places to play golf?
Have you ever taken some time to ask yourself what really makes Portugal the ultimate golf destination for a lot of enthusiasts?
Balaia Golf Club Algarve: 5 Key Features To Be Aware Of
- A Beginner's Paradise
- Leave Your Driver At Home
- Maturing
- Water Hazards
- More Golfing Options
Being a Par 3 course, the layout is perfect for beginners to ease themselves into full golf. The length (or lack thereof) also suits golfers who don't have their physical fitness up to scratch yet and don't want to walk a full 18 holes. Visiting players to Balaia who are tired of Par-73, 6,000-yard monsters, will enjoy carrying their own bag with a half-set of irons inside.
The holes of the Balaia course range from 60 to 160 meters, so you won't need to bring your woods with you and you won't struggle to reach any of the greens. For a few round you can focus on your short game. Smart golfers know that low scores are lower handicaps come from one area of the game: the short game. Playing at Balaia will allow good players (who can drive the ball over 300 yards) to be able to perfect their short irons, wedges and putter. As the old golfing saying goes: "drive for show and putt for dough".
Balaia opened in 2001 so it's still a fairly young course on the Algarve golf scene. However, the course is just now starting to mature. There has never been a better time to play one of the most enjoyable 9-hole, Par-3 courses you will ever play. Once the word gets out that Balaia is a golfing mecca for sharpening a golfer’s short game skills, booking a tee time there will be harder than getting on the first tee at Bethpage Black.
As you approach the first green, you'll be faced with an old wooden bridge that helps you cross two lakes guarding putting surface. The course does feature water hazards so you need to keep your ball out of the drink. Failing that, you can pack an extra box of golf balls for emergencies. As one famous golf course architect said: “bunker is a like a car crash while a water hazard is like a plan crash.”
The Balaia is close to other courses in the area. If for example, you find the course is not challenging enough, you can pop over to Pine Cliffs, which is also 9 holes. If on the other hand you miss your driver and you want to "let the big dog eat" you can visit Salgados golf club, which is a full 18-hole layout.
