Picture a traditional English course like Sunningdale but replace the heather with wild herb and cactus plants, put olive trees and ancient groves in place of the historic English woodland, and substitute sandy traps for crushed limestone bunkers. If you can imaging that then you will have some idea of the magic Nick Faldo has created at Oceanico Faldo Course in Amendoeira. Six time major winner, former world number one and Ryder Cup player and captain Faldo was delighted to get his hands on a landscape so perfectly tailored to the demands of championship golf. The course Oceanico Faldo Course is a tribute not only to that landscape but also to Faldo's dedication and brilliance as a course designer.

The Oceanico Faldo course at Amendoeria has the hallmark of Sir Nick all over it. Set on either side of the valley, the course starts on the hills around the clubhouse and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes are great fun with the holes clearly laid out in front of you. You then make your way through the valley where Nick's penchant for course management puts yours to the test, with bunkers to avoid in the middle of the fairway and bands of rough across fairways to prevent the bombers going too far. From there you go up the other pretty steep side of the valley and even though it is hilly, the Oceanico Faldo course still remains fair and challenging and the views are fantastic.

It's not all length though as the short downhill par-4 15th and par-3 16th rely more on accuracy than strength and poor shots are severely punished. Most of the greens are raised above you and set at an angle to the fairway and there are a few blind tee shots, especially down in the valley, so you will probably want to book in a couple of rounds as you will benefit from prior knowledge when playing the Faldo course. It has to be said that this is an out and out buggy course as the length and steepness of the paths between holes would prevent walking, alhough a quick nine from the 4th to the 10th and then the 18th in the valley would be fun in the evening. That is if you can stay away from the very good floodlight par-3 course by the sports centre. Overall we really enjoyed the Oceanico Faldo golf course and would recommend a visit if you are in the Vilamoura area.