A Week to Remember Having just returned from my 5th year of Fairway Golf Holidays Algarve Competition Week I have now got yet more happy memories and pictures to add to my portfolio. As a Golf Travel Writer my job takes me all over the world testing out golf courses and countries to pass on to my readers, and the question I am most frequently asked is ‘which is your favourite country to play golf?’. Even though everywhere has something different to offer I never struggle to answer as it is always to same – The Algarve, Portugal, an area which has been high up on the list of British golfers favourites for many years now. What is the attraction – well for me the first is the time it takes to get there, approximately two and a half hours and arriving generally speaking to warm weather. And we were not let down this time in the middle of March and the sunshine got better as the week went by. I thought “eat your hearts out you poor English golfers still on temporary tees and greens, I’m going to be playing golf in my shorts” ! These golf competition holidays are hosted by Peter Walsh of Fairway Golf Holidays and he accompanies each group to make sure everything runs smoothly and all we happy golfers have to do is turn up on the tee at the right time and enjoy our golf with a group of very like minded people. It was simple collecting the hire car and an easy 35 minute drive took me to Balaia Golf Village, situated between Vilamoura and Albufeira and close to some of the best Golf courses in the Algarve. After checking into one of the very luxurious apartments right next to the driving range and the superb club house for the 9 hole golf course, I head off for lunch around the pool at the restaurant, where we meet up with old friends from last year and the party begins! Jugs of Sangria suddenly appear on the tables, last years photographs are passed round and news is exchanged. After lunch it’s usually to the local super market to get some essentials and then back to take up the offer of 50 free balls on the driving range. On the first evening everyone meets up at the welcome cocktail party in the A’Varanda bar to meet new and old friends and to check on their playing partners for the following two days and for our host Peter tells us what we have to look forward to over the coming week. These hosted holiday include flights, car hire, accommodation, breakfast, four rounds of golf, cocktail party on arrival pus Cocktails and a Gala Dinner complete with prize presentation on the last night. During the week there are so many local restaurants to try out and even after five years I am still finding new ones without the need to travel far. Of course we all have our favourites, but one thing is for sure there is something to suit every taste. On the Tuesday evening Peter organises an evening visit to a typical Portuguese Restaurant which includes a coach, so no driving required. This has proved very popular over the years with an 80-100% uptake which speaks for itself. Peter Walsh has been organising golf groups for many years now and through experience and listening to clients requirements has fine-tuned these weeks to suit most needs. This includes the tee times, the format and the quality and variety of courses played. Again there are favourites, for the Balaia group it would not be the same if he did not include The Old Course at Vilamoura, the other courses vary and there is a great calibre of courses to choose from. Although the golfers are drawn with different partners each day they each play their own ball with Men’s and Ladies prizes on offer plus the overall winners for the week. Incorporated into this may be pairs, and team games which brings everyone together and brings out many stories in the 19th at the end of each day! By the end of the week any new comers who may have been overawed with the atmosphere on the first night feels totally drawn into this family of golfers with a promise to return the following year to repeat the experience. As one lady winner said as she received her prize ‘What is it about Peter Walsh that he always seems to attract such lovely people on his golf weeks’. Having been on many of this type of week over the years that is easy for me to answer, it is his helpfulness, ability to listen and respond and sincerity, all very rare these days I find. Jean Tomlinson, Travel Editor, Golfers' Chronicle.