NORTHERN PORTUGAL - MINHO - PONTE DE LIMA - GOLF

Ponte de Lima Golf Course Alto Minho

Ponte de Lima, part of a bucolic scenery of mountains, vineyards and fruit gardens, is a course typical of the Minho region.

Ponte de Lima Golf Course, Minho, Portugal

Ponte de Lima Golf Course, Minho, Portugal

Text provided by the Portuguese Tourist Office

Located over the skirts of Madalena hill, Ponte de Lima course is a typical mountain course, covering six kilometres adorned with luxurious vegetation and well restored, historical mansions, which supply infrastructure for golfing activity.

The first nine holes are placed amongst age old trees (chestnut trees, cork and English oaks), leading through a ravine to Quinta da Anquiao, where holes number 1, 2, 8, and 9 provide glorious views over the Lima Valley and Viana do Castelo, a town 20 kilometres away.

Hole number 3 (par 5) at 622 metres is one of the longest in Europe; hole 8's tee (par 3) is situated higher, allowing one to attack the green directly below.

The next nine holes are sited in the Quinta de Pias valley with its surrounding vineyards, corn fields, apple and pear trees.

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

One hour’s drive from Amarante and the next golf course, Ponte de Lima came into view.

The layout is varied and interesting and involves playing across a mountain. The first nine holes offers exceptional views from the top on Holes 2 and 8. Number 3 may be Portugal’s longest hole; if not, it seems so. It is 622 metres long, flanked by forest and with a dogleg right. Players have an easier, flatter time of it on the second nine, especially if they’ve taken advantage of the club restaurant and stopped for lunch and recuperation. The restaurant is lively and very popular with local business people as well as golfers.

Ponte de Lima provides Strokesavers free which keeps players in a good mood. Many greens are invisible from the tees owing to doglegs and other incidentals. Further (also free) advice from the Course Director is to keep your driver out of play during the first nine; use a 3 wood instead. “The course requires you to think,” he added.

The single most striking aspect of Ponte de Lima is its natural features. Trees, mountains, vineyards and flowers typify the Minho region and are more integral to this particular course than to any other in the area. Scots engineer Ian MacPherson was insistent that no one meddle with nature. Arguments (there were many) were met with adamant refusal to compromise. We are indebted to him for his intractability, for the golf course is far better as a result of it."

Architect

Daniel and David Silva

Number of Holes

Length

6,005 m.

Par

Address

Quinta de Pias, Fornelas, 4990 Ponte de Lima

Telephone

(+ 351) 258 74 34 14

Fax

(+ 351) 258 74 34 24

Facilities

Driving Range - Putting Green - Chipping and bunker practice area - Golf Shop
Restaurant - Bar - Sauna

Directions

From Porto take the A3-IP1, continue past Braga, and leave at the Ponte de Lima exit
Follow signs to Ponte de Lima keeping on main road - at traffic lights turn left sign post Braga
The club is on the left in 1 km.

Handicap required

Men - Ladies

Accommodation

	Manor Houses Privately owned houses with separate guest accommodation
	Pousadas of Portugal Hotels in Castles, Monasteries, Palaces, Convents, etc. or in areas of outstanding beauty
	Hotels Traditional and modern Hotels, Resorts and Apartments
	Villas and Houses Detached Quintas, independent Houses and Villas with private pool, rented direct from owners,
	Estate cottages Self catering Cottages and Houses with shared pool, usually in the grounds of a Manor House.
Suggested Accommodation
	Casa Oliveiras Santa Comba This stone house dates from the 19th century and has been carefully restored to provide very comfortable accommodation with modern facilities - sleeps 12
	Quinta de Nabais Substantial old quinta. Modernised but retains the original. Large well kept gardens with pool, outside kitchen and floodlit tennis court - Sleeps 11
	Casa Sao Joao Situated in a lane, in a rural area with uninterupted views, Casa de Sao Joao has an extensive walled garden giving total privacy. Sleeps 10
	Casa de Sao Cristovao Restored farm house in a large estate with the owner living in the manor house across the vineyards. Other estate house available. Sleeps 10
	Casa de Olival A recently modernised country house which can be rented with Quinta de Nabais for larger parties. Excellent facilities. Sleeps 8

A guests comments on the course

LINKS TO OTHER PAGES
PORTUGAL - ACCOMMODATION BY TYPE
Portugal hotels	Pousadas	Manor Houses	Portugal inns
Portugal villas		Golf Courses
PORTUGAL - ACCOMMODATION BY REGION
Algarve	Alentejo	Lisbon Coast	Tagus Valley
Beiras	Porto and Douro	Alto Minho	Azores and Madeira
SPAIN
Paradores of Spain

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