PORTUGAL - NORTHERN PORTUGAL - MINHO - GOLF

Amarante Golf Course

Amarante golf course, set on the Amarante hill, is the latest opportunity for those wishing to play golf in a landscape typical of Northern Portugal.

Text provided by the Portuguese Tourist Office

The Quinta da Deveza golf course has a winding Par 68 sequence, running along 5,085 metres.

When driving off from the tees at the start of the holes, the course demands particularly precise shots because of its narrow design, and because of the bunkers protecting greens and lakes, which are decisive ingredients of the game at holes number 3.8.12 and 17. (Phew that is a long sentence!)

Despite being a hilly course rising 600 metres above sea level, most of 18 holes offer a gentle game, because the architect, Jorge Santana da Silva has been able to limit the climbs to a minimum.

Hole number 4 must be made mention of, being a par 4 for just 306 metres, but nevertheless offering a considerable challenge. Its approach shot must be made onto a green raised 10 metres above the fairway which measures just twenty metres wide and seven metres long.

The best players can hope for a birdie if they perform well on the par 5 holes.

Located in an extraordinary landscape - with the towns of Amarante and Marco de Canaveses, as well as the mountains of Marão and Aboboreira in the background - the course also includes several waterfalls and forms part of a development situated opposite the road linking Amarante to Marco de Canaveses

This course is featured in an article on the site of travelgolf.com written by their staffwriter, Carla Harvey, which is reproduced below:

"Portugal becomes richer in colour contrasts as you drive north, the greens seem almost black and the soil is a deep bronze. When I reached Amarante, the air was clear and crisp.

Part of Amarante’s attractiveness is its hilly nature; a buggy is a must if you intend to enjoy the game. As Joao Silva, Managing Secretary at Soc. Golfe De Amarante, S.A. says, “To get good scores on this course, you have to be in good shape. Very seldom is the level of the ball and your feet the same.”

‘ Hmm,’ I thought, remembering a well-told tale from the previous day. One of the city’s leading entrepreneurs had slid gracefully down to the lake on Amarante’s Number 3, on his heels all the way but never sacrificing his innate sense of style. After he had promised the family fortune to his accompanying son, he was hoisted out by that canny family member aided by the trusty iron that had joined him on his slalom. Number 3 also offers a dogleg to the left, your drive is blind so Joao counsels leaving the drive short so that your second shot may reach the green.

Another formidable hole is 6, with trees on both sides of the fairway. When the architect ran out of trees, he put in a dogleg to the right and 11 bunkers on the way to and embracing the green – a daunting Par 4.

Additional to hills, the course is characterized by small, undulating greens; honed-up putting will help as it is rare to find yourself in a position to make a straightforward putt.

Weekend / Holidays during the high season might require booking; normally it isn’t necessary. Many amateur championships are played here and Amarante is host to the Portuguese National Championship with prize money increasing by one million Escudos a year."

Architect	Jorge Santana da Silva
Number of Holes	18
Length	5,085 m.
Par	68
Address	Quinta da Deveza, Louredo, 4600 Amarante
Telephone	(+ 351 ) 255 44 60 60
Fax	(+ 351) 255 44 62 02
Facilities	Driving Range - Club House - Restaurant - Bar - Swimming Pool - Water Park - Tennis - Squash
Directions	Leaving from Porto to Vila Real on the A4, exit at Amarante (exit east) Near Livracao you will find a sign indicating the course
Handicap required	Men - Ladies
Accommodation	Local Accommodation and other links

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