A Break from the Links, Portugal Golf

Date: October 2012

Location: Penha Longa Resort, Portugal 

Course: Atlantic Course

Golfers: Kelsey and I along with a long lost friend, the golf cart. 

Conditions: Warm and windy, 20-25 C (70-80 F). 

Overview: A week long vacation to Portugal with a round of golf peppered in. We stayed about 30 minutes west of Lisbon in a small town called Sintra. I brought my clubs and they barely fit in the Peugeot 107, which is basically a smart car with four doors. It's a good thing they did fit because Kels may have never forgave me for leaving her at the airport to drop the clubs off at the hotel and return for her....only kidding, I'd drop her off first. I knew the weather would be nice and was looking forward to a warm round with plenty of sunshine and the experiencing golf in a new country with beautiful terrain. 

Golf Details: I originally told myself that I'd get two rounds in, however as this was an anniversary trip, I counted my blessings with one round and made the best of it. The course was walking distance from the hotel, so we made it down early to grab a bite and get loose before the round. I paid the extra 40 Euro for the golf cart, as I knew the course had plenty of elevation and frankly, I was looking forward to a lazy round of riding versus walking (this is vacation golf anyways!). Kelsey took the reins on the golf cart and navigated us safely around the course. After a very tasty lunch we headed out to take on the Atlantic Course. 

The course wasn't busy so we headed off solo to the first tee. As I was checking the scorecard on which box to play, I noticed the distances were in meters. No meters to yard conversion on the scorecard, so I played the back boxes and made the best of my yardage guesses throughout the round. The course played 5950 meters which equates to about 6500 yards (credit to google conversions).  The first four holes are all par fours, with not a lot of danger, but tight fairways that required accurate tee shots. The course was similar to a Texas hill country layout with hills and elevated tee boxes that provided nice views of the property. The terrain was really nice with lush fairways, thick pines and eucalyptus trees lined throughout the course.

#6, Signature Hole 

I made my way through the first four holes with a couple  of bogeys and a couple of pars, really enjoying a nice day on the course. The signature hole on the course, is #6, a 435 meter par 5. The hole played dogleg right, with water on the left side about 200 meters all the way to the green. In addition the green was surrounded by an old Roman aqueduct that dates back centuries. The hole is rated in the top 500 golf holes in the world and was definitely one of a kind.

Not Shiner, but Super Bock!

The final three holes on the front include a par 3, 4 and 5. I manage to play these at even par which warranted a well deserved snack and "Super Bock" the national beer of Portugal. I've dreamed of my beloved Shiner Bock for the last 6 months, however this would have to do as I'm a long way from Shiner, Texas. It actually was a decent beer, just a funny name. I enjoy the Mars and brew and gear up for the back nine.


The back nine opened up with fewer trees which made it tough sledding with the winds picking up to 20+ mph. #12 and #13 were two great golf holes. #12 played a dogleg right short par five, but into the wind with fairway bunkers a plenty. #13 was a straight shot, with a bunker protected fairway where two good shots were a must. I usually don't enjoy homes visible on a golf course, however the white & yellow buildings were a nice change from the grey granite scenery I'd become accustomed to. 

#12

#13

#16, Par 4

The remainder of the back nine had a few more elevated tee boxes to finish out. I really enjoy looking down off the tee to a large fairway with the entire hole visible. It's a bit of an adrenaline rush(yes from golf, I must be getting old..) and you feel like you can hit it a mile. The fact that it was warmer and the air was thinner than Scotland did allow an extra 15-30 yards on the drive which was nice. This was the equalizer from the meters to yards dilemma. #16 was a great hole with a large fairway that was open for the taking from the tee. The tee box was easily 150-175 feet above the fairway and I managed to hit a big drive that left a short approach to the green. #17 was a downhill par three that played close to 200 yards. An accurate tee shot was a must as there were trees on both sides to catch any errant shots.

#18, last but not least

The closing hole was a beauty with the hotel off in the distance to the right and old cross atop a rock bluff to the left from the monastery dating back centuries ago. This was the longest par 5 on the course and 2-3 well placed shots were necessary to have a chance at a good score here. I finished with a decent par and as always thanked the gracious caddy/cart valet Kels for accompanying me on another memorable round.

Top notch caddy/driver

Favorites: Warm weather golf has been long forgotten, so this was a treat to play in shorts and shades. The landscape was really nice, very lush and a unique assortment of trees that I hadn't experienced on a course before. There were some great views on the tee boxes, especially on the back nine. Very partial to a par three, #15, that had a large lake to the left and almost an island green. The golf cart was icing on the cake of a good round. 

Final Thoughts: Portugal is a hot spot for UK golfers as it offers a short flight, warmer weather and the courses are in great condition. I had a great experience playing in a new country that I may have never played if I didn't live temporarily in the UK. Robert Trent Jones designed a really good course in a beautiful section of Portugal. If you make it to Lisbon and are itching to play a round, I highly recommend the 30 minute drive to experience what the Atlantic course has to offer (just make sure your rental can fit the clubs).