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This is one of the country's most original golf courses, built in a pinewood at the edge of impressive cliffs, and overlooking the beautiful beaches of the Algarve and the Atlantic beyond. Opened in 1990, Pine Cliffs was designed by Martin Hawtree. The nine-hole course is not very long, for only two holes run to more than 360 meters. However, despite this, it presents an interesting challenge for the golfer, regardless of his or her handicap. As well as concerning himself with the playing area, Hawtree was careful to leave the surrounding land undisturbed and largely as it was before the course was built. The perfectly-kept course opens with two undemanding holes, but the challenge gets tougher from the third hole, a par 4 for which the drive must go through a narrow gap between pine trees. After the fifth hole (the only par 5 on the course) comes the crown jewel: a par 3 with a championship tee built over a ravine that requires a 205-meter carrying shot right over the beach to land on a deep but narrow green. Nigel Mansell, who was the President of Pine Cliffs for some time, has given the club the glamour that normally surrounds the great sport stars.