Quinta Do Lago (Laranjal)

This is the hole where Rory McIlroy drove the green. You will need a driver and a three-wood to have any hope.”

I took our genial playing partner at his word and slammed the best of both, finding the top tier of the 14th’s putting surface.

I was left with a putt for the same birdie the defending Masters champion had achieved. Obviously, I missed.

We had great fun on Quinta do Lago’s Laranjal course, which is a total departure from its North or South siblings.

Laranjal is a ten-minute drive from the main QDL hub and features a much more understated clubhouse, car park, and practice facility.

Nevertheless, Mrs W and I liked its welcoming atmosphere and were paired with a couple of regulars who proved to be excellent company.

Unlike the more famous North and South courses, Laranjal feels wonderfully secluded.

Tucked into the Ludo Valley, it is the only one of the three with no villas lining the fairways—just pure golf and nature.

It was designed by the Portuguese architect Jorge Santana da Silva, and his layout of eighteen holes has been switched around to give the course a spellbinding finale.

The move has seen it shoot up the Portuguese rankings, nudging past its sister North course.

Water is the defining feature here, playing a part in many holes and prompting several humbling moments for me—and pure comedy from Mrs W.

The first is a forgiving opener with a clip down the right, offering the chance of a straightforward approach. It was, however, merely the first of several missed birdie putts on the day.

A lake and a sprawling beach bunker must then be negotiated at the second—a par-three of nearly 200 yards from the gold tees.

I struck a handsome drive on the par-four fourth but contrived to top my long approach, watching it disappear under the bridge over a stream.

I could see the ball, but retrieval was impossible. Laranjal’s stroke index one, the seventh, is a beast of a par-five. The drive must avoid water down the right-hand side, and it remains a long, testing journey toward the green.

I left myself too short with my second and found "the drink" with my third. Meanwhile, Mrs W was putting out, completely oblivious to her trolley retreating toward the water.

It tipped up, depositing her clubs into the lake over a bale of startled turtles. Fortunately, she was able to retrieve them without any lasting damage.

We hadn’t scored too badly on the front nine, and there was certainly better stuff to come on the equally exciting back half.

The original orange groves, which give the course its name, line the 10th and 11th holes. The 11th is a quirky, short par-four with bunkers flanking the left and a tree blocking the centre line.

After the near-glory of the 14th came the winding par-five 15th, squeezed between an avenue of trees and fairway bunkers before reaching a fiendish, rolling green.

“Take driver,” was the advice offered by our partner on the par-three 16th, which banks left-to-right toward a table-top green protected by a scary sequence of bunkers.

It was a top tip; my ball came to rest just eight feet from the hole. Sadly, the slope defeated my birdie attempt, though I settled for a tap-in par.

The switch-around of the nines has created a grandstand finish, with the attractive, short par-four 17th followed by an outstanding home hole.

The par-five 18th has water on the left from the tee (I found it) and on the right after the dogleg (I found that, too).

Despite my ball receiving several soakings, I thoroughly enjoyed Laranjal and I would certainly like to return.