Friends returning from their now-annual Easter golf break assure me there are five more new courses since last year - none of which they managed to find. So when I heard from Joe Toledo about his site with the word Lusogolf in the URL, I of course expected yet another Algarve golfing site.
I could not have been more wrong. This site is for me an inspirational link which connects the old world with the new and pays tribute through one man to the spirit which has motivated the Portuguese people throughout the centuries.
It is a story of family values, love, courage and community spirit which extends a helping hand to those in need.
Even if you have no interest in golf, the site itself has so much more to offer. The story of Antonio Toledo to whom the site - and the memorial golf championship - is dedicated is offered in both Portuguese and English.
As a learning link, it could not be bettered because the vocabulary and themes expressed are the basis of personal reflections, some of which are common to us all.
But Antonio Toledo and his family are very special people.
The biography celebrates a man honoured by his family and his community for his never-failing determination to do his best as a father; a determination which took him to three Continents. Moreover this was a man who believed that talent was for sharing. He shared his love of the traditional Portuguese viola by playing and teaching, encouraging the young people of his community to feel proud of their own culture.
When he died, his son Joe wanted to set up a memorial fund to keep his spirit alive. The site explains the birth of the memorial Lusogolf Championship which takes place towards the end of June in California. The proceeds, as befits the memory of such a man, go towards providing scholarships and bursaries to help fund students who otherwise might have no chance of higher education.
A share also goes towards cancer research in memory of the help given to their mother now thankfully recovered.
The audio clip, short but worth waiting for, permits the listener to share in the joy given to his community by Antonio's talent on the Portuguese guitar.
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