Unlikely to return

Vincent Darby from Ireland
A mixed bag really. Beautiful clubhouse and facilities and some of the staff were polite and helpful. Sadly, others weren’t . Sat at a table on the terrace at 5.25pm no staff came out from the bar, so I went inside at 5.30 and it was as much as they could do to end their conversation as I waited patiently to ask for a drink at the bar. I ordered 2 drinks and asked if there were any menus available and was told quite curtly that the kitchen closed at 5.30. That’s fine, but there’s a right and a wrong way to deal with guests and, this was the only time in Portugal that we we were not made very welcome. The course itself has some good holes but does need watering. Greens were nicely paced and consistent. Plenty of blind shots and, given the gradients, you hit a shot to one side of the fairway only to find it some time later almost in the bushes on the other side - really slows down the game. A few marker posts beside the undergrowth would help to give you some idea where the ball went since one bush looks very much like another from 200 or so yards! But it’s the staff that really need to improve - many don’t seem happy at their work - probably sick of loud British golfing parties which myself and my wife were not part of. Sadly, in the hospitality industry, you have to be nice to the customers or they complain in reviews and won’t come back. Could and should be an outstanding venue but work to be done on the course and with some staff

Espiche not for faint hearted

Ross from Portugal
This is a very difficult golf course. Even if you can hit the often tight fairway, there is a very good chance your ball will roll 30-50 yards left or right with no rough to stop the ball disappearing into the impenetrable bush that lines every hole. One foot off, you might as well be 30 yards off. Add wind into the equation and just stay in the beautiful clubhouse and enjoy yourself instead. Having started with that, the course is almost hypnotic in its beauty and toughness. Makes you want to keep coming back just to try and beat it. In addition to its beauty the course is in excellent shape, all the staff were friendly and helpful and during our rounds, pace of play was excellent. So if you have lots of balls, figuratively and literally, you should give it a whirl. Plus December and January, Espiche was offering two persons with a buggy for €65! Ross Canada