Portugal 2024: A Trip to Remember

In March 2024, 24 golf lovers packed their clubs, sunscreen, and their best excuses for missed putts and headed to Portugal for an experience that blended elite golf, top-tier hotels, and just enough sightseeing to keep our swings honest.

We launched our adventure from the Marriott Praia D’el Rey, a seaside stunner that gave us front-row access to Praia D’el Rey and the wild, windswept beauty of West Cliffs. Links-style drama met postcard Atlantic views, and let’s just say more than one bunker swallowed dreams.

Next stop: the sleek Oitavos Hotel, perfectly placed for tackling Oitavos Dunes, a top-ranked course where the wind plays chess and most of us play checkers. We also took a swing at Troia GC, a ferry ride and a masterclass in shot shaping wrapped in pine trees and sand traps.

City break? Why not. Lisbon delivered cobbled streets, pastel de nata, and more hills than a poorly planned par 5. Sintra added fairytale flair with its palaces and misty mountain charm—no golf, just wide-eyed wandering.

Back to the game, we relocated to Marriott Domes Lake Resort, our luxury launchpad for tee times at The Old Course, Dom Pedro—a tree-lined test of patience—and Quinta do Lago South, where we flirted with eagles but mostly dated bogeys. We then drove eastwards to Monte Rei, where the course was as flawless as the service. For a grand finale, Dunas Terras da Comporta GC offered up rugged terrain and one last chance to chase birdies before the flight home.

We wrapped things up in style at Porto Bay Liberdade in Lisbon as the icing on this wonderfully delicious cake.

24 golfers. 8 world-class courses. 4 luxe hotels. 0 regrets—except maybe that one triple bogey. Portugal, you were a hole-in-one.

National Palace Sintra, Portugal