Lisbon Golf Blog
I have recently returned from a trip to Lisbon. This region is an excellent destination for your next golf break. An historic city who’s temperature rarely drops below 15 degrees. The city is full of old customs and history which intermixes with the entertainment and hi-tech innovation. The area also offers fantastic golf courses and brilliant accommodation.
An early departure from Dublin saw me arrive in Lisbon airport and 09.30 am, plenty of time to make my 11.30 am tee time in Oitavos Dunes golf course.
The course is located in the Sintra and Cascais natural park. Designed by Arthur Hills it is a course full of natural beauty, offering some spectacular views of the ocean along the back nine holes of the course and Europe’s most western point, Cabo Roca.
Standing on the first tee with a set of rental clubs which I had never used I had no idea how the round was going to go. With the fantastic selection of sets available for rent in Lisbon airport they did not disappoint. Holding a putt on the 18th green to card my lowest round of the year so far I am now contemplating a complete upgrade of my current set!
Lisbon city is a very dense destination with plenty of things to do and see. Visitors looking to explore the tourist capital of Portugal will not be left disappointed. From the historical landmarks, high end shops and the nightlife there is something for everyone.
The Dom Pedro Lisboa hotel was my accommodation for the week. This ideally located hotel is just 10 minutes walk from a variety of shops, bars and restaurants. The airport is 7 kilometers form the hotel and it is within walking distance from the local metro station which makes it very easy to explore the surrounding areas.
The second course we played was Aroeira 1. The Aroeira golf resort is a paradise for golfers, located just 20 kilometers from Lisbon. It offers 2 top quality golf courses with on site apartments. When staying in these apartments guests can avail of the great value unlimited golf packages which are available.
Aroeira 1 winds through a dense pine forest and is a very memorable course, partly due to the fact that there are no fairway bunkers. The course opened in 1972 and was an instant hit, hosting several European tour competitions such as the Portuguese masters in 1996 and 1997.
Out round of golf was followed by a trip to one of Lisbon’s many vineyards for a wine tasting experience. Adamantly I am not the biggest fan of wine however, I would recommend this to everyone who visits the area as it was very interesting to learn about the amount of time and all the different processes used to make the wine.
