Five have fun and games in the Algarve

Not long to go now until the annual HAD Golf Day. This year's event takes place at Welwyn Garden City Golf Club on Friday September 23 and regular participant Guy Black describes here his recent trip to the Algarve after bidding for the Villa Plus- donated holiday at last year’s event.

The five of us flew out from Luton on May 12 and landed in the early hours at Faro Airport in the Algarve. The party consisted of my friends Aiden Harrison, Dave Langham, Alex ‘Alfie’ Bass (pictured above) and Hugo Thomas.We picked up our hire car (included in the HAD golf day auction) and headed along the coast towards our destination, Villa Pantiles in Praia d’Oura. 

Our villa was in a secluded cul-de-sac, located only minutes from the busy town centre “the Strip” and only five minutes’ walk to the beach. This splendid villa was surrounded by a massive garden and had everything we needed for a relaxing holiday. We were blessed with fantastic weather throughout our week-long stay, and it was pleasing to relax and cool down in our own huge private swimming pool.

The other outside amenities the villa offered were also put to good use, the full size American pool table (I was down 98 – 83 to Alfie by the end of the week!) and table tennis both encouraging a great deal of fun and banter.

We only ate out once in the evening and that was on the last night of the holiday, preferring to cook on the enormous brick barbeque.It was so good we even fought over who would cook the delights of king prawns, steaks and fresh fish.

In the evenings we had the choice of the new town of Praida d’Oura and the delights of the strip, or the old town of Albufeira, which was a five minute cheap taxi ride away.  The picturesque old town is very lively and with countless bars which are open till the small hours of the morning.Yes we awoke late every morning, some of us who shall be nameless (Aiden and Hugo), never witnessed a Portuguese morning!

I know a holiday is predominately made by the friends you go with, but, the Villa we stayed at Pantiles just raised our enjoyment even higher.

Thank you Nick Cooper and Villa Plus for what turned out to be a great villa/ holiday. I would strongly recommend bidding for a Villa Plus holiday at the next HAD Golf Day auction.The only problem is, you’ll have to outbid me. Good luck.

In fact golfers will have twice the chance to get away from it all  this year.

As well as a week-long stay in one of Nick Cooper’s Villa Plus premises there is the chance to stay in a magnificent four-bedroom family home in France’s Massif Central region.

Long-time HAD supporter Derek Holden has generously donated the house, which stands next to the beautiful Lake Correze, for a week anytime next year excluding July and August. 

The house is 75 miles west of the airport at Clermont Ferrand and less than two hours from Limoges airport. The lake is ideal for watersports and fishing with plenty of wildlife and walking country nearby. There’s even a nine hole golf course round the corner.

In addition there will be the usual array of auction goodies up for grabs: Wimbledon ticketsplus loads of other sporting tickets and signed memorabilia.

You can download an entry form here or get more information by calling Paul Bishop on 07973 237162.