I remember vividly the first time I saw Silves Golf Course. It was a few weeks before it opened and I along with about 20 other SdM members were given a guided tour by Jose Matias. We travelled in a convoy of buggies and it all seemed very pleasant, until we stopped on the 5th tee and I got my first view looking down the fairway from that elevated position. It actually took my breath away, a sunny November day and a prefect vista. From that moment to today I have never tired of that view.

The rest of the tour proceeded with much more excitement and when we arrived at the 13th looking towards the lake you can imagine my thrill! This still rates, in my opinion, as the best golf hole in the Algarve.

Having played the course for the past 7 years or more I have seen it develop into a fine test of golf. Pestana should be very proud of what they have. It isn’t perfect though.

I think it could be better, much better in fact. Here would be my proposals:

The 7th hole is simply too long for amateur golfers, the white tee could be kept for championships/seniors q school etc. The yellow tee would become the white tee, the ladies (red) tee becomes the men’s yellow tee and a new tee for the Ladies could be constructed further forward.

The 8th hole is very popular, particularly with the long hitters. It is however, in my opinion, intrinsically marred. It either needs:

a) the hazard (bunker) being reduced in size and the entrance to the green enlarged or
b) a new tee being put in thus making it a par 5.

The arguments for a) are straight forward, the second shot is almost certainly with a long iron/fairway wood style of club. This length of shot requires an element of fortune, it the ball pitches on the green it will rarely stop quickly. If however the ball lands short it is collected by the carnivorous bunker, this invariably means even very competent golfers are laying up. Reducing the size of the afore mentioned hazard and increasing the entrance to the green would certainly help, and not necessarily take away the hole’s character.

Option b), my preference, would leave the hole exactly as it is, except lengthen it. The land behind the existing tee is owned by Pestana. It is elevated (we all like the elevated tees on 5 and 13) and would be a fairly simple construction. All except the very longest hitters will be going into the green with their third shot, and therefore a much shorter club, and so the size of the hazard and narrow entrance to the green are justified.

My third change would be the next, the 9th hole. As a par 3 it is simply too long. You may see a theme developing here! I’m not against long holes but in all my years playing Silves I can only remember 2 or 3 occasions when I’ve seen a lady make the green. There are also plenty of our male members who can’t reach either. So the hole could be shortened, or preferably lengthened to become a “risk and reward” par 4. The ground behind the tee is available, although when I spoke to Pestana about this a few years back I was told the ground was too low to be used, it is however no lower than the ground that the 7th tee sits on.
Elongating the hole only 30 meters would then tempt some longer hitters in going for the green, or more likely make a shorter tee shot and then pitching onto the green. A little construction work would be needed to re-route buggy paths.

Lastly I would shorten the 12th, maybe enlarge the green and then you’d have a good par 3.

If these changes were to be implemented I think the improvement to the course would be significant. It would also become a par 72 and would justifiably be labelled as one of the best courses in the Algarve.

I would just like to repeat these are my own personal views and not necessarily those of SdM Golf Club.

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