Oitavos Dunes
I had been promised a final treat at Oitavos Dunes, the work of Arthur Hills, who was so impressed with the site that he made it his first European project. The blend of umbrella pine forest, dunes land and open coastal transition areas had given Hills plenty of variety to work with and he has produced something that has been rightly applauded worldwide.
The routing is a continuous loop of holes, nine out and nine in, similar to links-land courses in Scotland. This is a poetic golf experience from start to finish and one that would offer a very different experience when the wind blows.
A gentle opening three holes, led me out from, then into, the expanse of the course and the elements and from here on it really is thrill-a-minute stuff, requiring a ‘man v golf course’ mentality. The mid-section of holes, from the par-five eighth to the par-five 16th is when the course really begins to snarl. Huge natural sand dunes provide elevation, frame and shaping to a spectacular run of holes, including four delicious par-threes. Distant views of the Atlantic Ocean and the nearby hills of Sintra are distinguishable from every hole and each contributes to a cohesive statement and unique golf experience.
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