Penha Longa Hotel Spa & Golf Resort is a luxury place in every way. Managed by RitzCarlton, the hotel is part of a protected area and has a rich historical patrimony dating from the 14th century. Spacious rooms and suites have grand views and amenities range from goose-down comforters and plush robes, to high-speed Internet, iPod docking station and marble bathrooms. Resort facilities include five dining and bar venues (with a top-notch Japanese restaurant) and the Six Senses Spa offering sophisticated treatments and therapies. Guest leisure activities run from tennis and squash, to horseback riding, pool swimming (indoor and outdoor), and jogging on resort trails. On this part of the Lisbon Coast, there is a wealth of golf courses for golfing guests who want to play more than one course. The resort’s Unlimited Golf package, priced from $287 per night sgl, includes a deluxe forest-view room, breakfast and unlimited greens fees. A Golf & Spa combo is also available for two people. PLAYING: Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and home of two past Portuguese Opens, Penha Longa Golf Club is situated in the beautiful foothills of the Sintra Mountains. Measuring almost 7,000 yards from its tips, the challenging, championship, par 72 Atlantico Course is a layout for the very good, all-around golfer, accustomed to using every club. Penha Longa’s second layout, the 9-hole Monastery Course, is only slightly kinder than the five-star biggie. spain costa del sol STAYING: Located at the heart of the Costa del Sol and among the first luxury golf resorts in Europe, the Almenara Golf Hotel & Spa sits in the Sotogrande hills, overlooking the fabled Valderrama Golf Club, and surrounded by its own 27 holes of incomparable golf. Each of its spacious 148 rooms and suites has a terrace with views to the gardens or across the course to the Mediterranean. Guests have a choice of two award-winning restaurants, as well as the state-of-the-art, luxury Elysium Spa. While golf is the focal point at Almenara, other activities are available: tennis, an equestrian center, and two beach clubs with windsurfing, sailing and waterskiing. PLAYING: Designed by David Thomas, the Almenara Golf Course embraces 27 holes, allowing golfers to enjoy up to three different 18-hole combinations, all par 72. The fairways wander among gorgeous landscapes, around two large lakes framed by pine and cork oak trees. A short walk from the resort is the Sotogrande Golf Academy, with 90 practice fields, three practice holes, and private, group and kids lessons. Golf International offers a 7-night Cream of Costa del Sol package, with luxury hotel accommodations, daily breakfast, five rounds of golf, and a rental car. Four nights are spent at Almenara Golf Hotel & Spa and three nights at Gran Hotel Guadalmina-Banus. Golfers get to play five once-in-a-lifetime courses: Valderrama and Sotogrande Old Course (both designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr.), San Roque, Santana, and Finca Cortesin. The cost per golfer starts at $3,775 dbl; $2,800 dbl for a non-golfer. STAYING: On the eastern end of Costa del Sol is La Cala Golf & Spa Resort, set on a 1,000-acre estate in the foothills of the Mijas Mountains, just east of Marbella. This is Spain’s largest and perhaps may 2011 75 ÍÍ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Autograph Collection by Marriott
Tour Talk: Avanti Destinations
10 Amazing Golf Resorts
Dominican Republic Greens
Tee off, Barbados-Style
Teeing Up in Bermuda
Mexico Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Planner
A Quartet of Courses
Portugal & Spain Serve Up a Banquet of Great Golf
Touring the U.K. With Rail Europe
Uniworld's New "Super Ship" Antoinette
Savoring Exotic Asia
Coming Back to Egypt

Recommend May 2011