| The Estela course is
built on a three kilometre long stretch of sand dunes on the beautiful
Minho coast line. This is one of the Portuguese golf links that secured
a high reputation for itself when it was selected to host two events in
the European Professionals' Circuit.
Text provided by the Portuguese
Tourist Office
Situated near a lively summer
resort, Povoa de Varzim, and only 15 minutes from Porto's Francisco Sa
Carneiro international airport, the Estela course was inaugurated in January
1989.
Designed by Portuguese architect
Duarte Sottomayor, the course is a typical links following the Scottish
tradition with only one difference: Bermuda grass.
Built over three kilometres
of beautiful dunes on the Minho coast line, it provides breathtaking views
over the Atlantic. Two big lakes add to the beauty of the course, which
can become quite challenging when the wind is blowing.
Inaccurate drives will be
punished by landing in the sand-dunes and on almost every occasion a ball
lands off the fairway, there is little chance of reaching the green with
the second shot.
Despite being one of the
newest golf courses in Portugal, it has already hosted two events in the
European Professionals' Circuit: in 1990 the Atlantico / Vinho Verde cup
was won by the Scot, Stephen McAllister, in a play-off that involved six
players: in 1991 it hosted the Portuguese Open in which the Briton, Steven
Richardson triumphed.
| This course is featured
in an article on the site of travelgolf.com
written by their staffwriter, Carla Harvey, which
is reproduced below :
"To be perfectly frank,
I explored Estela Golf Course in a fog that would have put ‘Wuthering Heights’
to shame. Still, I knew that I was next to the sea because I could smell
the delicious salt tang of it. As I was in a golf buggy, I must be
on a golf course. And taking this little tale to its logical conclusion,
Estela is the only links course in northern Portugal; therefore here am
I. All of this aside, locals advised playing the course during the summer
months after mid-day, by which time the mist has been burned off by the
sun.
Returning the next afternoon
to see what I had missed in terms of a view, I was impressed. Greens were
planned to make the most of these vistas: most are elevated. The Minho
coastline is startling and Estela follows it for some three kilometres.
Water is omnipresent with two lakes adding to the challenge. It is the
wind, however that is most influential on play – that and the sand dunes
lying seaside of many fairways. One such hole is 5, a Par 5 which almost
begs you to shoot out of bounds. Number 13 is also tricky: long and hugging
the dunes, it requires thoughtful accuracy. Heading for the green on 10
means heading for the bunkers, as three sides of the green are fraught
with them.
Estela has a sophisticated
restaurant and bar area that take full advantage of the views, a good pro
shop and spacious changing areas. The course is one of the few visited
that is easily played without a buggy." |
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