Oceânico Faldo Course at Amendoeira opens

Six time Major winner and European Ryder Cup Captain Nick Faldo has launched his latest masterful piece of course design at Oceânico’s spectacular new Amendoeira Golf Resort. Faldo took time out from his busy Ryder Cup schedule to hit the inaugural shot from the first tee and play some holes with media and VIP guests.

The Oceânico Faldo Course at Amendoeira Golf Resort is a par 72 championship course set in the stunning hillsides of Amendoeira, which is a short drive from the thriving medieval town of Silves, just 20 minutes from Vilamoura and 35 minutes from Faro airport. Rocky outcrops, meandering watercourses and views to the distant mountains and orange groves define its essential character and the course covers undulating terrain linking the two highest points on the expansive Amendoeira Estate. From the first hole, a challenging uphill par 4, to the last, a magnificent par 5, it has been designed, as with all Faldo Design courses, with strategic play in mind, providing a challenging test of golf to Professionals and occasional golfers alike.

Faldo said: “The course is maturing very nicely. The final product has the potential to be the best example of a ‘Mediterranean desert-style’ course in Europe and it was great to come and play the inaugural round. The project has given me a fantastic opportunity to create a very strategic layout and I think the course will be a real talking point in the Algarve. Visitors to Amendoeira are going to find our course at Amendoeira a challenging but enjoyable experience.”

To mark the launch of the golf course, Oceânico had commissioned a statue of Nick Faldo that will take pride of place overlooking the Oceâncio Faldo Course. The statue, designed by renowned Irish sculptor Paul Ferriter, is made from bronze and is modelled on an iconic image of Faldo in his Major winning prime. Faldo officially unveiled the statue and commented: “The statue is a great gesture and I’m flattered to have been honoured in this way.”

For Oceânico Group, the major player in the golf, property and leisure resort markets in Portugal, the opening of the Oceânico Faldo Course at Amendoeira marks a significant step forward in their ambitious plans for the Algarve and beyond. The resort also features a soon to be opened Christy O’Connor Jnr. designed championship course and a truly spectacular clubhouse with stunning views of both courses. Over 400 luxury villas and apartments as well as well as the Amendoeira Sporting Club, which will include tennis courts, football pitch and swimming pool, are also under construction, making Amendoeira the most significant new development in the Algarve in recent years.

The two new Amendoeira courses will be officially opened during the week of the Portugal Masters (16th to 19th October), which will again be hosted by the critically acclaimed Oceânico Victoria golf course for the second consecutive year. A limited number of tee times are available on the Oceânico Faldo Course from 1st September for a restricted play period, before full availability begins from 20th October onwards.

With the launch of Amendoeira, Oceânico Golf increases its portfolio to seven championship venues in the Algarve, as the company also owns the five courses at Vilamoura - Oceânico Victoria, The Oceânico Old Course, Oceânico Millennium, Oceânico Laguna and Oceânico Pinhal. As a result, Oceânico Golf is setting the standard for golf courses in the region.

For further information on Oceânico Golf, log-on to www.oceanicogolf.com.