The Algarve takes the trophy for propelling Portugal into a world-leading golf destination. But these days the exquisite fairways and chic resorts along the stunning coastline around Lisbon are also catching the eye of discerning golfers from around the globe. Unsure if the well-trodden Algarve is right for you? Then read on for some alternative options…
Discover chic places to play golf, outside of the Algarve.
Excitement rippled through golfing circles earlier this year with confirmation that two new premium courses within a few minutes of each other are set to put an area south of Lisbon firmly on the international golf map.
The first is Herdade do Pinheirinho located near the town of Melides in Setubal. After years of false starts, it was launched softly a couple years back but this year officially opens to the public.
Meanwhile, equally anticipated was the news that the Torre Course at Terras da Comporta, a high-end sustainability driven resort located just up the coast near Comporta, would be ready to open next year. Torre will be the first project in Portugal – and major one anywhere in the world – designed by former world number 2 and Spanish Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia.
It will also be the resort’s second championship course to open in just two years. The first, called Dunas and designed by David McLay-Kidd, has already earned widespread global praise since opening in 2023 and the luxury development’s second is expected to receive a similar reaction when it is unveiled in June 2025.
“When it comes to full-on design, this is my first project and we’re very very excited about the course. It’s something that I can really put my stamp on,” said Garcia, who ranks Spain’s Valderrama as his all-time favourite course.
“The site is located in striking scenery, just a couple of kilometres from the beautiful beaches of Comporta, and the land has all the ingredients for a spectacular golf course. It’s a beautiful spot for a golf course and we’re building it using the best sustainable methods.”
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Comporta
Charming Comporta.
Terras da Comporta is the most recent high-end golf development taking shape in the Comporta area, which falls within the coastal district of Setúbal on Portugal’s west coast. The resort is slap bang in the middle of a large estate known as Herdade de Comporta, where much of the land there is protected. Away from the virginal beaches and dunes – where horse-riding is popular, is a soothing landscape of paddy fields, vineyards and pockets of pine forest.
With an understated boho vibe and being just an hour south of Lisbon, it is popular with both wealthy Portuguese and international visitors who prefer to be away from the masses and close to nature. The prevalent ‘cabanas’ style architecture and low density, low-rise development add to its charm.
Bordering the northern tip of Herdade da Comporta is the Tróia Penisula, a long sandbank extending 18 kilometres into the Sado estuary and ending just across the water from the town of Setúbal. White sand dunes down each side and largely wooded in the middle, it is home to sweeping beaches, Roman ruins, wildlife trails, a Pestana resort, assorted low-rise properties and crucially another unmissable golf course – a championship one designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr that is regularly ranked among Europe’s finest and praised for its ecological qualities.
Just ten minutes south from Comporta town and deep into Herdade da Comporta are the sites of the two Terras da Comporta courses. The same year that it opened, the par-71 Dunas Course was named ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ and ‘Europe’s Best New Golf Course’ at the 2023 World Golf Awards. Hence, expectations for Terra are justifiably high.
Owned by Vanguard Properties, Portugal’s largest real estate developer who took ownership of Terras da Comporta in 2019, the resort’s combined site covers around 1,400 hectares. Complementing the two 18-hole golf courses will be an array of lifestyle facilities including horse-riding, wellness, tennis, padel, pickleball and many other sports, with a wide range of plots for hotels, tourist and residential condominiums also on offer.
Don’t pack your clubs away just yet… we’ve got two more rounds to play. Follow the dunes a few kilometres south and you reach Herdade do Pinheirinho. The golf course was initially built in 2012 by Jorge Santana da Silva but financial problems meant it had to be put on hold. That is until da Silva was recommissioned to revive the fairways in 2021, leading to this year’s re-launch.
Barely more than a zippy buggy ride away from there is the CostaTerra Golf & Ocean Club, located on the edge of Fontaínhas village. The resort is home to a Tom Fazio designed course – but you’ll need to know someone there as it’s members only!
Setubal Peninsula
Aerial view of castle in Palmela near Setubal, Portugal.
Over on the Setubal Peninsula closer to Lisbon the coastline is known as the Blue Coast and is home to two notable golf resorts. These are Aroeira Golf, which has two 18-hole courses, and Quinta do Peru.
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