Some Things Never Grow Old
“I was thinking Qinta do Lago might be getting a bit long in the tooth, rough around the edges, over the hill. It is, after all, 50 years old!”
Just a few minutes from Faro Airport, the same old roundabout greeted me with its squiggly ‘Q’ sign. I noticed the offices where Rita, the PR manager used to work. I wondered if she was still there. The familiar Algarve heat hit me!
16th South is all downhill with the best view of Casa do Lago Restaurant, Ria Formosa and the Atlantic Ocean.
16th on the South
The last time I was here, Paul McGinley was opening his golf academy. That was a decade ago… at least! Before that, I brought the family and rented a small villa with our own pool. QDL is flexible that way… plenty to keep everyone happy.
THE MAGNOLIA
This time, with a bunch of golfing buddies, we checked into the Magnolia, the resort’s ‘boutique’ boarding house which reminds me of a 50s American motel. It sits just outside the resort and is handy for all the courses & amenities in and around Vilamoura such as Vilamoura, San Lorenzo and Vale do Lobo. For that reason, the Magnolia is popular with golf groups not to mention its reasonable prices. If you’re looking for something ritzier, there are options in & around QDL such as The Wyndham, The Conrad and the Hotel Quinta do Lago, all top 5-star.
We had lunch at the Magnolia then headed for our first round.
MAGNETIC NORTH
“The North is one of many courses that would fare better if it were somewhere else! ”
12 North makes good use of the lake which you’re duty-bound to have to deal with...
In this case, its two sister courses are just so darned attractive! Nevertheless, the North is a great opening round with long fairways laced between umbrella pines and undulating terrain. It’s a steady test of length & accuracy while roomy enough for us average types. The North has seen significant improvements since I last played. McGinley had a hand in the recent remodelling a couple of years ago, and it benefits from the high level of greenkeeping applied to all the QDL’s courses. Water comes in most notably at the 12th, a long, trepidatious turn around a yawningly large lake, leaving an unavoidable and sometimes upsetting leap to reach dry land.
SOUTHERN SENSATION
The 16th hole on the South is one of the most attractive on the Algarve.
“The Portuguese Open’s been played on the South Course eight times now so it has the pedigree”
The South, in spite of its lofty reputation, is playable and enjoyable for every level of golfer. The terrain is flatter than the North and the ball seems to sit up better. There’s not a lot of trouble apart from the occasional tree that can mysteriously get in the way. But it’s the gradual movement, twists & turns, rise & falls that keep you engaged. You could play this course time and time again and never get bored!
It’s a long way on 15th South. Just don’t leave it short.
There are lots of magical holes but the 15th & 16th spring most readily to mind, the 15th a par 3 fronted by a wide lake that takes, for me at least, a hybrid to cross. My favourite is the 16th, where on this occasion a tree blocked progress, asking for a big fade/slice combo onto a most picturesque green. This time it worked! Why is it that those kind of ‘flook’ shots hang so long in the memory?
While I was in the trees on the right, my buddy, Antoine from Paris, performed a sandy escape at the 16th!
As per the North, the South has been here for 50 years but, like the entire resort, it’s only gotten better with time and the recent refurb has ensured it’s ‘still game’ after all these years. QDL got lucky with timing when they had planned to carry out significant improvements throughout the resort. Along came the pandemic and most of the work was done during the COVID downtime.
LARANJAL ZEST
A few citrus trees still dot the periphery of Laranjal.
Laranjal, QDL’s third and youngest course, is completely different from the other two. It's located 5 kilometres from the resort and was, at one time, an orange grove. A few citrus trees still dot the periphery. There’s zesty movement throughout this truly delightful track and a fair few water hazards to add to the mix.
Looking at the scorecard, you realise they did an imaginative job with the limited land available here. The course works in two loops but you don't really notice it. It seems to change direction continuously, offering a completely different angle and set of circumstances on every hole.
We were the first group out in the morning, playing across the ducks and moorhens and sped round in less than 4 hours. This is the only one of the three QDL courses that you can comfortably walk. The conditions are pristine, and for average players, Laranjal easily works its way into your affections.
In the early morning dew, Laranjal is a zesty test on every hole
An interesting feature is the greenside aprons, which force you to fly all the way onto the green no matter how far out you are. And there are a lot of greens with false fronts too! Although it’s not a difficult course, it’s the approaches that make Laranjal all the more challenging.
The biggest drama is reserved for the last. The 18th is a twisted dogleg that winds between two large lakes. It’s a lengthy par 5 so you could break it down but any element of ‘going for it’ will bring water into play.
The 18th twists between two large lakes making for the most dramatic of finishing holes.
I could happily say the Laranjal is my favourite of the three QDL courses as it’s so different from the others. The top slot has to go to the South, but Laranjal is a worthy addition to the entire QDL experience!
