Fergus McDonnell took off for the NAU golf resort in the Algarve. Heaven.
‘GOLF? Sure it’s only a game,’ said no one, ever. At least no one who ever picked up a set of clubs, stepped on to a course and set about the task of trying to get a small white ball into an only slightly larger hole hundreds of yards away in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, you see, is much more than a game. It may start as a hobby, but it soon becomes an obsession. It can colour your mood, make or break your day, consume every waking hour and a few sleeping ones too, drive you insane, empty your wallet, alienate friends and even make your family wonder where your loyalties really lie.
But it can also be hugely rewarding, enjoyable even. It can open up a whole new social circle, get you out in the fresh air, encourage exercise of the mind and body and, if you’re any good, induce feelings of immense satisfaction.
It’s also one of the best excuses in the world to flee these dreary shores and head off to the sun for a cheeky little break with your mates or your missus.
The trick is to find the right place to go. There are several boxes to be ticked in this regard. Your destination must offer at least the reasonable chance of good weather, your accommodation must be of a high standard with helpful staff who understand your requirements, food and drink must be up to scratch with a good variety on site and nearby, there must be plenty of ways to relax when you’re not actually on the golf course and, finally, the golf courses themselves must offer the right balance of being playable for the not so good, while challenging for the really good.
NAU Hotels and Resorts ticks all those boxes and more. NAU (pronounced ‘now’) takes its name from the ships developed by Portugal in the 14th to 15th Centuries which were used for trade and a little bit of colonisation along the way. These days, Portugal is more interested in attracting people to its shores and when it comes to golf tourism, no one does it better.
Our little group was five strong — an awkward enough number when it comes to golf — but we managed to make it work with an innovative scoring system that allowed for both a team and a singles event.
Irish people, of course, are big into rights — be they marriage rights, employment rights or, most importantly, bragging rights. Our five-ball was easily split into two good golfers, two hackers and one in the middle who enjoys as many good days as bad ones. Of course, the man in the middle had his good days at just the right time and scooped the prize. He will stop reminding us of it. Eventually.
But the rest of us were winners too, having revelled in a whistle-stop two-night, three-game taste that left us wishing we were there for longer and vowing to return at the earliest opportunity.
We began at the Morgado Golf and Country Cub which boasts two courses — Morgado and Alamos. Having checked in, we were brought past the infinity pool to our accommodation which I can best describe as luxurious. The spacious room was really comfortable and the view from the wide balcony took in the first hole of the Morgado course and beyond as the course winds its way into the hills.
We were just four kilometres from Portimao — a handy taxi drive if you want to get off-site in the evening or for a day trip — but we were well away from the hustle and bustle you find in many tourist traps.
The Morgado Burger was recommended for lunch and proved really nice as we enjoyed the sunshine on the clubhouse terrace before hitting the course for our opening round.
The Alamos isn’t overly long, which makes it playable for the high-handicapper and offers some spectacular views. The beer and conversation flowed freely in the clubhouse bar afterwards before we availed of the buffet in the dining room and yes, you guessed it, a few nightcaps to round off the day.
After a wonderful breakfast the next morning, we loosened up on the driving range at the golf academy before taking on the tougher challenge offered by the Morgado course.
The flat fairways and Scottish-style bunkering of Morgado give it a links feel. But don’t be fooled into thinking you can spray it anywhere — you need to be accurate with all shots and care must be taken on the greens.
Having navigated our way around Morgado we set off for the Salgados Palace Hotel which tempts you with the promise of ‘The best of both worlds — golf and the beach’.
It’s no idle boast either. Between breakfast and golf on our third and final day, I managed to sneak away for a look at the magnificent Salgados beach. You get there along a private boardwalk at the back of the hotel and the expanse of white sand and the gently breaking waves would tempt you to abandon the clubs and spend the day there.
The Salgados Palace is a truly magnificent hotel and my one regret on this trip was not having time to spend relaxing by one of the four pools or spending a lazy afternoon in the spa. More things to do for the ‘next time’ list.
Soon it was tee time again. There is no shortage of water on the Salgados course and it is a fair achievement to finish with the same ball you started with. To compensate, however, the course is not too long (although the par five 15 th weighs in at a hefty 600 yards) so the best plan of action is to plot your way around and focus on ball placement rather than big hitting.
There is nothing new under the sun, they say, but NAU offer the many benefits of getting away from it all during the winter months. Or more specifically, getting away from the cold, wet and overall greyness of a normal Irish winter.
For the keen golfer, there is an added bonus. Swapping the hand-stinging cold and the mud-covered balls for firm fairways and the warmth of the sun on your back is an irresistible temptation. Finding that magical mix of luxury accommodation, excellent food and testing but playable golf courses is like winning the winter jackpot.