Going for Golf

Benamor

Sir Henry Cotton met a man in church who owned the land upon which Benamor now stands. Call it divine intervention if you like, but the three-time Open champion was commissioned to design a course. Drawings were completed in 1986 but the course wasn’t finally opened until 2000.

Benamor is deceptive. Although it looks open and friendly, tangle with the scattered cork, carob, olive and almond trees and it’s easier to drop shots than remember the score when Portugal last played England in the European football championship.

Only 6,000 yards off the back tees, the course is entitled to defend itself and the trees dictate that precision rather than power is what’s required. Water is another weapon in its armoury and comes into play on a number of holes. Finally, the superb greens are surprisingly quick and three-putts will almost certainly punctuate your round.