[48] MAY 2018
TRAVEL & BREAKS GOLFNEWS.CO.UK
MY BLUE
HEAVEN
If you’re looking to combine a relaxing golf break with a visit to one of Europe’s most vibrant capital cities, then Lisbon’s Blue Coast – home to Orizonte Golf’s seven excellent courses – is the place to go, says Nick Bayly
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W
hile the Algarve has been a perennial favourite destination with sun-loving Brits seeking a golf holiday in Portugal since the 1960s, it is the area around Lisbon that has seen the biggest growth in recent years, with over 100,000 of us flocking each year to play its 20-plus golf courses, all of which are located within an hour’s drive of Europe’s westernmost capital. Awarded the title of European Golf Destination of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators for the third time in 2016, Lisbon’s Golf Coast not only boasts a wide variety of quality courses, but also offers affordable green fees, a year-round mild climate, and easy access to the attractions of the city. My two-night trip took in three courses that are being marketed by Orizonte Golf, a portfolio of five clubs that offer seven courses between them. Orizonte also enjoys ties with a selection of well-established coastal accommodation options dotted within the beautiful Costa Azul region, creating some great value packages to experience some of the area’s less championed, but no less enjoyable, golfing venues. A two-and-a-half hour flight from the UK takes you into the heart of Lisbon, where its Portela airport is located surprisingly close to the redtiled rooftops that dominate the historic city’s suburban skyline. After being picked up from the airport, we wasted no time in heading to our first tee time at Quinta do Peru, an 18-hole course located a 40-minute drive to the south of Lisbon, towards the Setubal Peninsula. The journey began with a spectacular drive over Lisbon’s iconic 25th April Bridge, which spans the River Tagus and connects western Lisbon to
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the Costa Azul. Often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it opens up stunning views of Lisbon and is overlooked by one of the city’s most famous landmarks – Cristo Rei – a 260ft statue of Christ, similar to the one found in Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, a few miles up river, is the Vasco da Gama Bridge, which connects from the east of the city and is Europe’s longest bridge, measuring an impressive 10.7 miles. But all talk of bridges soon faded when we arrived at Quinta do Peru, a delightful tree-lined course carved out of 300 acres of pine forest on the edge of the Arrábida Natural Park. First opened in 1994, it was designed by American architect Rocky Roquemore, who caringly crafted a track that has earned itself high ranking in the top 100 courses in Continental Europe. The 6,640-yard layout meanders gently through tall pines and, like so many courses in Europe, features an abundance of private villas, although they are thankfully set back a discreet distance from the fairways, so as neither to disturb
LISBON’S GOLF COAST NOT ONLY BOASTS A WIDE VARIETY OF QUALITY COURSES, BUT ALSO OFFERS AFFORDABLE GREEN FEES, A YEARROUND MILD CLIMATE, AND EASY ACCESS TO THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE CITY
golfer nor homeowner. The course has matured nicely over the last 25 years, and is tidy without being pristinely manicured, while the greens are devilishly quick, so its vital to be on the ‘right’ side of the hole if you want to give it anything more than a nudge with the putter. Both nines start with demanding par fives and end with equally testing par fours. Water features on two of the four ‘short’ holes – I use the word short in quotes as the eighth measures ■ RIBAGOLFE I 14TH HOLE
220 yards and the 16th 195 – and require plenty of welly and a nerveless stroke to score well on. A birdie at the latter – thanks to a thumping 5-iron over a lake and a curling 25-foot putt – seemed like a minor triumph, although the less said about the triple-bogey six at the former, the better. Although the tree-lined fairways are generally not too narrow, big and astutely-placed bunkers, and those rapid putting surfaces, ensure that Quinta do Peru is a solid test off the back tees, and most holiday golfers will have more fun off the yellows, which take the course down to a more manageable 6,175 yards. Overall, the layout has a nice flow to it, with no two holes alike, while the serenity of the surroundings, which at times felt like ‘Millionaire’s Golf’, will put you in the perfect holiday golfing mood. Before our round, we eschewed practice on the 300-metre double-ended driving range and instead enjoyed a relaxing lunch in the rustic clubhouse that overlooks the course. We dined on an excellent range of local dishes, including a superb pork and red pepper skewer served fresh from the grill, which was accompanied by a delightfully chilled glass or two of Super Bock, the lager of choice in these parts.