There is a smattering of water to be found at Dom Pedro Pinhal, but it’s more aesthetic than any real threat to your score, apart from the 8th, a signature par 3, where you’ll play over a pond onto a diagonal green.
The course has been lengthened in recent years to provide additional distance off the white tees. Off the yellows, it’s a respectable 6468 yards and 5693 off the reds. If you get round in 72, you’ll have achieved level par, an impressive feat by all accounts.
To play at Pinhal, men require a handicap of 28 and ladies a handicap of 36.
What stands out the most when playing Pinhal is the sheer variety of holes that you’ll encounter. One minute you’re on the flat; the next, you’re on undulating fairways. You’ll be playing over ravines, blind shots, dog legs left and right, large greens, small greens, and diagonal greens. You name it; you’ll encounter it here.
This isn’t your typical wide-open resort course that’s increasingly common in today’s golfing landscape. You’ll find the odd tree plonked in the middle of the fairway, blocking out what would have been a wonderful approach shot. But when you sit back and enjoy a cold drink after your round, you’ll appreciate these quirks. They make you think; they make you strategise and make you pay when you inevitably make the wrong decision.