GOLF IN NORTHERN PORTUGAL

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.

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.

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 17^th 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!

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 

Links to views of Northern Portugal courtesy of Turismo de Portugal: Follow link for views of Northern Portugal

Axis Hotels and Golf: The Axis Group
Casa de Calcada:  Superb Romantic Hotel
Vidago Palace:  Live like a Lord
Primavera Perfume Hotel:  Exquisite Boutique Hotel
Amarante Golf:  The Mountain Golf Experience

Transportation:  For all transports, parking and shuttle service