In 40 years playing the game, I’ve been lucky to play a lot of golf in Portugal, mostly in the Algarve, but I also have plenty of fond memories playing closer to Lisbon, at the likes of Quinta da Marinha and Oitavos Dunes. I was keen to head further north and play West Cliffs and Praia D’El Rey.
I’d heard a few of my Golf Monthly colleagues raving about these courses, especially West Cliffs, after being on press trips and photo shoots, and I’d seen the pictures of this incredible Cynthia Dye layout hugging the wild Atlantic coastline.
As a lover of rugged seaside golf, this course had all the ingredients to get the pulse racing; I can only imagine how excited Dye and her team were in seeing the project unfold. It’s a truly spectacular piece of land.
Since opening in the summer of 2017, West Cliffs has received glowing praise. Named World’s Best New Golf Course at the 2017 World Golf Awards, it takes golfers on a spectacular journey through 200 hectares of rugged coastal vegetation. The routes between the greens and tees are beautiful, constantly upping the anticipation levels as you move to the next hole.
I’d ran out of superlatives as early as the par-3 5th, located on top of a huge dune and played directly towards the Atlantic. After that, the back nine starts with a superb run of holes that take you close to the eponymous cliffs, before a truly memorable finale.
The par-3 16th is located on the highest point on the course and offers spectacular panoramic views, while the 17th doglegs around another dramatic dune on the right (be aggressive with your line and you’ll be rewarded). All the while, it feels as though you are building towards something extra special – which you are.
The challenging 18th hole at West Cliffs
(Image credit: James Hogg)
The 18th plays downhill from an elevated tee, presenting you with one final dramatic view. Your options are to take on another dune on the left to leave a straightforward second, or go right to leave yourself a more demanding approach over water.
I had a good day with my driver and managed to play the whole round with one ball, but I heard stories of golfers losing a few sleeves during a round. The penalties for being wayward with the driver are usually severe, but to counter that there are lots of forward tee…
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