Leonard critique de Quinta do Lago

Laranjal is my favourite course at Quinta do Lago although North and South are more candy for the eyes, Laranjal is, in my opinion, the most joy for a golfer. Due to it's more open nature and less undulation then it's brother and sister course just a short drive away it is very playable and hard to lose a ball. This doesn't mean it is easy to make par you still need to bring your A-game. The large greens might seem easy to reach but then the game begins, sometimes very undulated or hidden ridges makes every 2 putt a great achievement. What I also really like is the way the course is built between the Orange trees (hence Laranjal=Orange) and the beautiful blue lakes where sometimes the bunkers ends in like a beautiful private beach. The bunkering on the course is amazing (unless you're in it of course ;)) but seriously the shapes and how it blends in the course and effects your choices how to play are great. If there is one thing I would change it is hole 9, in my op opinion the designer Jorge Santana da Silva went a bit over the top here. A double dogleg par 5 with lakes on both sides and the a green bordered by water. If you play it the first time you have know idea. But for the rest I really enjoyed my round there and would love to play it again. The service and variety of restaurants at Quinta do Lago is amazing they have over 20 restaurants one of them built on the new campus (where football teams prepare for their next big match) called Dano's had one of the best cheescake's I have ever tasted. There is also a great fish restaurant, Casa do Lago, on the lake and a very good meat restaurant, Bovino.

51