THINK
PORTUGAL – THINK PORTO!
If you talk about Portugal to any
golfer they will invariably think immediately of the many well-known
courses on the country's popular destination of the Algarve on the
south coast. However, there is a whole other world of golf to be had
in the rest of this beautiful country on the Atlantic coast and we
recently had the opportunity to experience a part of that in the
northern part of the country.
A
consortium of golf courses and hotels have got together and formed
the Penta Package
which allows you to play a combination of all or any of the five
amazing golf courses on offer – each one offering something quite
special and unique in our opinion.
The Penta Package allows you to
create your own combination of venues and courses, which all lie
within about an hour of the beautiful city of Porto. Should you
choose to base yourself in Porto itself, there are a number of hotels
available within the package.
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| Charles Skeffington |
Our
first stop was the Hotel Solverde which served as our departure point
for our first round of golf at the Oporto Golf Club. Founded in 1890,
this is the oldest course on the Iberian peninsula and the third
oldest course in the whole of continental Europe and as such holds a
very important place in the golfing history. The course remains very
much as it has always been and as such, it is an absolute joy for the
purists of the game without the tricked-up features that have become
the norm for modern course designers. Stepping in to the clubhouse is
like stepping back in time. Full of memorabilia, not least, the
Skeffington Cup, wait for it, the oldest continuously played cup in
the world and named after the founder and first president, since
1891. Now that takes some beating.
Our
next stop was to prove to be something completely different, and
something the like of which I have not experienced in nearly fifty
years of my golfing life – Amarante. Our base for this visit was
one of the most exquisite and unique hotels I have had the privilege
of staying in – the Casa de Calçada.
Amarante
is a 'mountain' golf course – the only way I can describe it!.
Starting on the first tee and hitting into the wide blue yonder
against a most stunning backdrop of the region, the green seems like
100 feet below you, may even be more! A course like this is not going
to be everyone's cup of tea and definitely not one I would even
contemplate without the use of a buggy. Having said that, this is a
golfing experience like no other you may have undergone before. Set
among rolling, no, steep hills and valleys, with outstanding views
which may help to soothe you as I guarantee your golfing patience
will be tested to the limit! The pressures of the golf will be eased
greatly by the wonderful hospitality of the folk, both at the course
and the hotel. For any non-golfers the tranquility of the hotel is a
haven for anyone.
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| Breakfast in Vidago Palace |
Our
next stop was yet another gem – Vidago Palace. Built in 1910 as a
weekend 'playground' for the King of Portugal, although he never got
to enjoy it, it was later turned into a luxurious hotel. In 1930, the
renowned course designer, Mackenzie Ross laid out the original 9
holes in front of the palace and these were later incorporated in the
redesign by Cameron and Powell. There are many fine golf holes on
this course and you will not be disappointed with your two closing
holes, the par 5 17th and a testing par 3 to finish,
downhill from 200 metres to a generous but severely undulating green.
The
Vidago Palace Hotel itself is stunning but should you be working to a
tighter budget you may want to consider the Hotel Perfume Primavera,
situated right at the entrance to the palace gates. This is a very
pleasant boutique-style hotel and also available within the Penta
Package. As with every venue we stayed, the quality of the cuisine
and the standard of service were excellent.
Our
next destination was Ponte de Lima. Our hotel was one of three we
stayed in belonging to the Axis Group. This is a fairly basic,
dormitory-style hotel but nonetheless with comfortable accommodation.
This serves the Ponte de Lima golf course which offers two
contrasting nines, the first akin to the mountain-style to be found
at Amarante, but the second nine is a most enjoyable parkland layout.
We then headed back to Porto itself where we stayed in another
Axis Hotel, the Vermar. This is a busy resort hotel with much
refurbishment taking place which should bring it up to the standard
of one of its sister hotels, the Axis Porto, our final stop of our
tour.
Our
final golfing destination was Estela Golf Club – a true test of
pure links-style golf and one which will appeal to golfers of all
levels. Played in a prevailing wind off the Atlantic, this will put
your golf to the test and one which will hopefully be one of the gems
that will remain in your memory for years to come. As
ever, we were treated to some superb local cuisine in an excellent
location overlooking the course and the Atlantic in all its glory –
like Donegal on a good day!
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| Taylor's cellars |
To
cap off our trip we were treated to an evening at the Taylor's Wine
Cellars. If your budget will stretch to it and you can take in the
tour of the cellars, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
The restaurant boasts outstanding views over the city of Porto so
don't forget to bring your camera.
So
to sum up our thoughts on golf in the north of Portugal, this is
definitely a destination you should be adding to your 'bucket list'.
It is an unknown to the majority of travelling
golfers, which is the reason why the region is keen to promote it.
You will experience some courses quite different to those you may be
used to and others that could possibly rank amongst your all-time
favourites.
As
I have said, the cuisine is of a superb and consistent calibre
and depending on your budget, there is a broad
choice of hotels and accommodation to choose from, be it a palace or
a hotel!
However,
the one thing that will stand out on your visit to this region will
be the quality of service and the friendliness of the people we met
at each and every one of our destinations.
In
summary – thinking of Portugal? – think Porto!
You
can contact any of the hotels or golf courses in order to put
together your desired itinerary from the Penta Package. In order to
help you put together a package that suits you, here are a list of
links to help you choose. This can be from 210 Euros per person for 5
rounds of golf or 150 Euros per person for 3 rounds of golf when
staying at Casa
da Calçada Relais & Chateaux, Vidago Palace or one of the Axis
hotels at Solverde and Primavera.
GMacSpain
You can now follow me on Twitter @gmacespanya
