Monte Rei Golf Club

 Monte Rei GC- hole 9

 

Monte Rei Golf Club is located up in the hills near the Spanish Border, a little inland of most of the courses in Portugal's Algarve region

Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 2007, the North course is part of a high end housing estate.

A second course- The South Course- is now underway...

Monte Rei aspires to provide a very different experience to other resort courses in The Algarve, and from my experience they have been successful

Nicklaus & team have created a world class course using the natural terrain to great affect.

The course has variety, and is beautifully finished. 

Water hazards are in play on eight holes, but it is the bunkering that dominates proceedings on the North Course

It will surprise no one that strategic placement of the many bunkers is spot on- we expect that of Nicklaus design!

However the North Course bunkering is also both artistic and eye catching and I was most impressed!

 

 

I also found it interesting just how much the course design was dictated by the land- perhaps more than any Nicklaus design I have seen...

Wonderfully unique holes like the par 4 thirteenth hole are the result

Yet the previous hole (12) is largely fabricated with a driveable green protected by a nicely shaped lake. No matter, it is fun to play!

So, all credit to the architects: they have used the land they were given to maximum affect, and then created interest when the cupboard was bare..

That's a sign of good design work, I'd say!

 

 Notable holes include:

- holes 1,2 & 3, a really lovely opening ..

- hole 9, a dramatically bunkered short par 3 (see pic top of page)

- hole 12, a short driveable par 4 'with teeth'

 

 

- hole 13, a short downhill par 4 with a devilish green

 

Monte Rei Golf Club- North Course- hole 13 green

 

- hole 15, a longer par 4 with water in play along the right side of the fairway and in front of the green (see pic mid page)

 

 

Monte Rei is an outstanding world class golf course.

The whole Monte Rei experience- golf,  accommodation, dining is top notch, and the service levels are as good as anything in the world

All Travelling Golfers headed to Portugal should aspire to play Monte Rei...

We rate Monte Rei GC- North Course as a Travelling Golfer must play!