| Despite its newness,
the Praia D'El Rey golf course has quickly achieved important status amongst
Portuguese golf courses due to its fascinating landscape.
Text provided by the Portuguese
Tourist Office
Designed by the American
architect Cabell B. Robinson, the Praia D'El Rey course has the characteristics
of an authentic "links". It unfurls itself mainly along a cliff looking
over the Atlantic Ocean, allowing for views of unique beauty over the sea,
dunes, lakes and the pine forest that dominates the local landscape. It
is located near the medieval village of Óbidos and adjacent to the
nature reserve at Berlengas Island.
The course is a Par 72 (6,467
metres) and carefully respects the natural terrain.
Especially over the last
nine holes the player is able to enjoy some of the most attractive landscapes
and challenging golfing situations.
The whole course, however,
allows plenty of sporting variety. Worth a mention is the view over Berlengas
at hole 2, the beautiful scenery at hole 11, the view over the Atlantic
Ocean all along hole 12 and at hole 14, the challenges presented by wind
variation. Hole 17's huge extension (570 metres) makes it the second longest
Par 5 in the country and one of the longest of Europe.
| This course is featured
in an article on the site of travelgolf.com
written
by their staffwriter, Carla Harvey. The article
is reproduced below :
"Praia d’el Rey is reputed
to be one of Portugal’s finest. Designed by Cabell Robinson, it is a championship
course that boasts marvelous fairways and perfectly manicured greens. Even
the bunkers are pro-active: left to their own devices, sunbathers tend
to stretch out in them, risking the wrath of Caddie Master, Jim Lambert.
Roughs are made rougher
by the presence of a sponge-like grass that insidiously attempts to digest
anything that lands in it. Jim advises taking the strokes rather than adding
up two-digit scores.
From Number 12 through
15, play is overlooking the Atlantic: sometimes windy, always stunning.
The last three holes are all uphill to the 18th green and the way is not
without potential disaster. A gap to the 16th green is narrow, requiring
painstaking accuracy. Further challenge is added by Number 17, a 523-metre
hole that is one of the longest Par 5s in Portugal; 17 is regarded as the
most difficult hole on the course.
Before the end of this
year, a golf academy with state-of-the-art analysis equipment will be in
place. The teaching area will thus be concentrated in one area and it will
be an imposing venue for sharpening skills.
Golfers should be aware
that Praia d’el Rey’s dress code prohibits the wearing of tennis shoes,
jeans, tennis shorts, swimming trunks and t-shirts on the golf course." |
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