Golf
Golf in Portugal is taken very seriously! Players of all
handicaps can take advantage of many different courses in a
variety of very picturesque settings.
With its glorious and very enticing climate, idyllic scenery
and more than 70 courses, Portugal is golf heaven. There are more
than 30 courses in the Algarve alone, six of them in
Vilamoura.
There are nine on the Estoril Coast, just outside Lisbon, some
of them part of the marvellously beautiful National Park of
Cascais and Sintra.
There are three courses on the Azores islands, which are
located in the middle of the Atlantic, and the Madeira Open is
held at Santo da Serra, which at 2,000 ft offers stunning views
of the island.
Some of our favourite places to play...
Praia d'El Rey
This 18-hole, par 72 championship links course on the "Silver
Coast", north of Lisbon, was recently rated best in Portugal by
the Peugeot Golf Guide. Designed by the American architect Cabell
B Robinson, Praia d'El Rey is set among pine forests and sand
dunes, unfurling itself mainly along a cliff looking out to the
Atlantic. Throughout the course, and particularly over the last
nine holes, which are extremely demanding in terms of accuracy,
there are some truly spectacular views. Worth a mention is the
view over Berlengas at hole 2, the stunning scenery at hole 11,
and the view of the Atlantic along hole 12. Hole 17's huge
extension (570 yards) makes it the second longest par 5 in the
country.
Oporto Golf Course
Tradition floods this elegant course, which was established by
British expatriates in 1890 - making it Portugal's oldest course,
and the second oldest in Continental Europe. It is 10 miles south
of Porto, just beside the beautiful beaches of Espinho. This is
an authentic links course, and relatively short at 5,668 metres
for a par 71. Narrow fairways and the north winds are the major
obstacles, starting out with a tricky par 4. But the real
challenges come at hole 4 and, particularly, hole 11, a par 5 at
494 metres. The final hole is a very accessible par 5, which
makes for some very exciting conclusions for competitors. Since
1891, Oporto Golf Club has hosted the annual Skeffington Cup.
Penha Longa
A few minutes inland from the Estoril Coast, just west of Lisbon,
Quinta da Penha Longa is on the site of an ancient convent and
three palaces. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, the course is
6,290 yards long, and hilly, so you need to be quite fit to
navigate it. The par 56th seems easy but players should beware
falling short of the green beyond the lake and before the ruins,
which is on two levels and extremely fast. As on most great
courses, the last three of the back nine are excellent. The 16th,
a long par 4, invites a drive over the valley, followed by a
difficult shot to an elevated green protected by a bunker. The
17th, a 187-yard par 3, demands great accuracy, and the 18th is a
par 5 with a birdie chance, depending on the strength and
direction of the wind.
Oitavos Club
Just inland from the delightful fishing village of Cascais, the
Quinta da Marinha Oitavos Club nestles in the Sintra-Cascais
National Park, in an area of great natural beauty, among pine
woods and reforested dunes. Designed by Arthur Hills, it is one
of the finest courses in Europe, and the first in the continent
to be recognised as a Gold Certified Signature Sanctuary by
Audubon International. The course has three distinct landscapes -
woods, dunes and coastal heath - and takes full advantage of
each. There are wonderful views of the Sintra Hills and the
Atlantic from every hole.
Quinta da Ria
In the Algarve, near Tavira, this spectacular 18-hole par 72
course is in the Ria Formosa National Park. Almost flat, 6,000
yards long, and with stunning views of the sea and the mountains,
it comprises two loops of nine holes, each with two par 5, five
par 4 and two par 3 holes. Nourished by a stream, five lakes were
built along the course to beautify and irrigate it and 300 old
carob and olive trees were transplanted to maintain the ancient
border.
Furnas Golf Course
This golf course, originally a nine-hole course, was designed by
McKenzie Ross but later extended to 18. The course is thought to
be one of the best in the whole of Portugal. It is situated in
one of the most beautiful parts of Sao Miguel in the Azores,
overlooking the stunning Furnas valley which is famous for its
tropical vegetation, hot springs and mineral water, as well as
featuring one of the largest and most attrac-tive lakes on the
Island. The best and the most challenging hole is said to be
number 6. There is a practice tee and chipping area on this
mature parkland course.
The Old Course At Vilamoura
A purpose-built resort in the Algarve, Vilamoura is one of
Europe's biggest complexes, and the Old Course is the oldest of
its six golf courses. Frank Pennink, who designed it, wanted to
create something that would remind players of a beautiful inland
course in Britain, and he succeeded.
The par 3 holes, all of them attractive in different ways, are
the toughest challenge, requiring careful selection of irons and
near-perfect ball control. Over the rest of the course, trees
playa key role, lining the doglegs, unforgiving of careless
strokes. The greens are small, especially on the shorter holes,
so there is no margin for error. Uniquely, par for the course is
73, even though among its last nine holes there are four with a
par 5.
Morgado Do Reguengo
The Algarve's newest course, Morgado is laid out over 980
hectares, through undulating small valleys to north of Portimão.
At 6,399 yards and par 73, its most immediately striking
characteristic is its large greens, which place a premium on good
putting skills. The accuracy of a player's shot is also
challenged by aggressively deep bunkers.
The spacious clubhouse offers wonderful views over the course,
particularly from the south terrace, which looks out over the
entire driving range and 12 of the 18 holes.
Montado
Set in the wine-growing country of Setubal, about 30 miles south
of Lisbon, Montado is surrounded by the celebrated muscatel
vineyards. Designed by Duarte Sottomayor, the course unfolds
beneath old oaks, and younger chestnuts and pines, and is
surrounded by streams and natural lakes. Hole 5, a par 4 with a
dogleg to the left, demands a good drive, with the second shot
played on to a wide green protected by water.
Another hole of great beauty is 13, a par 4, with a
sensational view over Palmela Castle, and good chance of a
birdie. On this course you are usually offered two possible ways
of playing a hole, and the riskier choice entails heavy penalties
if not accurately hit.
Porto Santo
This is a recently built course, on Madeira's sister island of
Porto Santo which is 30 miles north east of Funchal and measures
just nine miles by three. Designed by possibly Spain's most
famous golfer, Severiano Ballesteros, it is a par 72, 6,434-metre
course, closing on a 551-metre par 5 hole 18. The only problem is
that the island, small as it is, is a paradise. With a massive
eight-mile beach on its southern coast, distraction is easy.
Tip: The Algarve
The Algarve is the best selling and most popular golfing
region, and is host to many international tournaments, such as
the Portuguese Open, the Ladies Open, the Seniors Open and The
World Cup. Golf is almost a religion here and players of all
handicaps can take advantage of more than 30 courses in a range
of settings.
The undulating fairways of Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo,
for example, are set amid pine, olive and eucalyptus trees in the
Ria Formosa Natural Park, and countless species of birds can be
seen on and around the water of the lagoon and the sea.
The Royal Course at Vale do Lobo also boasts the famous 16th
hole - the most photographed in Europe - where great skill is
required to whack balls across two chasms in the stunning
cliffs.
Après-Golf
At Praia d'El Rey, there is a beach and golf resort where you
can relax after a day of golf or perhaps visit the Berlenga
Islands a little further down the coast. Easily accessible by
boat its crystal waters are perfect for diving or deep-sea
fishing.
If you're playing at Oporto, Portugal's second largest city,
then we suggest you take the chance to sample the country's
biggest export - port - which is shipped worldwide
from just over the river in Vila Nova de Gaia.
After a round at Penha Longa or Oitavos, the Casino at Estoril
offers a change of pace. It's the biggest in Europe with
excellent dining and lavish cabarets.
Have a drink at the lively Sete Cafe, the bar owned by Luis
Figo Portugal's famous number seven - on the marina at Vilamoura.
This unassuming open-air haunt is a treat for football fans who
can watch live matches on giant screens and drool over the shirts
and signed photographs of international soccer superstars.
From Quinta de Ria, be sure to visit Tavira -one of the
Algarve's most beautiful towns. It's about 4,000 years old but
like much of the area it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755,
so most of its buildings date from the 18th century.
Morgado is close to the beaches of Portirnao some of the best
in the Algarve - and offers excellent game fishing as well as
sailing, water-skiing and scuba-divinq,
Montado is handy for the town of Setubal.Ihe Cathedral has
some remarkable tiles, the Igreja de Jesus is Manueline in pink
stone and you'll find some spectacular gardens.
One of the glories of Portugal are its Pousadas - run by the
Pestana Group, many of them in national monuments. The Pousada de
Palmela, up the road from Montado, for example, is housed in the
beautiful and ancient Castelo de Palmela, in the Arrabida
National Park and is a fantastic place to stay.
Golfers in Porto Santo are spoilt for choice. We suggest
staying at the new Pestana Resort . Visitors can relax on the
miles of golden sandy beach, then visit one of the many
restaurants, which operate a transport service from restaurants
to hotels.
More information:
Portuguese Golf Club
