A short drive south of Lisbon, The Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta is architect David McLay-Kidd’s first golf-design project in mainland Europe. It may have only opened in October last year but the course has wasted no time in establishing itself as one of the new stars of world golf.
Sometimes all it takes is a brief glimpse of a hole to give you a sense of excitement, a feeling that you’re about to play somewhere special. You’ll get that buzz upon arriving at Terras da Comporta’s Dunas Course, a stunning new layout 90 minutes south of Lisbon, where pristine fairways and greens gleam alongside sprawling sand dunes and towering pine trees as you drive into this expansive estate. It’s golfing paradise.
Located in a secluded setting on the edge of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, The Dunas Course has already received a number of prestigious accolades, including being named the ‘World’s Best New Golf Course’ and ‘Europe’s Best New Golf Course’ at the 2023 World Golf Awards. It has also shot straight to the top of the rankings in Leading Courses’ updated ‘Golfers’ Choice Awards 2024’.
Such honours will have come as no surprise to acclaimed golf architect McLay-Kidd, who first visited the site back in 2008. The man behind the likes of Bandon Dunes in Oregon in America and the Castle Course at St Andrews, knows good golfing terrain when he sees it. He describes this part of Portugal, close to the Alentejo Coast, as “breat-taking”, and for golfers it’s now even more so, courtesy of the designer’s first course in continental Europe.
The financial crisis of 2009, and then the Covid pandemic, may have threatened to put an end to this project; thankfully, however, The Dunas Course is now open for everyone to appreciate. Word is spreading fast about its many qualities, and the course is making its way on to many a ‘must-play’ list.
“If you look at any Top 100 list, it is peppered with golf courses that are through pine, barren, scrubby vegetation and sand dunes, from the courses in Melbourne, Australia, to Long Island in the US, to those around the British and Irish coastlines,” says McLay-Kidd, whose excitement for the resort continues to grow. “So here we are in southern Europe in Portugal in exactly that terrain and yet no golf course has really capitalised on that. There was a massive opportunity for golf to build something.”
And build something he has. This rollercoaster of a course is designed in such a way that golfers are presented with a different way of playing each hole. The more accomplished player with designs of making birdie and better will often find themselves being tempted into taking tighter, more aggressive lines. Meanwhile, for higher handicap players, there will be a less perilous option, which makes it a joy to play for everyone.
Although a great emphasis has been placed on making it playable for golfers of all skills levels (there are a wide range of tee options), the magnificent dunes and waste areas are one of the course’s greatest defences, as are the undulating putting surfaces, which tally up to a mighty 1.8 hectares (as a guide, the average tends to be approximately one).
It all makes for a thrilling journey. Most people you speak to, including the designer himself, struggle to name a favourite hole, simply because there are so many standouts. The lengthy par-four seventh, which is a real brute at around 500 yards from the tips, and the driveable par-four 16th, deserve special mention, but really it’s one stunner after another all the way to the 18th, which McLay calls a “pretty cool postcard hole”. He’s not wrong there.
The use of fescue grasses throughout also aims to provide a true links quality to play. Its Scottish designer describes it as a links course, and he encourages anyone who’s planning a visit here to fine-tune their bump-and-run shot beforehand. A word of advice – have a putt on the huge practice green before teeing off, where you can get accustomed to long, breaking putts. This is quite an exhilarating experience in itself.
Dunas is one of two large developments at Terras da Comporta. The other, which is also owned by Vanguard Properties, Portugal’s largest real estate developer, is Torre, where a second course designed by Sergio Garcia is being built (set to open in 2025). When complete, each development will feature two luxury hotels with branded residences, operated by leading hotel brands.
Also complementing The Dunas Course will be a new clubhouse and state-of-the-art golf academy. Away from the fairways, the facilities will include two racquet centres and a total of 28 sports, including horse riding, wellness, a gym and swimming pools. The beach is another major attraction, as are the 12km of cycling trails. In addition, a wide variety of restaurants and commercial area, a fresh market, a kids’ club and international school, a medical clinic, co-working space and cultural spaces will also be on offer.
It may have taken 15 years for the vision to be realised, but it’s been worth the wait, and with more plans in place, Terras da Comporta is set for an exciting future.