When new frost records were set in Finland at the beginning of the year, the Skymarx team was at Helsinki-Vantaa in the warmth of the Finnair Lounge preparing for the first golf trip of the year. Belek in Turkey, which we experienced in the spring of 2023, served our needs brilliantly and the courses were excellent compared to the courses ravaged by Finland's difficult climate, but this time it was time to experience something new. Several of our golf group had already experienced the golf offerings in Spain, so this time the destination was Lagos in southern Portugal, where our group had planned a week-long precision strike. However, the strikes that began at the beginning of February made us stretch the trip to nine days and therefore Troia Golf, located between Lisbon and Lagos, could also be included.
We landed in Lisbon in the afternoon and the first thing that caught my attention was the surprisingly warm and sunny weather. Since the trip was scheduled for the beginning of February, I assumed the weather would be around 15 degrees Celsius and I had also packed rain gear in my backpack. However, the weather was sunny from the very first day and even closer to 20 degrees Celsius. The rain also stayed away for the entire nine-day trip.
Our group picked up three rental cars from Lisbon airport and headed towards Troia Golf, which we planned to play twice. Troia is a peninsula located in the municipality of Grandola and is about 1.5 hours drive from Lisbon. Troia Golf has also been selected as one of the top ten golf resorts in continental Europe by Golf World Magazine in 2019, so expectations were high. The 6317-meter long par 72 course offered a challenge with narrow fairways and strategically placed sand hazards. The course was worth the green fee of about 70-80 euros and was mostly in excellent condition. For this time of year, the course and the entire area were really quiet and there were more than enough tee times. The clubhouse had traditional services with a restaurant (which, however, closed its kitchen at 3 pm) and a pro shop. The club also had a range (with mats) and a slightly tired close-game practice area. We played the course by car, but due to its terrain, the course could also be played well on foot/by cart.
The cards had been scraped off the machine during the first two rounds and the shot was already starting to be in reasonable condition, it was time to move on to the Lagos area and the next course, Palmares Golf, where we played the course combination Lagos & Praia. Palmares would also have a third nine-hole course, which was however under maintenance throughout our trip. The course was in great condition and the setting was excellent. From the clubhouse terrace it was nice to watch the ships disappear into the horizon while sweating in the cold frosty air and the smell of the club's excellent food wafted up the nose. The course offered real challenges and for example the fifth fairway of the front loop, a 226-meter par 3, immediately dispelled any doubts in the first round. Overall, the place was wonderful, but due to the challenge and the price, we did not come to play the course again during the trip. In Lagos, we stayed in an airbnb villa next to Palmares Golf for the rest of the trip, which was excellent and relatively inexpensive. A big thank you to Ria Alvor Luxurious GolfView Villa. We would definitely come back to this accommodation anytime.
The fourth course of our trip was Espiche Golf, which was located about half an hour's drive from our accommodation (as well as about 10 other courses - what a golfer's dream). After the previous day's blizzard, this course was an excellent choice and clearly more club-toting-friendly. The service was on point, there was a buggy bar on the course and the course was in good condition. On the tenth fairway, our chairman, Miikka's game was also at its peak, when he sank an eight-meter eagle putt into the bottom of the cup. However, there is no need to open the results too much on this course either. Great course, good practice opportunities (grass range) and good service. Definitely continue.
The fifth course, Salgados Golf, continued the series of feel-good courses. However, it must be mentioned as a small minus that there was no range near the course. Instead, you could hit the net and the short game practice area was otherwise in good condition. The clubhouse's sodas and liquids also did their job. A few fairways on the course were played from the front boxes while the back boxes were closed, so this of course threw a bit of a twist in the air. The first fairway was therefore practically a long par 3 and the undersigned immediately put the birdies in the cup. Birdie on the first usually only promises difficulties for the rest of the round. The course was nice, there was space on and next to the fairways and the driver could sing in several boxes. A real boost of self-esteem - a course that suited me well at least. There were also a few par 4 fairways that could be driven onto the deck, which is always a nice addition. This course was overall worth the price. Anyway, the course was relatively flat to walk on, so a golf cart is not a mandatory tool to get around this course.
The seventh day of the trip and also the sixth day of golf in a row. Surprisingly, no place was boring, the golf still tasted very tasty and the red and white wines, gin & tonics and local beers enjoyed the previous evenings did not affect the playing condition or mood in any way. A holiday is the best time of the year. Time to head towards the next course, Amendoeira Golf's Faldo Course. When the name Faldo is in the name, you know that money changes hands and the money in your pocket gets smaller, so expectations were also in line with that. When we arrived at the course, we were greeted by a parking lot full of sports cars, where we parked our manual Peugeot station wagon. The practice facilities were once again in place, there was a driving range and putting green and apparently some kind of coaching was also available, at least in the high season. The course was challenging and did offer tricky situations in places. The course also had some elevation differences, so golf carts were once again a good choice. The golfs were a bit uneven, but it was still fun and there was nothing to complain about in terms of condition on this course either. The price is a bit high and it is more difficult than the previous courses, but otherwise a really good course.
Day number eight and golf round number seven. The holiday is coming to an end and we need to make the most of the last few days. Still no chill, so the day is off to a strong start. The destination of the day was Morgado Golf, which was an absolutely fantastic location. The country club has two courses, Morgado and Alamos, where we played the first. The setting was once again brilliant, with a green and a close-play practice area and friendly, smiling staff. The course itself was in good condition and quite attackable. Par 4 fairways that could be driven to the deck and relatively short par 5 fairways, which offered the opportunity to score. Overall, an excellent place, where I would happily return again and again.
The last day of play, I feel like crying a little when I think that we will soon be back in the sleet and grey of Finland, but I can't help but try to get all the joy out of the last day of play. We head towards Dom Pedro Golf, where we will play the Old Course. In this bankruptcy, the expensive green fee of the course is no longer felt anywhere. We arrive at the parking lot, from where an employee comes to pick up our golf clubs and immediately takes them to the car and drives them to the racks intended for the clubs. We manage to walk the 50 meters to the clubhouse, when the employee comes to apologize that he didn't come to pick us up from the parking lot by car to the club. So you clearly get at least some value for your money and you feel like royalty. A quick hello to the caddiemaster, stroke savers and a couple of sleeves of tryouts to the stumps and off to the range. The range balls are included in the green fee and they are beautifully arranged in a pyramid next to the mats.
I'm starting to sound like a broken cassette tape when I say that the facilities at this place were in excellent condition and the course was in mint condition. The game wasn't going well, but it didn't really matter as I was able to enjoy the last day in these landscapes and feel the beautiful spring day. The green fee was quite expensive, but the course was the best I've ever played on, leaving the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek far behind. Highly recommended.
All good things come to an end, and so did our golf trip to Portugal. All in all, a wonderful trip with some of the courses being better than others. The accommodation was excellent value for money, the flights to Lisbon were quite reasonably priced, and the courses were beautiful, although some of the courses were a bit pricey. Our group fell in love with Portugal's golf offerings, and many of our group members think that Portugal beats neighboring Spain as a golf destination. It's nice to look back at these pictures when you're waiting for courses to slowly open in Finland. See you in the next blog!
