Amendoeira O’Connor Junior Golf Course

Whilst the Faldo Course provides you with the vistas and elevated tee shots, the O’Connor Junior Course offers an altogether different challenge. For a start, it’s much  flatter and will suit golfers with a hatred for hilly inclines.

It’s clear that much of the premium land was dedicated to its bigger brother, but don’t let that put you off. What the O’Connor Course lacks in views, it makes up for in tricky water features which make for plenty of interesting holes.

Off the Yellow tees, O’Connor junior Course plays 6495 yards and is a par 72. Off the red tees, it’s 5733 yards. For the big hitters or those who fancy a sterner test, why not opt for the gold tees at 7366 Yards?

To play here, men require a handicap of 28 and ladies 36.

Amendoeira O’Connor Junior Signature Hole

The signature hole at O’Connor Junior Amendoeira is probably the 18th, playing alongside a river with a gentle climb before finishing under the gaze of the clubhouse. It’s the perfect way to end your play at a very getable golf course.

Other memorable holes include the 3rd, a tough par 3 that plays alongside a lake down the right-hand side.  As you wander down, see if you can catch a glimpse of the ruin situated on an adjacent lake.

The 4th hole plays alongside a vast orange grove and has significance due to the O’Connor Junior’s affinity with the citrus fruit that grows here. In fact, when he designed the course, he said, “I wanted one hole where it was just oranges. The whole of this part of the Algarve is blessed with thousands of acres of orange groves and I wanted to bring some inside the course as well.” He achieved this on both the 4th and 5th holes and when the trees are in full fruit, they are indeed a majestic sight.

Overall the O’Connor Junior course, whilst less challenging than the Faldo course, offers something different, and in reality, they complement each other. If you are in the area, you should play both just for the contrast. Most golf packages provide the opportunity to play on both courses.