David McLay-Kidd believes The Dunas Course at Terrace da Comporta It is the first golf course in Southern Europe and unlike any other golf design project ever built in the region.
The world-renowned golf architect has partnered with Vanguard Properties – Portugal’s largest property developer – to launch its first golf course in mainland Europe, with the design available for play for the first time from the beginning of this month.
Located one hour south of Lisbon, The Dunas Course is established on over 84 hectares of natural sandy terrain on the coast in a secluded location on the edge of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve.
McLay-Kidd first started working on the par-71 links course in 2008 before suffering a series of delays, and believes there is no other course like it in southern Europe after he traveled from his home in the US to give his personal stamp of approval to the long-awaited project.
“I think after 15 years of effort, we’re already there. There is no pandemic now and no global recession,” said Maclay Kidd, whose other famous designs include Bandon Dunes, Queenwood, Beaverbrook, Machryhanish Dunes and Castle Course in St Andrews.
“I first came here in 2008 and it’s absolutely amazing. If you look at any top 100 list, you’ll find it’s full of golf courses that wind through barren sand dunes and pines — from courses in Melbourne, Australia, to courses on Long Island In the US and things around the British and Irish coast..it’s generally through sand and vegetation and here we are in southern Europe in Portugal with exactly this kind of terrain and yet no golf course has really taken advantage of that.This is a huge opportunity for golf to build Something unique in Southern Europe.
“I was asked how to describe the course and I would say it’s easy to classify, it’s a links course. It’s not a links style, it’s not like links, it’s a links course. You play as close to the beach as you can get in Portugal, you’re on sand Pure, you play on viscous grass with a golf course that wants you to read the ground, bounce the ball and spin around, using the charts to your advantage, so I don’t know if there is anything that doesn’t tick the box as a links course as the definition Scotsman gives you.
“The really cool thing for me is that this is open to the public. I can create courses, but for the most part they’re very, very private and nobody can see them, so being able to build something like this that’s unique and natural and open to everyone for such a reasonable price is amazing. I hope.” That the course would fill up with golfers quickly and be a showcase for southern European golfing connections.”
The Dunas course is one of two 18-hole championship designs planned for the multi-million euro Terras da Comporta project. The design opened to the public for play for the first time on June 1, with the official course opening scheduled for the beginning of October.
Complementing the Dunas Course will be a new golf club and academy. Away from the fairways, a range of lifestyle activities will be available including horseback riding, wellness and sailing, with a wide range of plots for hotels, tourist and residential condominiums also on offer.
To book a tour of The Dunas Course, send an email [email protected] For more information visit www.comporta.com