The 10 Best Golf Courses In Lisbon

When it comes to golf, Lisbon hasn’t always been a popular destination for UK tourists, however, it’s finally starting to make its mark as a top golfing holiday destination.

The excuse we hear most about not choosing Lisbon for a golf break in Portugal is that the weather isn’t as warm. But you may be surprised to learn that the average temperature is just 2 degrees colder in Lisbon than in the Algarve – and in the summer months it’s actually a much nicer climate to play golf in.

The only other reason we can think of not to choose this stunning golfing destination is a lack of knowledge about it! There are some truly fantastic Lisbon golf courses, with golf package holidays available at very reasonable prices, and a huge variety of excellent accommodation options to choose from.

So whether you’re looking for an all-inclusive golf holiday or a shorter weekend break, we have Lisbon golf package deals to suit every taste and budget.

Call us today on 01904 406550 and start planning your Lisbon golf holiday.

The Top 10 Golf Courses in Lisbon:

• West Cliffs
• Praia D’El Rey
• Oitavos Dunes
• Troja Golf
• Royal Obidos
• Quinta Da Marinha
• Aroeira 1 & 2
• Penha Longa Golf
• Belas Golf Club

West Cliffs has become one of the best golf courses in Portugal. It’s almost hard to believe it was only opened and built in the last few years, as it sits so naturally in the Portuguese landscape. It’s a wonderful piece of land and architect Cynthia Dye has really made the most of it.

Virtually every hole offers stunning views of the sea and each hole is a design masterpiece. Golfers should be aware that there are some long carries from the very back tees, but with 5 tees to choose from you’re guaranteed to have one of the best golfing experiences available in Europe, whatever your experience level.

• Par 72
• 7003 yards
• Opened 2017
• Designed by Cynthia Dye

Praia D’El Rey is an interesting mixture of design styles, come together to form one of the best golf courses in Portugal. The early holes are played through lush vegetation and pine forests, while the back nine holes have more of a links feel to them. Holes 12 to 15 run alongside the sea, and the fairways winding through sand dunes, offering some spectacular views across the Atlantic Ocean. We think it’s fair to make a comparison with the famous Pebble Beach course on this stretch of holes!

It’s a must play course and a great golfing experience – one for the bucket list.

• Par 73
• 6734 yards
• Opened 1997
• Designed by Cabell. B Robinson

Oitavos Dune is a very good golf course and our opinion of it has increased every time we’ve played it. It’s an interesting links course that takes advantage of the natural terrain and has three distinct phases.

The opening holes’ fairways are lined with large umbrella pines, the second phase has fairways that wind through the dunes, and there’s also an open area that runs alongside the coastline. This course is definitely up there with some of the best golf in Portugal, not just for the quality but also for the spectacular views from almost every single hole.

• Par 71
• 6968 yards
• Opened 2001
• Designed by Arthur Hills

There aren’t many golf courses that require a ferry just to get to it, but that’s not the only interesting thing about golfing at Troia!

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, this Lisbon golf course has many of his trademarks including raised greens protected by bunkers, dog legs that wind through large pine trees, and greens that need carefully reading. It also hosted the Portuguese Open in 1983 and is definitely a course that requires thoughtful golf rather than raw power.

The setting is spectacular, with views of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Estuary on the other. It provides you with a variety of appropriate tees to play from, for a very enjoyable golfing experience that makes it one of our top golf courses in Portugal.

• Par 72
• 6908 yards
• Opened in 1980
• Designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr

This is one of the last courses to be designed by the legendary Seve Ballesteros and one of our favourite golf courses in Portugal. Unlike some of his designs, it offers a fantastic experience for golfers of all levels – just make sure you choose the right set of tees to play from.

Water comes into play on at least twelve of the holes but the fairways are invitingly wide, so you can get yourself into position to attack the greens. It’s also worth noting that, as well as water, the green are also protected by some severe bunkering and there are several risk-and-reward holes – especially the par 5’s – where you have to clear some bunkers short of the green if you fancy going for it in two.

• Par 72
• 7321 yards
• Opened in 2012
• Designed by Severiano Ballesteros

One of the oldest golf courses in Portugal, Quinta Da Marinha has staged several professional tournaments and is another typical Trent Jones Snr design. It’s a very good quality resort-style golf course with several memorable holes. In fact, the third hole overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was the poster hole for promoting golf in Portugal!

The eighteenth hole is a cracker of a par 5, with two lakes close to the green that have to be carefully avoided. Stunning views of the Atlantic on one side and the Sintra mountains on the other, help make it one of the best-looking golf courses in Portugal as well.

• Par 71
• 6419 yards
• Opened in 1990
• Designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr

Only 20 kms from the city, Aroeira has two very good Lisbon golf courses that are well worth a visit. Despite its relative shortness of length, Aroeira 1 has staged the Portuguese Open on more than one occasion – a testament to the design skills of Frank Pennick, designed this very English-style course.

Aroeira 2 is the longer of the two courses and a classic design by the renowned architect Donald Steel. Unlike its sister course, it offers extra hazards, with trees and bunkers strategically placed to make the player work hard from the tee. Water is also prevalent, with five lakes coming into play on at least nine holes.

Aroeira 1

• Par 72
• 6044 yards
• Opened in 1972
• Designed by Frank Pennick

Aroeira 2

• Par 72
• 6963 yards
• Opened in 2000
• Designed by Donald Steel

The Atlantico course at Penha Longa has staged several professional tournaments and is a favourite golf course in Portugal. The course is set in a valley with fairways winding up and down and several view points of the Atlantic Ocean and Lisbon’s nearby coastal towns of Cascais and Estoril.

It’s a tough test to keep the ball on the fairway when the wind blows, and players must also avoid the water hazards and lush vegetation. Take note: the greens have some interesting undulations!

The Resort also offers a nine-hole course, also designed by Trent Jones Snr.

• Par 72
• 6878 yards
• Opened in 2000
• Designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr

Belas is an underrated gem. It’s not as well known as the other courses in this list, but we believe Belas should be up there with the rest as one of the best Lisbon golf courses.

It offers a very good test of golf, with an undulating track at the opening holes that winds round a rocky outcrop and not much room if you miss the fairways. The later stages are a little different, with more tree lined fairways, and you’ll need to be able to play from sidehill, uphill and downhill lies to hit the greens that are either below you or elevated above you.

• Par 72
• 6680 yards
• Opened in 1997
• Designed by Rocky Roquemore