Golf in and Around Lisbon by Peter D Smith
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Obviously, being a big city, there are no golf courses right in the heart of Lisbon, though there are plenty of golf courses in the outskirts. You might need a rental car to reach most of them as golf courses don't tend to be handily close to metro stations, and getting on and off the bus with a full set of clubs tends to upset the locals as you knock them out of the way.
Slightly west of Lisbon, but only about 20 minutes by car, Belas is a very hilly course laid out in the middle of what is fast becoming a major housing development yet none of the houses interfere with the course, unlike at some places I could name. The second hole is an exact mirror-image of the 13th at Augusta. It's a brilliant course but you'll definitely need lunch after this (try to time it right so that you are there when they open the daily buffet in the clubhouse), especially if you walk. Most people take a cart.
Quinta da Marinha is in the grounds of the eponymous hotel, just outside Cascais. It's lovely, calming, relaxed, several testing holes where magnetic water comes into play and a couple of long holes that will have you reaching for the driver. Quite a lot of water on this course, particularly on the short holes.
Oitavos is the newest of the bunch, a magnificent course built as a links layout nine out, nine back, and at the far end of the course you are facing Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe, nothing between this and the east coast of America, 3000 miles away. The course runs long too, at over 7000 yards, but with generous fairways and little in the way of trees the clever golfer will find this course one to which he'd want to return. It had the most expensive green fees of the lot.
Penha Longa was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr and he has used the amazing natural terrain to its best to create one of the best courses in Portugal. Set in the grounds of an old monastery and royal palace in the hills above the Estoril Grand Prix racing circuit (they still do practice and testing there though no more races) it is a wonderful test of golf. Some long holes but most just reachable in regulation so you get the chance to go for it or lay-up. Well, as someone once said, "I didn't come this far to lay up". Exactly - go for it.
Close to Penha Longa is a newer course, Beloura that, at first glance, is not that wonderful. Indeed the first few holes make you wonder why you've bothered. But then it gets going and yes, it is a very good course. It twists and turns through a development of houses though, unlike some places, they don't interfere with the course. It's not too hilly, not too much water, but it is good.
East of Lisbon Santo Estêvão is another Donald Steel design, located about 45 minutes to the east of Lisbon airport, very flat and open with a few water hazards. It could be a good challenge though to be honest I have not yet played it. Across the old bridge across the Tagus to the south of Lisbon, towards the Setúbal peninsula, but still within half an hour of the city centre, are three courses that are well worth the trip across the (toll) bridge (which gives fantastic views if there's not too much traffic about). Aroeira has two courses, the old one (Aroeira 1) designed by Frank Pennink the American designer. It is a wonderful course running through the pine trees and has been described as the "Wentworth of Portugal" an apt description. It's brilliant. Lovely greens and you have a wonderful feeling when you're playing this course. And then there's Aroeira 2.
This was designed by Donald Steel the English architect and is as different as you could possibly get from the beautiful flowing lines of Aroeira 1. Number 2 is very definitely number two. Although it has received some good reviews the older course is far more picturesque and challenging for the serious golfer.
Quinta da Perú, also in the same area, is a delightful course. Housing runs around this course too but it looks decent, as if the architect was in a good mood when he was planning this development. A wonderful clubhouse with stunning food, glorious views, lovely greens. Excellent. One of the best. Go there. As you might have guessed, I like it!
After crossing the hugely impressive Vasco da Gama bridge out of Lisbon (you pay a toll) you come to the beautiful town of Setúbal, a working fishing port with a beautiful pousada set high on a bluff overlooking the water. In the outskirts of this town is Montado golf club, nice enough but nothing to write home about. Flat, some water, it's pleasant, no more than that.
But go down to the harbour, take a charming little ferry that is not much more than a floating raft (makes the Iow ferry look like an ocean liner) across the water to the Troia peninsula and you enter magic-land for golfers anyway. Troia GC is, quite simply, wonderful. It starts off in towering pine trees, then runs along the beach, then back in the trees, back to the beach and so on. Being located on the dunes sand encroaches into areas that on other courses would be called rough. You get plenty of use out of your sand-iron. But it is so beautiful. They held the Portuguese Open here in 1983 Sam Torrance won it and was the only player under par. So it's not exactly a doddle.
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