Sir Henry Cotton was both a hard worker and a bon vivant. He would practice until his hands bled, and then he would step into his Rolls-Royce. “The best is always good enough for me,” was the philosophy of this two-time British Open winner. He later made a name for himself as a golf course architect, building the first course on the Algarve and laying the foundation for a boom like none other—now more than 30 courses are lined up cheek by jowl in Southern Portugal. Penina Championship was the first, opened in 1966. The course is not particularly long, but longer hitters always tend to slip up because of the water hazards. The resort’s hotel does not attempt to take center stage with exalted luxury, because the shining star is the historic championship course itself. Two additional 9-hole courses at the resort offer even beginners an exciting place to play.
