Rob Smith is a Contributing Editor for leading publication Golf Monthly. He specialises in golf travel and here recalls visiting two of his favourite cities…

Don’t get me wrong, the Algarve is extremely popular and a brilliant area for golf and holidaymaking. I was actually due there the week I am writing this, but that’s obviously on hold for now. However, as someone who is lucky enough to have travelled pretty well in the name of golf, I have an even greater love of Portugal’s Wild West coast; up to Lisbon and all the way to Porto and beyond.

Lisbon

Lisbon is a wonderful place for a city break and so much more. It is the most westerly city in Europe and one of the smallest capitals. Devastated by a massive earthquake in 1755, it is on the north bank of the Tagus Estuary. With neighbouring towns, villages and ports such as Estoril, Sintra and Cascais, there is a terrific variety of accommodation, scenery and holiday activity.

To its west lies one of the finest courses in the country, the challenging and dramatic links at Oitavos Dunes. The course has hosted the Portuguese Open a number of times and runs through a combination of mature forest featuring beautiful umbrella pines, and inspiring and undulating dunesland offering panoramic views of the Atlantic as well as the nearby mountains. It was designed with ecology as a primary concern; the protection of endangered plant species as well as the maintenance of its wildlife habitat and their migration routes, nesting sites and food sources. As a result, it became the first course in Europe to be recognised as an Audubon Gold Signature Sanctuary course. The course has a remarkably natural and unspoiled feel and is a delight to play.

No more than a mile or two away, but providing a quite different test, is one of the more established courses in the area, Quinta da Marinha. Also great fun, this Robert Trent Jones Senior design is much more a resort course. There is a warm welcome back at the hotel, which has a variety of restaurants, swimming pools, a health club and tennis courts. A little way inland and to the north of Lisbon is another Robert Trent Jones course, this time the work of Junior! Penha Longa has also hosted the Portuguese Open and is carved through pine-clad hills opening up into undulating ground with far-reaching vistas and an extraordinary encounter with a beautiful old Roman aquaduct. The accompanying clubhouse and luxurious hotel with spa are both first-class in every way, and a visit to Penha Longa is a real treat.

There is a good mixture of golf on offer elsewhere in the Lisbon region; both established courses and newer designs. Belas is in the mountains to the north of the city while close to the centre is Estoril which dates back ninety years and had to be redesigned to accommodate the A5 highway which now runs through the middle. To avoid being run over, golfers cross using a tunnel! A little further up the coast, about an hour from Lisbon, are three of my very favourite courses; Praia d’El Rey, Royal Obidos, and the astounding new West Cliffs.

Away from the golf, the area contains a wealth of historic buildings, museums and art galleries, particularly at Sintra with its castle and churches. Not far from here is the Palacio da Pena, an extravagantly over-the-top monument built by King Ferdinand. The historic quarter of Lisbon can best be viewed by tram and the area’s bars and restaurants offer an array of local delicacies including salt cod, grilled sardines, Pasteis de Belem (small, custard tarts with cinnamon), and queijada de Sintra (bite-size cheesecakes made from cottage cheese). On the drinks front, Portugal produces some excellent wines and, as you might expect, Ports. The national music is Fado, as opposed to Faldo, passionate songs accompanied by 12-string or classical guitar. For a golfing holiday that is not far away but which offers far more than just the game, Lisbon fits the bill.

Porto

Just a couple of hours by air from London, Porto is an enchanting and romantic city that sprawls along the slopes that line the Douro river as it emerges into the Atlantic. It is the nation’s second-largest city and makes for the perfect base at the start or end of any trip to this comparatively less well-known region. Dating back to the Roman Empire, it is packed with remarkable buildings, superb restaurants such as DOP in the Palácio das Artes, and enough attractions to warrant a proper visit in its own right.

On the southern outskirts of the city and close to Espinho is Oporto, the oldest club on the Iberian Peninsula. It is a traditional links along flat ground with a clubhouse that conjures up history and bygone times. On display is the Skeffington Cup and a letter from The R & A acknowledging it as the oldest trophy in the world to have been contested without interruption.

A little way north of Porto is the most challenging layout in the region. In any kind of a wind, the excellent links at Estela is a severe examination. I particularly like the par-3 fourth played from an elevated tee down to a green by the beach, and the super-tough tenth with a long approach up to a very small target. The two sinewy, snaking par 5s at thirteen and fifteen run in opposite directions and are also very entertaining.

A short way inland is something totally different - the hilly and heavily wooded Axis Ponte de Lima. Packed with interesting and at times eccentric golf, the highlight for me is the absolutely cracking par 3 at eight, which needs no defence other than nature itself. From here, it is worth stopping off at the lovely old town at Guimarães, a UNESCO world heritage site, en route to the fascinating course at Vidago Palace. The holes closest to the sumptuous hotel run through mature woodland while others are on more open, elevated land. An ancient welI is still visible by the sixth green, and various other architectural features including the unusual stone-walled teeing complexes all add to the originality on this thoughtfully-designed and thoroughly enjoyable parkland test. I was equally impressed with the truly grand hotel that was the brainchild of King Carlos the First more than a century ago, who wanted somewhere for family, dignitaries and even tourists. The monarchy fell before it was finished, but it is still fit for royalty with a truly magnificent galleried dining room and originality and charisma in evidence at every turn. With food and service to match, Vidago Palace is a quite exceptional golfing venue.

I also have a real soft spot for the delightful and informal Amarante. The club is on the outskirts and above yet another picturesque town full of the most appealing architecture. The views while playing are outrageously good, and the halfway lunch was also just right; not fancy, but a selection of appetising and authentic local dishes that remind you that you are somewhere unfamiliar.

The cuisine throughout northern Portugal is special and is more than matched by the home-produced wines, and of course, the pristine port. The scenery and architecture are fabulous, the accommodation full of character and charm, and the golf packed with variety. Probably more of a region for couples, families and small groups, it is an area that I cannot recommend highly enough. In fact if you want an indication of just how much I enjoyed my golf trip around the Porto region, then I can tell you that I went back the following year for a self-funded, non-golf, city break… and absolutely loved it, (almost!) as much.

Twitter: Rob Smith @RobGolfBeer

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