GolfBuzz - Episode 3
29 November 2016
more inland to Amarante where the staff of the Relais et Chateaux Hotel Casa de Calcada were at hand to welcome us. This beautiful property with a medieval feel to it offers 30 individually appointed rooms, a Michelin star restaurant but also all the modern facilities travellers expect these days. It sits in the mountain village of Amarante and owns its own golf course which is an interesting layout to say the least. Carved out of the woods, hills and valleys of the Minho region, this course will test both your skill and mental toughness as it meanders its way up and down. You don’t have to hit the ball long but you do have to be precise on this course. Situated about 10 minutes from the hotel and with beautiful views over the surrounding hills, the hotel offers a shuttle service to the course.
Venture a bit more inland where the 5* Vidago Palace Golf Hotel awaits you. Build for the King of Portugal in 1910, the Royal Family never got to enjoy the place and instead it was turned into a hotel. It found itself in difficulties but new ownership and an extensive refurbishment brought the property back into its original state but with the added comfort much sought after by the discerning travellers. Golf was played at Vidago since 1930 when Mackenzie Ross designed the original 9 holes in front of the Palace. These holes were incorporated in the redesign by Cameron & Powell who specialise in making Mackenzie Ross’ courses more current. The Par 72, measuring 6,308 mtrs of the back tees starts in the treelined surroundings of the old 9 and heads out to the Vidago valley before heading back along the side of the hills with some spectacular holes to finish your round. This is a golfers’ course, play well and you will score well. Staying in Vidago Palace is always a treat and the rooms and facilities are genuinely top class. For those who want a more budgeted experience, the Primavera Perfume Hotel, on the other side of the road, offers themed modern rooms, again with all the mod con’s one needs to make a stay unforgettable. Needless to say that both hotels offer favourable golf packages.
Heading back towards the coast and passing Guimaraes, the alleged birthplace of the first King of Portugal, it is a UNESCO Heritage City and is a major tourist centre in the North. We end up in Ponte de Lima, Portugal’s oldest known settlement (1125) and its Roman bridge. The Axis Ponte de Lima Golf hotel is a contemporary design on two floors with the golf course a tale of two characters. The front nine offers spectacular elevation changes with holes winding through the forest and along hillsides while the back nine plays as a gentle parkland course with century old trees.
Our journey ends back at the Atlantic Ocean this time North of Porto. Povoa De Varzim is a seaside village with high rise buildings and is home to Estella Golf Club. Built in 1988 by Duarte SottoMayor, a Trent Jones Sr. disciple, this unique and traditional links course, with one exception … Bermuda Grass, will test every aspect of your game. With the ever blowing Atlantic winds, Estella is not to be overpowered. Trust me, I’ve tried, a ball that doesn’t land on the fairway results in not being able to go for the green. With constant views over the Ocean and surrounded by immaculate dune lands, playing Estella is always a treat.
Mr. Buzzy is back …
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