Amendoeira Faldo Course

Great test of golf. The course had been subject to 4 weeks of rain before we arrived but was nonetheless in fabulous condition.

Due to the bad weather prior to our trip areas were wet but not overly and a lot of bunkers were damaged , sand washed away leaving ruts . We just treated it as GUR and dropped into another part of the bunker and other areas should have been marked GUR .

First time abroad and it was stunning

For speed of round the correct description is snail pace. 5 hours plus is not acceptable. No issues with check-in, buggy, practice facilities and start. The course is challenging but off the yellow tees I was able to play with the same ball all the way round. I had a decent round and as I was playing with a member I was able to figure out the shots and club selection. Unfortunately after the heavy rains the previous weekend the bunkers were a complete mess and should have been GUR. No one was bothering to attempt to rake them and in some cases I was surprised that a family of Hippos hadn't taken up residence as they were just mud baths. The greens were true as long as you managed to avoid the un-repaired pitch marks. It's a sad indictment of holiday golf courses that people don't bother repairing pitch marks. I lost count of the number I repaired that weren't mine. Did I enjoy the round? Not really. It was just too slow and we were almost finishing in darkness with a 1230hrs tee time.

Greens are huge but sadly too many players don't repair pitch marks. Greens are very quick and subtle and make for an interesting experience. Sadly the bunkers are very poorly prepared. Very hard packed sandwich with barely a thin cover of sand to play. Huge and with not enough rakes they were the worst part of the course. IMO.

A lot of bad golfers about - the round took ages

The more interesting of the two courses, but the flip side of that is some fairly long drives between holes. Our cart, and that of the couple behind us, failed on the cart track with the message “return to cart track”. This was fixed by a ranger by turning the GPS off and on again. Unfortunately, his opening comment when he arrived at our stranded buggies was that we were holding up play. The gap in front of us opened when the buggies broke & there were only two couples behind us. We gave up at the 17th as it was too dark

Thought the course was going to be harder based on social media but was very amenable and in fantastic nick! Greens immaculate and some of the holes are stunning especially 16. Getting between holes could be easier but far from being an issue…definitely value for money

Faldo course not enjoyable for mid to high handicap golfers (16 - 24). For single figure handicap golfers that we were in our younger days (!!) it would be a good challenge. Charge for buggy 50 euros, because they know you must have one!

The course layout was challenging and on the whole in good condition. Like with many resort courses there were a lot of pitch marks on the greens and foot-prints in the bunkers. The pace of play was extremely slow and we only managed to complete 16 holes in 5.5 hours before it got too dark. This in my view is unacceptable and there should be marshalls on the course to keep the pace of play up.

The group found this a very tough course Good condition, interesting but tough We won’t go back

We were advised to play off the blues which was a good idea for us. Far too slow play- nearly 6 hours. Too many people on course and no marshals.

First round there was made harder by marker posts that weren’t always best placed when paying blind but overall a great course and a strong challenge. Greens were generally good but not treated with respect by all and a fair few pitch marks left unfixed. Not the courses fault but a shame nonetheless. 2nd round made easier by knowing the layout of holes

Really enjoyed the course. Play a little slow at times and a long course. Fantastic views on the back nine. A couple of holes needed better signposting. Plenty of challenges to think about. Would have liked to play it twice

The course was very slow on our first day and took around 6 hours with lots of waiting , but a little better on our second round . But you just need to be aware that it is a very long course anyway and you need the buggy due to the size of it , so if you just accept that golf takes longer in Portugal than it does at home then you will be fine. Just cannot have a tee time later than 2pm if it starts to get dark by 7pm as you will not complete it unless you just want to 9/13 holes.

I played this course around 10 years ago and was a little disappointed this time round. The distances between greens and nxt tees add time to the round which i expected but the condition was not good. Tees were on a poor state, many bunkers had been filled in and were GUR and there were alot of bare areas on the course.

Greens very fast, course having some maintenance in areas but didnt affect our golf

Although the buggies were good in that they had inbuilt course info - they had inbuilt systems to stop you driving certain areas which just cut the buggy out - you then had to reverse, sometimes a long way. Also the signage on the course was poor - lack of direction to next hole etc. We did not have time to complete the round as it got dark and the pace of play was very slow

Long slow play in quite high heat. Great course to play but tough.

Great conditions especially after a busy summer season. Both courses very different and great fun. Greens were fast and receptive and very consistent. Higher handicapers (12+) should play scramble/ better ball to enjoy the experience and keep up pace of play, as playing own ball will be too tough for most golfers.

It’s a bit harder than average , it’s the harder of the two courses

Great test with undulating fairways and great views

Superb golf course. Greens in great condition. Panoramic views from the higher holes. Probably too hard for me.

Loved by all 8 on the trip, definitely will come back. Greens are lightning quick but very true; need a couple of holes to get used to their pace. Great views, great condition but strangely pricey beers on the course €37 for 6 cans making a round more expensive than the bar afterwards

The Faldo course was the best course of all the courses we played. The resort is modern updated course was pristine shape greens and driving range were excellent. Enjoyed the restaurant food and drinks. The staff was great. This was absolutely the best course that we played on this trip and I would definitely go there again.

A great course.

Great golf course in fantastic condition

Loved it was a lot more challenging than anything my group had played before personal favourite hole par 3 16th

Great course and very easy process booking with YGT would visit again

Tough track long round very slow buggies

Difficult course, very blustery. Greens were pure however the rest of the course was ropey. Plenty of dry spots and in need of some manicuring.

Enjoyable but much harder than O’Connor

Course in very good condition and a very good test of your golf game.

Very challenging course for a high handicapper! Fantastic condition and very well spread out with some amazing views

Really enjoyed course certainly a lot hillier than O’Conner course.

5 and a half hours is to the point where we won’t be returning. We have been here many times but not again unfortunately

Tough course which requires a lot of plotting and some holes are hard to work out what’s going on !

New ownership and the course and facilities are not what they use to be. Disappointed with the slip in standards. Won’t be going back.

The course was very scratchy in places - clearly has a high volume - quoted 400 golfers a day going through. The staff were rude as too busy and the clubhouse needs a tidy up (half drunk beers when stepping out the minibus first thing in the morning left on the side) etc..

Wow what an experience…… every hole was a massive challenge

Good course. Needs "ready golf" rule enforced.

Really good golf course was challenging but enjoyable, would definitely play again

Faldo course I found was hard! bunkers everywhere, greens were superfast

our first tee time was 2.50 on this course, we are all under 18 handicap, we were waiting on nearly every shot. at about 8pm they called everyone to come in we were on 18 so carried on but some people were only on hole 12. There were too many people on the course, no marshal to move people on and no check to see if people were capable to play it. one man told me he has lost 15 balls and would not play it again. which meant that they put us on the course two days in a row could some don't play it.

First round was very long, over six hours, second time was under four and a half, which was acceptable

What an incredible course, but hard! We played off yellows, you would have to be a very good golfer to go to any of the tees further back. Had read horror stories of the course upkeep, but this must have been a covid hangover, as we found the condition from tees to green excellent!

We played two rounds on this course and although challenging we preferred it

Outstanding but difficult course. Greens in immaculate condition and a good challenge. Some great elevation changes and downhill tee shots. Fairways were brown in some places, but generally in very good condition. Overall the best course on the complex and one of the best on the algarve

Tough course with really fast huge greens. Prepare yourself for lots of 3 and 4 putts.

All good , only bunkers were a let down not raked at all

Not for the high handicapper. Hilly course with many raised greens. long straight drives required. lots of blind shots. Great test of golf. Clubs were not cleaned before issue. Club hire was 50 Euros a set. Requires a buggy.

Lovely course some very good golf holes. A couple of the holes are though driving holes but if u get of the tee ok u will enjoy this course. Great views on the back 9. No complaints from anyone in are group handicaps from 2-24 and we all enjoyed it

First time playing this course.. buggy included and highly recommended...some distance between holes and elevation changes.. paths could do with renovation but didn't detract from it. Great views from top of course... can get windy in the afternoon which adds to the fun..Marshal ensures that you have pitch repair device.. if not you get sent back to buy one..which is great idea.. greens are true and very receptive. Expect 5 hours for round...yes long but in the sun didn't seem too bad.

Good Golf

Great course and in great condition considering the rain that had fallen on the morning we arrived. Greens were in great condition and pretty quick, especially coming from putting on UK winter greens. long carry from some tees so we played different tee boxes to be fair to the shorter hitter in our group.

On balance we found the course too tough for our limited abilities You would need to play it many times to work out the best way to get round it

Course was in very poor condition. Having previously visited in 2017 the drop off in standard is remarkable. Bunkers had more mud than sand and weren’t even raked in the morning for play,

We all enjoyed the course and are considering returning next year

The courses are very busy so 5 1/2 hour rounds in a buggy were the norm, because it was November we were finishing the round with little or no light, so don’t tee off after 11:30am if you want to play 18 holes. On our third round the resort had over booked the tee, and we were in the middle of a large group who had booked over a year ago, so us and half the group never finished our round because it was pitch black after what would’ve resulted in over a six hour round.

The better of the two coarses but the longest. Fantastic views and play.

Great course played it before .. but slow but to be expected as it’s long and tricky.

Highly recommend Amendoeira resort, very well looked after, slick operation, challenging courses in good condition. Would love to go back to play both Faldo and O’Connor courses, the Faldo course being my preference if only time for one game. 5.5 hour round was a bit slow but on a beautiful warm sunny day in October didn’t detract from enjoyment. Buggies speed clearly restricted which didn’t help pace of play!

Played twice. 6 hours per round!!!! 6 minute intervals on tee times !!!!

Enjoyed the condition and layout of the course

Challenging course, buggy a must. Was quite busy so took some time to get around

The conditions around the course was poor, although it does have some really nice holes

Long carries on some holes Make the Faldo a test. Approach shots to raised greens are tricky on a number of holes but it is a great course. It may not be your cup of tea if you don’t carry it 130-170 on every tee shot, but even then it’s a great round of golf. However it is slooooow. 5:45 and 5:35 for our two rounds with the second only being for 16.5 holes before it was pitch black. Buggies are so frustrating as they are limited and slow you down far too much and given distances between holes can be long it adds to what is already a slow playing course. It put a bit of a downer on what otherwise is a great course.

ridiculously difficult and unforgiving. This was too hard as a first time visitor, handicaps for our fourball are 15-20, and it battered us. The winning score was 22 points, and even great drives were punished by the run-offs which as visitors we didn't know about. I wouldn't recommend it for our standard of golf - and it took 5 1/2 hours for the round........

Only drawback was pace of play. One round was 5.5 hours

The course looks tired and needs some care. The tee boxes are in the worst condition, sand everywhere, and the staff kept saying they've moved the tees but they stayed in place for all 4 days. Fairways and green generally ok, but off these the areas looked uncared for.

Played off the Yellows, which at roughly 6200yds, was plenty long enough for holiday golf. Only negative comment I would have was the quality of the tees (but that is nit picking). Thoroughly enjoyable rounds

Unfortunately the Faldo course wasn’t in good condition and play was very slow. Tee boxes were overgrown and overused. Long distances of wasteland between holes. It also takes ages to get a buggy so it was running significantly behind.

Certainly the harder of the two courses very hilly and a lot of blind tee shots. Greens were quick and true and this course was in much better condition than the O’Connor. Buggies are essential as it’s extremely hilly. Some stunning views at the highest point of the course and the pace of play was perfect. Would love to play it again.

Fantastic Golf Course, ended up playing the O’Connor Course also and enjoyed both extremely. Amendoeira is exactly how a golf resort should be run, highly highly recommend!!

Course was super tricky which was enjoyable yet at times frustrating. We are all intermediate golfers I would say and we really struggled at times in comparison to O'connor Jr day 1. In short, fantastic course and views, you need to be good to play this and enjoy it.

Fabulous, challenging golf course

Most people we spoke to found the Faldo very hard (mid-high handicappers). We found it reasonable (all at scratch). We weren’t the biggest fan of the Faldo however, poor tee boxes and not interesting layout

The Faldo course is by far the harder of the two. Carries are long and often go over trees, gullies, rocks and cacti ... sometimes over all of them on the same hole! The bunkers are vast and the contours of the course often take your ball into a sand trap when it seemed a perfect shot. The greens are very fast and full of undulations that are sometimes difficult to read. The course is very hilly and when Faldo designed it he made very good use of the ups and downs! The views from the higher areas of the course are spectacular. Just don't expect too may pars!

Very difficult and too undulating for most of us. Also looked a bit ‘scruffy around the edges’ when compared to the O’Connor course.

Played twice early morning - round in 4 hours, once in the late afternoon - tee-time was 30 minutes late and the rounbd took 5 1/2 hours. But the course is fantastic - tough but fair.

this course was always one we looked forward to. But the maintenance of the course has not been kept up. We heard rumour that ownership had changed hands and the service is nowhere near as good as it was last time we played (around 5 years ago). We wont be going back to this resort

Teeing areas looked tired and in need of maintenance but in general the course was in good condition. Greens were fast so tested your putting skills. Some holes were difficult yo plan your shots so a buggy was a must to ensure you had a visual guide.

Overall a very poor experience. The approach up the long drive lead us to believe we were in for something special. On arrival no one welcomed you. The reception was full of bags and you didn't know whether to walk them round or bring the buggies up. Some people carried them through the clubhouse only to be told off ! The attitude of the staff, particularly the caddy masters was really poor. There was no ice available for the coolers on the carts, no course planners, and no help to get your bags to your carts. The caddy masters never moved from their office area or showed any interest in you. The driving range was poor and looking very tired. The course was challenging, some signage was missing leading to wrong turns ! It really looks to be lacking in investment, and will soon become even worse. We would never go back.

The faldo course is not as good as it was 5/6 years ago. Still a great challenge but busy! Also the pitch marks litter the greens, mostly the fault of selfish golfers.

Tough course but in very good condition with the greens in great condition and quick but true

Course is lovely to look at. Very tough course. Unforgiving if you are slightly off on the tee. Elevated greens are very testing. Still massively enjoyed playing the course

Tough course but very good

This was a great golf course but too difficult for my wife and me. As it was recommended for us by Your Golf Travel I was very disappointed. I am of the opinion that the sale of the golf package was the most important issue rather than a golf package that suited my wife and me.

This is the hardest course I’ve ever played. The layout is brutal and set up for a long, straight and confident player. I would argue that it isn’t setup for your average golfer. Worth a go once but I wouldn’t choose to play again. Greens rolled well and true. Greens needed to be softer if shots are being played over bunkers. Golfers didn’t appear to repair pitch marks. Judging by the characters there, I’d imagine many weren’t members of a club.

Great round of golf , not for the faint hearted

Not a golf course across the road, it’s still an assault course. Spoke to many people at the resort and no one appears to like it. Food and drink service none existence

We always enjoy playing the Faldo not much playing a five and a half round of golf.

A fantastic challenge.

Decent course but just looked dated. You need to be a reasonably good ball striker to get off the tee boxes or else it could be a long/slog for your average amature golfer. Overall I'd say 5/10 decent course. Play was very slow for our first round as there was a 5 ball Infront of us who were not golfers haha, the course wasn't checked on by anyone to see speed of play so the 5 ball continued Infront of us and we had a great time playing a +5hr round..... Not.

A great golf course, one of my favourites. Rounds can take up to 5 hours sometimes so think a regular drinks and food service would be a benefit.

Not as good as the Oconnor

lots of up- and downhill holes, definitely an experience. Not the easiest course for highhandicappers. takes you 4-5hours to finish 18 holes mostly.

Too difficult for most golfers. Myself and one other in group are 5 handicap and struggled. You had to be precise with your drives. Long approaches to elevated greens. Most of the greens you can’t see from your approach, just the pin. Very fast sloping greens. The course is nice, but far to difficult to enjoy

To play this course you need a buggy. Unfortunately the buggies provided were not up to standard. They were old, not powerful enough and the GPS was not working. The whole fleet of buggies needs replacing.

Very nice course with some tough holes. Greens on this and on the O'Connor course were very quick (and large). Some of the tees were a bit beaten up, some areas look a bit unkempt but a good golf course.

The course is a toughie you need to bring your A game and even then it’s a test.

If you want a real challenge the Faldo is certainly that from a mid handicapper’s perspective (15). We were a mixed ability group playing from blue and yellow tees, we all had a lot more fun when we moved to the blues the second time we played. Some great views and opportunities for some epic down hill shots.

Good course, great greens, ground in front of greens in poor condition

Amazing course but unfortunately we only played it once due to course maintenance

Again, like the O’Connor, tee boxes hammered, covered in sand but it’s the end of the season, thing is, you wouldn’t see this on english course,, this resort suffers this every year Large society teams don’t look after course at all, slow play all weekend (all english) don’t really care Not enough course marshalling

Our 1st round was on the Faldo course. Due to our tee times being changed we ended up playing at 9.45am instead of 10.30am and subsequently felt rushed. We also ended up playing with a +1 golfers (while we are both 18-20 handicap golfers), which had an impact on our experience (very hard course, conscious of playing with really good players, no time to familiarise ourselves with the course layout etc). A long round & not as enjoyable as it should have been. We much preferred the O’Connor course & played the rest of our golf on this course. O’Connor course much better suited to high handicap golfers like us.

Tees are in poor condition

Very slow round, but a lovely golf course.

I like Faldo and having played it many times I am well used to the course architecture. Th he greens were quite plug marked but that is a problem with the golfers and not the course

Course in poor condition. Tee boxes uneven and poorly grassed, bunkers were without sand and maintenance appears to be too difficult for staff.

Poor condition compared to visit 2 years ago , tee areas poor , lots weeds , poor sand in bunkers , very disappointed

Great course but very very challenging on faldo course

Bunkers need some sand!!

A very challenging course for anyone who is not on their A game. Very scenic and well thought out. Don't even think about playing this course without a buggy - the walking between holes would be a real challenge!

Superb course, lightening speed but very true greens. Bunkers very poor for such a fantastic course. Should be limited to 18 and under handicap players as it’s a tough course.

Challenging but enjoyable

Course very difficult. Mid to high handicappers will get destroyed on this one, Bring plenty of balls!!

Slow rounds. Better to tee off before 09.00. Practice area would be good but grass range was closed for 3 days.

Have been here 5 times - its a proper golf track - with both courses offering two different styles of play. Faldo plays long and placement of tee shots can afford you an extra 50 yards on your drive. greens reward a correctly lined up putt.

Tough golf course but visually absolutely stunning and again a fun day had with the lads

Top top course, amazing views and layout. Lots of bunkers to try and avoid, quite long off the tee blocks. 11th green a bit harsh. Only negative is the pace of play, 5 1/2 hours in buggies is painful at times.

Tee boxes battered, end of season but they should really rotate tee’s as there’s 4 to choose from, pitch marks on greens ruin it but if you let large parties (15-20) from the same club all follow on from each other conditions will deteriorate, we followed a group 12 + and it wasn’t great

spectacular course. very fast and tricky greens. great to play. The huge range of tee distances makes it accessible to all at whatever level they wish to play

Few bunkers not great but rest of the course was immaculate

Awesome course and great greens, very testing and lots of bunkers!

Many of our group have played in the Algarve and we rated this course as the best we have played. Fabulous design and every hole has a unique challenge. The only downside was that the round took 6 hours which we have never encountered before. We didn’t even have time for a drink and food as the transfer was waiting for us as we finished the round. Not sure why this happened as I had played it 5-6 times previously and never encountered such a slow round.

Course was in good condition. Greens were good and fast but only issue was that it seems people don't repair their pitch marks which is not the resorts fault. Some bunkers could do with more sand in and some needed more rakes as they can be very large and should have at least 1 rake on each side to encourage people to use them.

Different to the O’Conner water relaxed with sand and huge changes in elevation with well protected green. But excellent course loved it

The course was seriously overbooked. The caddie master informed the management that 240 players was the maximum capacity. They booked 400. Play was at a snail’s pace, taking 5 1/2 hours.Tee times were delayed by over an hour which meant three rounds could not be completed due to darkness. Completely unacceptable. The unlimited package, one of the reasons for booking, was otiose. The whole experience was one of frustration.

Great course , superb condition and greens in excellent condition and running fast, we played from white tees so a fair challenge but best suited for low handicap golfers in my opinion

We last went to the Amendoeira resort in 2018 and returning to the Faldo course only this time we had a very different experience. While the layout of the course is unchanged therefore challenging and dramatic the only high standard thing about the course were the greens that rolled true and fast, however the rest of the holes were in very poor condition esp. tee boxes and bunkers (I only recall the ones on the 18th having anywhere near enough sand). In addition the food and beverage offering and service in the bar and dining areas was comically bad: slow, unresponsive waiters, inedible club sandwiches and salads. But the worst was the buggy situation where they had run out of buggies by our tee time of 2 30ish. We had to wait for golfers returning from the course which meant groups of anxious golfers standing around waiting, and in our case starting late, with uncommunicative and overworked staff trying to run it in some sort of order.

Played this course some years ago and enjoyed it. All ready for a tidy up. The condition of the bunkers was a joke all should have been GUR. The speed of play was also a joke it told us over 5 hrs to complete our round. We won't be going again.

Great golf course with a lovely mix of holes. Tough in places, but overall, a really nice track.

Needed a half way house

Played off the back tees - 7260 yards. V demanding in a good way. Bit too easy to lose your ball the moment you fall off or just miss a fairway, especially when you need to hit driver a lot, but a small gripe. The Faldo is a manufactured course for sure, it’s not as natural as the Christie O’Connor, but there are some great holes and good vistas across the property.

A tough course because of the undulations and the greens seemed pretty quick. Some of the views from up the hill looking over the resort are spectacular. Would be impossible without a buggy! But thankfully those were included!

Very good testing course, personally think the o Connor course is in better condition but still very good, cracking views and lots of bunkers and water just like the o Connor, good test for every handicap we had 0-27 covered.

Definitely not for the faint hearted , a proper test of golf from driving to irons to putting a splendid course

A good test. Great design.

Its a hard course but we enjoyed it. The only down on the course is that if you have not played it before its very difficult to work out the holes and as to how to play it. They would do well to provide markers at the Tees as to distance to bunkers etc

This is one tough course to play and you will feel like the course has won when to come off

Course was lovely but clubhouse was terrible. Would have loved to play twice on one of the days but there were never any buggies available in the afternoon. Makes you question the unlimited golf if there are never buggies later on. Also on our last day there was a mishap between reception and the starters. Reception said we had a 9.27 tee time and starters had 9.00 this meant we had to rush around when we got to the club or they would not let us play. Not the best way to end and already disappointing holiday

I loved the difficulty of the course. Felt at home. Challenging.

Top 5 course I have ever played for quality and probably the hardest. Loved it.

I am an 18 handicapper who only hits the ball and average distance, so i found this course quite difficult and unforgiving both times i played it. The course was in excellent condition with fast greens so i had no issues with the quality of the course - it was just too tough for me

Played this course a number of times over the years and unfortunately the condition of the course was not what it use to be

Fell in love with this course as soon as I stood on the 1st Tee. The course is long, undulating with wide fairways and well protected greens. A real but fair test of golf. The greens were fast and true and it will take you a few holes to get the pace, after that, they are a joy to putt on.

Better pace of play. Tough golf course and immaculate greens

This course should be played at least once to experience it against the excellent O’Connor course. Whilst beautifully maintained the design is flawed with crazy holes constructed on the hillside across the road from the resort

Completely different to O’Connor course. Long carries off the tee to reach the fairways leaving long approaches to very quick greens. A tough challenge that will test all standards of golfers. Definitely needed a pint or two when we finished.

Some tough long holes and if the wind blows expect low scores but amazing par 3, the greens were crazy fast at times but are well watered so receptive to approach shots. Sneaky fairway bunkers come into play but all bunkers in great condition. This is the hillier of the 2 courses and includes panoramic views from elevated tees. Average round time was 4.5 - 5 hours.

The more we play it the more we appreciate it

Course was very good but conditions of the bunker were shocking. No sand in a lot of them. Greens were very good even with a top dressing mid week. Tees presented very well.

very windy and hilly - some great challenges and long if you play off the back but fun

Shame that they double book tees and allow people to slot in on 10 5 1/2 - 6 hr round

A magnificent course. challenging but not ridiculously hard. spectacular hilly terrain and vegetation. the huge range of tee positions enable all golfers to cope with the course. Buggies essential. Round took 5 hours but did not spoil the experience

Great course played off the gold tees found it more enjoyable and easier to play even though average golfer, low handicap players loved it

Brilliant course, could play it again and again and again.

Had a midday tee time, it took 3 hours to play the front 9 one day, so gave up and played the clear front 9 again in 75 mins! Course is fair, slightly harder than O'Connor. Definitely designed for buggies, lots of elevation changes and long drives from the green to the next tee. Interesting course with a good variety of holes. Enjoyable experience but having played it 3 times, wouldn't rush back.

Same regards the tees

The bunkers were in appalling condition - in places like concrete , and in other places too little or too much sand . Not helped by "holiday' golfers who could not be bothered to rake their foot prints

Tee off times were met without a wait & we didn’t get held up or hold others up on the three rounds we played this course. Really lovely golfing experience!

Great course and tests your skills. You need to be very good off the tee to score well. Lots of challenges and a great course.

Most holes are long and difficult.Best to play off the blue tees if you are an high handicap golfer.

There was a lack of buggies which caused chaos at the start. Start times were delayed and we set off on foot without buggies to start. Staff under pressure but ultimately unhelpful. Would not return.

Great test of golf with some stunning views

Need more rakes. Some of the bunkers were HUGE and only had ONE rake, which lost us a lot of time walking around the bunker to fetch the rake. MORE RAKES!!!

Great course.

Great course and great challenge.

Having been 3 times before i expected the course to be the same standard and it just wasn’t, tees and bunkers were very poor and with hot weather we sometimes never even saw a cart girl, probably won’t return.

We had a large group of young very friendly slightly drunk youngsters in front but it was all in good humour and didn’t ruin our round

Boom ! Any 10 handicapper and over will feel that they have tried a course that the big boys/girls play , challenging and after the first hole you realise it’s time to up your game , really enjoyed it

Faldo course a total discrase. So we played 3 rounds on the O'connor which was better however the bunkers were a total discrase tee boxes were shocking

beautiful scenery but a bit of a gimmicky course due to the amount and size of bunkers.

Much better condition than the O'connor course and the views were fantastic.

A real challenge. I don’t think Mr Faldo was in a very forgiving mood when he designed this one😀

Awesome course, we play it twice throughout our stay and really enjoy the challenge. It's a must play course if you visit the Algarve. Our Sunday round however, was particularly slow, a group of 1 man and 3 women in front fell a hole behind right from the off. I pointed this out to the starter who said one of his colleagues would be on the course to ask them to let us through. Unfortunately this didn't happen. The problem is that some of the tee boxes are a considerable distance apart and no-one ever seems to be queuing on the tee, its just when they get to the fairway things slow down. All that said, we will be back next year. Looking forward to it already !

Classic Faldo course. Tough and undulating huge drops and slopes. Great challenge make sure you grab a buggy!

Faldo course is the harder of the two courses you need buggies because of the distance between green to tee and it is hilly (but great scenery)

The rounds were quick but we were the first group out each morning, the greens were sanded one morning but with the watering system soon bedded in. but towards the end of a season this is to be expected. The green staff were very courteous standing aside to let you play through.

Stunning course. Painfully slow pace of play though. We had to call the Marshall in at one point to speed up groups ahead but they didn't make much difference. Bunkers weren't in best condition. Don't let any of this put you off though, the views and layout are breathtaking.

The course itself was superb and very well kept. The greens were true and each tee made you think about which club to use. On a bad note. For the 2 rounds we played on this course we had to wait an hour each time for buggies. This caused us to rush some of the holes and not finish on one day

course was hard but enjoyable.

Tougher than the O’Connor, the yellow tees were forward this year making it considerably easier than last year, good test of golf

This was the better of the two courses and the greens were better. The pace of play though was very slow indeed and took 4 1/2 hours to get around with buggies - some people on the course with trollies because no buggies available. The staff admitted they didn't have enough buggies for the demand - we were delayed by 50 minutes from our tee time day 1 - 30-40 minutes most days!

More challenging than the O'Connor course and the greens were in much better condition. Fantastic views and enjoyable to play.

More challenging course but greens in much better condition than O'Connor but with ah 8.00am tee-off we were able to get round in a respectable time. Do not even attempt this course without a buggy!

Good course, Condition was ok but not as good as previous visits, Greens were bumpy too often and bunkers not raked really was poor

Nice course with some long holes, good standard for mid handicaps, play off whites for low handicaps. Greens average, bunkers average, fairways good (stay on them). Again you wont finish your round this time of year if you tee off after 2. You will be delayed an hour because they don't have enough buggies. we had a tee of 2pm, they let us out at 3.30. we got to the 13th ruining our final comp day.

Early morning start so no delays, we really enjoyed playing this big course. Buggies really needed here. The bunkers were brutal and to be avoided if you wanted to score. The greens were decent and the views spectacular from the top.

This course is fine for medium to low handicaps , the high handicappers in our party found it quite difficult. The condition of the course was excellent. To play the Faldo course you must have a buggy as there are long distances between greens and the next tees, it is also quite hilly.

Amazing

Great experience with nice scenery. Some nicely challenging holes

Described as the championship course of the two but besides various contours on most of the greens compared to the secondary course it wasn't much different or a great deal harder than I imagined it to be and our group of mixed handicaps felt the same. Don't get me wrong both these courses are great and a good challenge of golf and certainly different than playing back home in the UK. Greens similarly slow as the secondary course.

Depending on the day of week dictates the speed of play. Friday afternoon and Saturday were very slow (5+ hours). The rest of the week was great as it was quieter (4 hours for a fourball). Buggies are required. The course layout is stunning with some beautiful holes. Only downside is some of the bunkers need work. Anti weed fabric showing through and can affect the shot as the sand can be minimal. Greens are terrific and both pin placements and tee boxes alternate giving a completely different experience.

Harder of the two course but some stunning holes where accuracy is required.. again condition was fantastic.. loved it

Good course but personally I was not a fan of holes 11 to 17 , they were very hilly and a bit stupid at times

An exciting adventure every time it was played. I’m not keen on uphill courses as I prefer flat and even but we were split two/ two on which we preferred. Groundskeeping staff have done a great job and were very unobtrusive.

Overbooked and any slow play in front causes a massive backlog of people. Course was perfect though

A dream to play a course designed by a legend. Very difficult for a high handicap like me.

Great course. A real challenge for all levels, with every hole a separate memory. Spectacular views. Not one to walk!

The only issue we had was that we feel that some tee surface Goldtees) areas particularly 4th was difficult to find a flat section to tee up and to stand on same level other than this issue the course conditions have improved from our last visit 2017 keep up the good work !

Probably the toughest course I’ve ever played, breathtaking scenery and decent carries needed just to make the fairways. Our group lost a lot of balls, amazing experience that we shall return to play again.

Of the two courses this is by far the hardest Iam not sure if Faldo has ever played it ??

tough track , greens slow,grass appeared to be seeding ,buggies were a god send , however there was a 2ball of mid 60year olds (male and female)with pull trolleys ahead of us and they were being held up by buggies ahead of them, fit as !

A challenging but really interesting course. It would be difficult to play quickly without the buggies as distance between holes is quite long. The conditions however were perfect and a test for any golfer.

Excellent course but you need to be very straight and more bunkers than I’ve ever seen before! Enjoyed it and was in immaculate condition but pretty tough for high handicappers.

If you can't hit a good tee shot to carry trees & bushes you are going to struggle!! we played from white tees on first round but changed to yellows for next two rounds when we realised whites were for handicaps 9 & under. Although still hard, this made the course easier. An excellent challenging golf course every golfer should play!!

Hard course. Some competition on which delayed everything after. Some golfers allowed out with pull carts only. Too slow. 5.5 hrs. Course is amazing.

a real test you have to know your distances and hit them consistently to score on this track , the raised greens in particular make the approach shots the key to getting round in respectable numbers

A testing and very enjoyable course.

Tougher than the O'Connor Course but still playable for the higher handicapper.

Amazing course. Up there with the best I’ve ever played including old course, gleneagles, castle Stuart etc

Again dependant on tee played,not lots of water ,but very hilly and buggy essential!

long ways between holes but well indicated very difficult course with bush or other grasses before fairways a lot of defenses near greens driving practice excellent

FOlli we'd some slow players took 6 hours.Need to play it once to find out where the trouble is.Second time was better although still tough.

this course was very challenging but enjoyable the more you played the more you learned and enjoyed.

The course was fine - condition good - pace of play was painfully slow ( a real problem) - no on course stewarding either

Don’t let your ego determine which tees you play from. You will get a fair test from the yellows and whites. Unless you are out early expect 5 hours. Buggies essential due to elevation changes between holes.

Course very tough with a lot of elevation changes. Pace of play was terrible 5 hours 40 minutes first round and 5.45 2nd round after playing the first 3 holes in 40 minutes. No rangers in site on either occasion.

Played before and as before found the course excellent and in good condition. You will always need a buggy due to distances to tees and severity of the inclines. A very good layout and a pleasure to play.

A more challenging course than O’Connor Up hill and down dale, buggies a must Great views over golf course and Resort Enjoyed playing it.

This is a difficult course but well worth playing for the experience. Do not attempt to walk as a mountain goat would struggle. Many bunkers and difficult pin positions make this a course for highly competent golfers. Stunning views of the resort and surrounding area from the summit of the Faldo course

First round took 6 hours, too slow, loads of waiting at pretty much every hole.

Unfortunately ridiculously slow. Packed up after 10 holes ( 3 hrs 35 mins) but it is a very good golf venue in good condition.

Apparently the more difficult of the two courses ? Personally didn’t find much difference between them. Both courses excellent. The driving range which serves both courses was very disappointing in that there was so much “green sand” it was difficult to find a decent lie for iron shots.

A great lay-out, some long carries off the tee over danger plus tough approach shots to typically raised & well protected greens. You need to bring your A game to score well on this course!

Superb course, in excellent condition, would definitely play it again very busy so the round took a little longer than normal

A good test tougher than the oconnor but not impossible condition ok can tell played a lot glad to have buggies for this course as lot of walking otherwise

Loved it

Course was in outstanding condition difficult but fair and fun

A great test of golf, higher handicappers will struggle but the course condition was great.

Beautiful golf course, a tough test but very well thought out. Again in fantastic condition. 6 hour round on the last day was a slight issue, but we enjoyed the sunshine.

Play off the blue tees to hard off the yellow tees

As always a brilliant course and facility

Similar to our experience with the O'Connor course except that the Faldo was definitely harder but a delight to play and we came off totally happy despite both of us scoring well above our handicaps. Again there was little hold up and went round in under 4 hours.