Penina Championship Golf Course
Every championship course in the Algarve owes something to Penina. In 1966, Sir Henry Cotton transformed a stretch of rice paddies into the region's first 18-hole course, planting hundreds of thousands of trees to shape the parkland corridors that still frame every hole today. He considered it his masterpiece, and the Portuguese Open agreed, returning here ten times over the following decades.
The course plays flat but never easy. Streams and water hazards, adapted from the original rice-paddy drainage, cross the fairways throughout, and Cotton's raised, subtly sloped greens punish anything hit carelessly. The par-5 5th sets the tone early: a genuine risk-reward hole, tempting with an eagle if you carry the water and out-of-bounds, punishing if you don't quite make it. The par-3 13th is the hole most golfers remember long after they've left, a tee shot played over water to a green that has swallowed thousands of balls over the decades. This is a course built on accuracy and course management rather than power, exactly as Cotton designed it.
Penina's history and visionary design are the draw here, not modern polish. The greens are consistently well-regarded, but the wider course shows its age, and golfers who prioritise pristine, manicured conditioning may find newer Algarve courses a better fit. For anyone who wants to play where championship golf in the Algarve actually began, on a layout still shaped by the hand of a three-time Open champion, Penina remains genuinely worth the round.
Reception: Everyday from 7:45am to 8:00pm
Golf Clubs: Standard Set|Taylor Made Set
Club House: With Restaurant and Snack bar
With driving range
With an Academy
Trolleys: Manual and Electric
With locker room
Pro Shop: Everyday from 7:45am to 8:00pm
Golf Lessons: Resident professionals
With putting green
Juniors: Up to 17 years oldPenina Championship Golf Course - latest comments and reviews
Christopher Brighton
2026-07-09
We really enjoyed the course, very challenging and definitely needing a good tee shot. We read the reviews about the condition not been great but we found it to be just as good as everywhere else we have played so far, if anything the greens were better than the rest. The infrastructure is very tired but that didn't bother us, we were here for the golf. The staff were very friendly, I would definitely come here again.
William Townson
2026-06-22
Check in and swift access to the course. Clearly improvements have been made since I last played the old lady. Tees plenty of grass, fairways generally better but still neglected areas, greens weakest aspect with variable quality and mixed grass. Puff ball mushroom roots on greens. However roll was decent. As an important part of my growing up since 1972, I always hope Penina is looked after and loved.
Robert Wootton
2026-06-13
Enjoyable
Chris Reilly
2026-06-06
Club was excellent. Course was very poor condition. Greens and bunkers were good though.
Simon D Turner
2026-04-04
Always a pleasure to return back to Penina Championship. Course was in good order with stunning greens. There was evidence that the recent bad winter weather had caused damage off the course. No real investment into the course to raise it to another level like some of its competitors leaves it wanting.
Steve Grant
2026-04-04
Greens excellent, fairways much improved but bunkers need more work.
Rachel Milne
2026-04-04
A fabulous course with amazing greens really enjoyed it !
Graham Ironside
2026-03-21
Very good condition for this time of year, playing very long due to the saturated ground but would certainly become back again.
Graham Ironside
2026-03-20
A lot of lying water on the fairways and semi rough but otherwise in good condition
Paul Bailey
2026-03-15
Course was not generally in good condition. Greens were however excellent
Paul Bailey
2026-02-08
Storm Leo has left the course in a mess. However the greens are superb. It's a great layout that makes you think a lot about laying up.
Samantha te Nijenhuis-Grondel
2026-01-24
Good checkin, everything was ready to start
Tecnicals
*Flat - Some gentle slopes on green approaches
*Dogleg - On both 9's
*Tree Lined - Heavily with Umbrella Pines
*Buggy Recommended - If Essential
*Water hazards - On both 9's, check on course planner required
*Parkland - Totally
*Signature Hole - 5th
*Comments - Premier Championship course in West Algarve
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