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| Image courtesy Oceanico Golf Oceanico Pinhal Golf Course Vilamoura Algarve Portugal Central Algarve Region, Par 72, 6353 metres, 1976.Green Fee Guide: €€ Overview: Pinhal was the second course to be built in Vilamoura and is located just north of the town centre. Pinhal has seen a lot of remodelling from it's original Frank Pennink design to allow for development, notably by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It is a tree-lined course in a villa development. Reasons to play Pinhal Golf: The green fee is good value at Pinhal, if you book with one of the discount tee time agencies that advertise on this site. There are some very good and demanding holes, but there are pretty, shorter holes that give you a chance to put together a good score card. Factors to consider at Pinhal Golf: Although it is only lightly undulating, you might condsider a buggy, as there is a lot of walking between holes. It is one of the most popular courses in the Algarve, so it gets packed in the peak spring and autumn weeks. Like the Laguna and Millennium courses, Pinhal operates a crossover tee time system, with players starting from tee 1 and tee 10 at the same time. Consequently there are never tee times available between 10 a.m. and noon, as this is when the crossover is taking place. Degree of difficulty of Pinhal Golf: The word Pinhal means a pine forest in Portuguese, so you know what the main hazard is. But the trees are mostly well-spaced, so you can usually find your ball and escape. The fairways are wide enough for anyone off an average handicap. But there are some blind shots that can hurt your score. Our overall verdict: Pinhal is a good course at the green fee price and justifiably popular. Worth Considering |