Going for Golf

Praia d’el Rey

I was here to sample a top six of Lisbon’s finest golfing talent and first-up was a visit to Praia d’el Rey, about one hour’s scenic drive from the airport on the Silver Coast. The course at Praia d’el Rey – roughly translated as King’s Beach – was designed by Cabell Robinson, opened in 1997, and has featured in many ranking lists since.

As I soon discovered, there are two distinct sides to golf here with a splendid mix of holes: some played through scented pines, and others, by far the most memorable, among grand natural dunes. Bar a couple of standout links holes – the par-five second and the par-four fourth – the front nine is predominantly played away from the sea and through pine forest.

It is on the back nine that thrills come aplenty and the stretch of links holes from the short, but tricky, par-four 13th to the epic par-five 17th are outstanding and rival anything I have played in Iberia.

It is an excellent test of golf that can change dramatically depending on weather conditions but, whatever the weather, Praia d’el Rey is a real feast for the senses. The resort offers guests self-catering apartments and villas plus a five-star Marriott hotel adjacent to the golf course. The presence of other golfing options at nearby Golden Eagle, Royal Óbidos (opening 2010), and Bom Sucesso make this area an ideal base for a golf holiday.