Golfing around Europe

Perfect your swing at these dreamy golf courses around the Mediterranean

- MATTHEW COOPER

TERRAS DA COMPORTA, PORTUGAL

What makes it special? It’s the first European mainland design by David McLay Kidd, who designed the Castle Course at St Andrews.

The golf: An hour south of Lisbon, the Dunas Course was, after years of anticipation, officially opened to the public in June 2022 and the buzz has been backed up by reality. The US-based Scot’s most famous design is the spectacular Bandon Dunes in Oregon, and the Dunas has similarly been inspired by the architect’s Scottish roots. Sited on the edge of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, it sneaks through pine forest with fairways fringed by the native sand dunes and the sound of waves crashing in from the Atlantic Ocean echoing through the trees.

Other attractions: A second course, the Torre, has been designed by the Spanish Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia and is currently being constructed. There is also horse riding, sailing and wellness facilities, as well as a comprehensive range of hotels, tourist and residential condominiums. comporta.com/en

WEST CLIFFS, PORTUGAL 

What makes it special? Breathtaking views across the Atlantic from all 18 holes.

The golf: It took Cynthia Dye – the niece of Pete Dye who designed TPC Sawgrass – 14 years to craft this stunning course on Portugal’s Silver Coast, an hour north of Lisbon. It was a labour of love but worth every minute of the wait. The location is outstanding with sand dunes sweeping across the rugged clifftops and between verdant forest, high above the Atlantic Ocean. It is visually demanding from the tee box but enormously playable, with superb greens, beautifully contoured fairways and a fun set of short holes.