Golf on the Algarve

GETTING THERE
Monarch has flights to Faro International from Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester. Check the website for last minute deals. golf bags must be pre-booked and paid for. Extra leg room and seat selection is available on some flights.

WHERE TO PLAY
Perched on a rugged, orange cliff, the par-3 16th on the Royal course is one of the most photographed holes in the world. Although the Ocean course lives in its sister's shadow somewhat, the sea views and the rollercoaster fairways make this course a beauty.

two minutes drive down the road lies quinta do Lago in the Ria Formosa Natural Park. There are two courses the North and South, each of which features water. The latter is the tougher of the two and has hosted eight Portuguese Opens.

If you walk to the edge of the resort you'll reach the salt marshes which are home to a host of birds and other wildlife. It's in this particularly beautiful spot that the fairways of another great course, San Lorenzo, twist and turn, using the spectacular views of the sea and the marsh water to great effect.

Ten minutes to the west lies Vila Sol, one of the best courses in Europe. Every hole offers a new delight, although clipping the pines with a well-struck shot can be frustrating. Also unmissable at Vilamoura is the Frank Pennink-designed Old course an umbrella-pined oasis in the metropolis. The par 3s are particularly good and although the greens are tricky, with the right club selection you could see some birdies flying your way.

WHERE TO STAY
Stay in any of the Vale do Lobo properties and you'll be given a card which entitles you to savings on things such as restaurants and green fees.

club Med Da Balaia is perfect for families containing only one golfer as there's a golf desk where you can book tee times and hook up with other players. Transfers to courses are included and tournaments arranged. Golfing couples can deposit babies aged over four months in the crche.

Vila Sol is the Algarve's only Leading hotel of the World. A wonder of chrome, glass and wood with a good handful of art thrown in, the hotel has a contemporary feel.

OFF course
Vilamoura is a modern, purpose-built resort offering high-rise hotels and apartments. There's a wide beach but it's not nearly as pretty as the dunes and cliffs of Vale do Lobo. However, the casino and bar-packed marina make this a lively centre and great for people watching. There is a large shopping mall outside the region's capital of Faro but the historic town centre contains some good shops too. There are golf equipment stores everywhere.

Loul is one of the most historic cities in Portugal and has Roman ruins and a castle. Cool off on a hot day on the water slides at Aqualand in central Algarve. Armao de Pra is a fishing village with one of the biggest beaches on the Algarve. Tavira is one of the most attractive market towns in the region with cobbled streets and fine churches.

East of Tennis valley in Vale do Lobo, with views over the dunes, lies The Shack. Prices are good and the food which varies from four-inch thick homemade burgers to prawns in garlic is outstanding. Gigi's on the beach in quinta do Lago has a daily fish menu.

www.golf-monthly.co.uk
golf Monthly is the UK's best-read golf magazine. It features star interveriews, up-to-the-minute equipment reviews, instruction and travel features as well as news from the tours. The online site features daily news and has a dedicated golf forum. Users can also view video reviews of the latest equipment.

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Yoga Can Get Your Diet on the Right Track

The ancient Indian sages were involved in intensive study and research into the nutritional value of food and one of the upshots of this was that they divided food into three categories which became known as Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic.

Tamasic food can be said to be in the lowest category as far as its food value is concerned and it is classed as being without quality prana (life energy).

Rajasic food is stimulating, possesses considerable prana and forms a significant percentage of the average persons diet.

Sattvic food however, is the only category that fulfills the ideal food of the Vedic teachings. It comprises foods that are fresh and natural, and contain a high pranic or life content. Some examples are fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables.

The teachings encourage an adherence, in the main, to the Sattvic foods, balanced by a percentage of the Rajasic class, but an abstinence from foods that are classed as Tamasic; in that have little or no prana.

These ancient principles are still adhered to today and it has been amply demonstrated by contemporary food scientists at the Yogic Umachal Hospital in india that the ancient teachings are, in fact, quite valid.

Although modified to some extent, a simple parallel can be seen in the conclusions of Western nutritionists who recommend that people:

• avoid lowest grade foods; those that are commercially produced using artificial flavorings, colorings and that contain chemical preservatives and additives
• eat limited quantities of rich, highly spiced, highly processed and cooked food, as well as butter, cheese, eggs, chocolate, confectionery and other foods containing high levels of processed cane and beet sugar, and
• ensure that a high percentage of the diet should consist of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and grains

The important difference is that modern diets still include great quantities of meats of all kinds. These are totally excluded in the Yoga diet for several reasons.

1. The traditional Yogic rule of nutrition excludes them as being devoid of life energy or pranathey are in fact classed as dead foods
2. Meats in quantity cause acidity and leave deposits of toxins in the blood that can cause arthritis and other diseases, depending upon the health of the animal whose flesh was consumed, and
3. yoga adherents believe firmly that no one who loves animals would wish to kill them and eat them or even to foster their exploitation for human consumption

It is the over-riding altruistic reverence for all life that influences a tradition that precludes killing animals for food. The Yogis diet is therefore vegetarian.

This as well as other yoga teachings and disciplines are incorporated into personal Sadhana according to the individuals choice and understanding of health and spiritual matters.

Sally Janssen is one of the best known Yoga teachers in Australia, and is a former President of the International yoga Teachers Association. She runs an informational website that deals with the very spirit of traditional yoga. To benefit from her extensive knowledge be sure to visit her site at http://www.classical-yoga.com

Santa Cruz Yoga And Meditation Center