The
Championship course is the late Sir Henry Cottons masterpiece
and the course by which he wished to be remembered. He was
the first to foresee the high potential for golf in the Algarve.
The opening of Penina triggered the regions golf boom. Sir
Henry, who passed away in 1987 at the age of 80, was buried
at his request at the nearby village of Mexilhoeira Grande.
There are many interesting stories about the years he spent
in residence at Penina. Perhaps the best known concerns the
donkey called 'Pacifico' which he trained as a caddie to carry
two golf bags around the course
.
The animal was bought impulsively after a chicken barbecue
meal in the nearby Monchique hills. Unlike the vast majority
of Algarve courses, Penina is a flat, parkland type course,
having been built on former rice paddies and scrubland. Most
of the drainage ditches in the paddies were retained and partially
modified into tricky water hazards, but the dramatic change
of terrain was helped by the planting of 250,000 trees which
now line most of the fairways.A few refinements have been
made to Cottons original championship layout and the course
has benefited considerably from the improved drainage installed.
Subtle landscaping features have also been introduced to enhance
the visual aspect of the course, and some of the water hazards
have been extended.
The
Championship course is the late Sir Henry Cottons masterpiece
and the course by which he wished to be remembered. He was
the first to foresee the high potential for golf in the Algarve.
