Pestana Villa Sol hosted the Portuguese Open in 1991 and 1992, indicating the course’s quality and the tests that face any golfer that decides to take it on.
When designing the course, Steel opted to incorporate the landscape’s natural features over excessive manipulation of the terrain. As a result, you can expect plenty of cork, umbrella pine and fig trees adorning the fairways. Golfers should opt for accuracy over distance when playing their tee shots.
The greens at Pestana Vila Sol are fast and true, so you’ll want to ensure that you’ve had a few practice putts before you make your way out onto the course. A particular highlight would be the 7th, a tricky par-3 hole with a long, sloping green. You’ll want an accurate tee shot to stand any chance of a par.
Finally, there is plenty of water to be found at Vila Sol. Like it or loathe it, it represents a real risk-reward dilemma on a few holes for the average golfer. Get it right, and you’re Seve Ballesteros; get it wrong, and you’ll end up dropping a shot.