Estoril
The Estoril Coast lies half an hour west of Lisbon airport and possesses an abundance of attractions for travellers of all types. The large dune-flanked beaches on the west coast provide one of Europe’s premier surf spots, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra is culture-vulture utopia and the coastal towns of Estoril and Cascais serve up a cosmopolitan blend of overseas leisure-seeker meets Lisbon ‘commuter-belter’.
The other key attribute of this area is the golf – seven 18-hole courses in all and penned by some of the world’s finest designers: Mackenzie Ross (Estoril), Arthur Hills (Oitavos Dunes) and Robert Trent Jones Junior (Penha Longa) and Senior (Quinta da Marinha).
First-up for me was Estoril, opened in 1945, the region’s oldest course and 20-time venue for the Portuguese Open. Located on the northern fringe of aristocratic Estoril, this gem of a course is flanked by majestic eucalyptus, pine and mimosa trees and is a Ross masterpiece.
What it doesn’t offer in length – a little under 6,000 yards – this par-69 course certainly delivers on strategic play, rewarding the ability to place the ball in the right spot from the tee and requiring precise approaches to small and well-guarded greens. It is, in short, the perfect course to start your golfing itinerary in the area and one where the relaxing pace on course is mirrored in its historic clubhouse.
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