Of the 89 golf programs in Portugal, practically half (38) exist within the Algarve, the nation’s sun-soaked southernmost area often called a lot for its stunning seashores as, unsurprisingly, its golf programs.

After three-time Open Championship winner Henry Cotton christened Penina in 1966 as the world’s first golf course, the Algarve grew to become a golf hotbed for Northern Europeans seeking to escape the wind and rain.

Whereas the area nonetheless reigns supreme for golf in Portugal, Cascais, situated on the Portuguese Riviera, is seeking to give locals and vacationers one other can’t-miss vacation spot as seven of its programs have joined collectively to create the Cascais Digital Golf Passport, providing dwell tee instances and discounted charges to play (a number of) programs within the space.

“There are quite a few high-quality golf programs within the Cascais space, every with distinctive designs and challenges,” mentioned Manuel Saragga Heitor, golf director at Quinta da Marinha. “Famend golf architects have designed many of those programs, including to their status and enchantment.

“Not solely does the brand new Golf Passport simplify the reserving course of, it helps market the area as a unified {golfing} vacation spot, growing the visibility of all taking part programs and attracting extra vacationers.”

The seven programs synching up for the Cascais Digital Golf Passport are: Golf do Estoril (Mackenzie Ross), Oitavos Dunes Golf Course (Arthur Hills), Lisbon Sports activities Membership (Hawtree & Sons), Penha Longa Resort (Robert Trent Jones Jr.), Belas Membership de Campo (Rocky Roquemore), Pestana Beloura Golf Resort (Rocky Roquemore) and Quinta da Marinha Golf (Robert Trent Jones Sr.).

A preferred seaside resort that was a favourite of King Luís I of Portugal and different European the Aristocracy within the late 1800s and early 1900s, Cascais stays a vacationer vacation spot for Portuguese and Europeans. Situated half-hour from the capital metropolis of Lisbon, the municipality is among the wealthiest in Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula.

Whereas Cascais and the encompassing space has hosted sporting and cultural occasions together with the America’s Cup, a prestigious crusing competitors, to the Coala Pageant, a Brazilian music pageant, stakeholders hope the brand new Golf Go helps drive extra consideration, curiosity and golf participation within the area whereas boosting the native financial system.

“From parkland to hyperlinks, golf programs round Cascais are famend for his or her difficult designs, pure magnificence and glorious upkeep,” mentioned Carlos Dias de Castro, golf director at Belas Membership de Campo. “… Cascais has a light local weather all yr spherical with gentle winters and heat, however not excessively scorching summers, which permits golf to be performed comfortably in any season.”

Whereas every of the seven programs supply quite a lot of topography, views and challenges, two of the standouts are Oitavos Dunes and Penha Longa.

Providing a real hyperlinks expertise, Oitavos Dunes, ranked No. 55 on the earth in 2017 in accordance with Golf Journal, is a top-10 course within the nation, per Golf Digest’s newest rankings. Boasting dramatic views of the Sintra Mountains, Atlantic Ocean and Cabo da Roca, the world’s enchantment has even caught the eye of Portuguese soccer celebrity Cristiano Ronaldo, whose £17 million house is being constructed inside view of the course’s clubhouse.

Inland from Oitavos and Quinta da Marinha, the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Penha Longa options remnants of an historic Roman aqueduct which offers a hanging backdrop on quite a few holes. The Ritz-Carlton resort incorporates a 14th century monastery and chapel inside its setting, whereas vehicles and bikes racing on the close by Circuito do Estoril, residence to the F1 Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984-96, may be heard within the distance.

Already in style amongst British vacationers, the programs banding collectively as a part of the Cascais Digital Golf Passport hope the area may also enchantment to American vacationers seeking to check their golf abilities overseas. In spite of everything, a flight from New York Metropolis to Lisbon is barely an hour longer than a flight from the Massive Apple throughout the nation to Los Angeles.

“Penha Longa and Cascais/Sintra are notably interesting to People and British for a number of causes,” mentioned Mariana Couto, Penha Longa Resort leisure gross sales supervisor. “The area’s wealthy cultural heritage, together with historic castles and UNESCO World Heritage websites, gives loads of sights past golf. English is broadly spoken, which makes communication straightforward, and the famend Portuguese hospitality ensures a heat and welcoming environment.

“Direct flights from main cities within the U.S. and U.Ok. to Lisbon make journey simple and handy. The mixture of those components makes the area extremely engaging to golf fans from each international locations.”