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Palheiro
Golf Club is located a mere 10 km from the capital of Funchal on the
glorious Madeira
Island, and yet its position in the mountains a
thousand feet above sea level set it distinctly apart,
as the only indications of a nearby city are the
stunning vistas of the port from high above.
Cabell Robinson, an American golf architect
responsible for many designs in continental
Europe, laid out Palheiro in 1993, to
complement an old country estate that was in the
process of being converted into a world-class estate
hotel. The land, originally owned as a hunting grounds
for Count Carvalhal and later purchased by the Blandy
Estate, and the hotel, which today can be found
adjacent to the fifth hole, is a stunning combination
of subtle mountain undulations and glorious flora. The
terrain has a distinct impact on the course's
playability and the impression golfers cull from it;
with five sets of tees, the course is very manageable,
but with the glorious views of the Atlantic and the
city of Funchal, it is too easy to dismiss Palheiro
Golf Club as merely a beautiful piece of land--"a
good walk spoiled," or so Mark Twain thought.
Cabell Robinson has quashed such notions, as the
interior holes form a smart and strategic
juxtaposition with those holes perched on shelves high
over the ocean. No
doubt the setting enhances the experience, but the
golf course stands on its own merits.
The
golfer gets an immediate sense of the effects of elevation on the
first hole, which measures a modest 374 yards but
plays sharply uphill. The hole requires a well-struck
drive to be played to the right side, to avoid the
hazard left and set up the best angle of approach to
the green that boasts three bunkers protecting the
shallow green. Take plenty of club here, the elevation
is deceiving and as a result the front bunker is a
busy place.
The
club recently abandoned the original third and fourth
holes on what was the most severely sloped land on the
property. The uphill fourth will be easily forgotten
by those who braved it in the past and the two holes
will combine to become the future range, giving the
club even more extensive practice facilities. The two
new additions – the 15th and 16th holes – add
thrilling and beautiful holes.
The
new third hole (formerly the fifth) is a downhill 196-yard par
three
which plays much shorter than the listed yardage. With
five bunkers and severe slopes around the green, the
golfer must play to the center of the green. The
putting surface is sloped heavily from front to back
and landing the ball on the front can often result in
a long putt back up the green. Truly a devilish hole, the third requires a deft touch to escape with
par.
After
passing by Palheiro’s gardens on the walk from five,
the golfer finds the first par five at the 569-yard
sixth hole. The drive must skirt the three bunkers
that flank both sides of the driving area and force
the golfer to play the hole as a three-shotter,
barring Tiger-like length. From the center of the
fairway only a long draw could reach the green, so a
good lay-up can leave an easy pitch to a large green
further guarded by three large bunkers.
Another
downhill par three awaits the golfer on the 174-yard
11th hole, which forces the golfer to contemplate a
series of hazards and distractions before striking
their approach. The
Desertas
Islands
and the
Atlantic beyond will disturb anyone's focus, but a
smart middle iron at the center of this bowl-shaped
green should translate to a safe par. The shallow green is easier to reach with
a short left short, which will almost inevitably roll
onto the green. The aggressive approach risks going
over the green to a falloff that forces the golfer to
reload. Hole out first, and then enjoy the view.
Compared
to the other par threes at Palheiro, the 13th does not play
downhill, but actually slightly uphill from the back
tee, and measures 141 yards in length. The hole is among
the most dramatic on the course due the carry from the
tee to the green, which is over what is best described
as a jungle-like ravine. The green complex has five
bunkers surrounding it and proves an elusive target,
even with a short iron, since the green is quite
difficult to see from the tee.
The
15th, one of the new additions from the recent
changes, is a 523-yard par five that plays steeply
downhill. The fairway slope can be used to the
golfer’s advantage, if the drive can reach the
downslope. From there, the approach is much shorter,
though it must navigate around a tree, which stands
short of the green, right-centre.
Upon
climbing back upwards for 16 and 17, the golfer arrives at the
finishing hole, which affords players the chance to
finish their round with a promising note. This 533-yard par five plays
downhill and again, the approach is dictated by the
tree left of the green. The approach must either take
the aggressive line to the right of the tree, or
lay-up
in the ample fairway to the left. The large green has
many subtleties that can fool the golfer into missing
that key closing putt, adding a final nuance to a golf
course that is both strong and unique. Madeira Island
is rarely considered as a golf destination, but at
Casa Velha, the gap between great hospitality and
great golf has finally been bridged.
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