Cascais Destination Review: Five star gastronomy, golf and good times

Portugal should rate highly on anyone’s list when planning a golf tour. It promises a selection of top rated golf courses, a wonderful climate and great cuisine. Its accessibility from Northern Europe can mean an early flight and afternoon tee time.

The fair golfing folk from the UK have endured a genuinely awful winter of incessant rain and cold, so a kind invitation from the Cascais Tourist Board, at the launch of their Digital Golf Passport, proved irresistible.

The town of Cascais is located half an hour west of Lisbon on the Atlantic coast. It occupies the most westerly point on the European mainland. 

Like St Tropez, Cascais was once a sleepy fishing village, which dramatically gained in popularity. Its fortunes benefitted from both World Wars due to Portugal’s neutrality. The Royal families of Europe were drawn to Cascais as a safe haven. As night followed day, luxury residences and hotels were built, together with a famous casino and indeed golf courses. 

The Portuguese Riviera was born. The Casino notably featured in two James Bond films - the original Casino Royale and On her Majesty’s Secret Service. All of this adds an extra touch of glamour to the town, together with the Estoril Grand Prix circuit and the hosting of sailing’s America’s Cup.

In order to boost its golf tourism, Cascais has taken the initiative by launching its own Golf Passport. Cascais has seven first class courses, all of which are connected on the one digital platform. This allows the visiting golfer to plan and book tee times, at the best possible prices, in just a few clicks. Clever stuff. 

As an indication of cost, when booking through the platform, five rounds during low season (November to February and July to August) can be booked for a total of 320 euros, while five rounds during high season (March to June and September to October) can be booked for 370 euros. These rates amount to a significant reduction over the normal green fees, although there is a supplementary fee at Oitavos Dunes. 

What could be easier than accessing the Digital Golf Passport and knowing precisely where and when you will play at the best price?

But on to the golf itself. During our trip we had the pleasure of playing three of the seven courses of Cascais.

The base for our stay was The Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel, a luxury contemporary hotel which was superb. It overlooks its own 18 hole course, designed by Robert Trent Jones.

A common theme in Portugal is that many of its courses were built in conjunction with hotels, and as such, they employed the services of high-profile golf course architects. 

Trent Jones was both prolific and highly regarded worldwide. Quinta da Marinha is characterised by ubiquitous umbrella pines and perilous water features. 

Trent Jones is always imaginative, asking questions and offering choices. True to the resort course philosophy, this course offers a challenging and varied test without destroying a golfer’s confidence. It felt good to be back playing Portuguese golf.

On day two we visited Oitavos Dunes, a golf course that will stay long in the memory. We were fortunate to play with Miguel, whose family owns and operates the club. The site was acquired by Miguel’s great grandfather back in the mists of time.

Oitavos Dunes is a genuine links course, built entirely upon sand, overlooking the Atlantic. The task of designing the course fell to Arthur Hills, an American architect of repute. 

Arthur made the short list of three architects. His proposal was devoid of any water hazards. This tipped things in his favour, and rightfully so. 

The course is 100 per cent natural and authentic, dominated by dunes, pine trees and wild flowers. True to the classic links philosophy, it’s a nine-out and nine-back deal, with the northerly wind giving and taking away in equal measure. 

Whilst not long, at just under 6,400 yards, this course presents a genuine challenge. It deceives from the tee, as the fairways are generous, but if your ball leaves the short stuff, wandering into the powdery sand, you can find yourself in a world of pain. 

Oitavos is undoubtedly one, if not the, most impressive golf course in Portugal. It’s a wholly immersive golfing experience that should be savoured at least once. Golf as it should be played.

One curious first was seeing the electric robot mowers in action at Oitavos. To the unknowing eye, these little robots look like slow-moving wild animals traversing the fairways. Oitavos has invested in seventeen robots to cut the fairways both day and night. 

When they are out of juice, they obediently return to their home base, recharge, and then silently continue with their mowing. As a result of this, aside from the tees and greens, the golf course is all cut at a single height. Quite remarkable.

The final golfing venue of our trip to Cascais was the Penha Longa Resort. This Robert Trent Jones Jnr creation has hosted the Portuguese Open on two occasions. 

It’s a classic, undulating parkland course with a number of dramatic holes, incorporating the inevitable ball-gathering water hazards. But the course is eminently playable, with a generous setup. 

The native Umbrella Pines feature heavily with their distinctive high, dense canopies, from which golf balls never emerge! The condition of the course was exemplary. We would recommend taking a buggy to ease the load. 

Built-in buggy sat nav screens were a big plus, which genuinely added  to the experience. The course winds through the grounds of an old monastery and offers beautiful views of the mountains and ocean. A special mention must also be given to the Arola restaurant at Penha Longa - undoubtedly the finest food we have eaten at a golf club.

And it wasn’t just about the golf. The Tourist Board invited us to the Coala Festival on our final night in Cascais. This was a celebration of Brazilian music. Thousands turned out and had a wonderful time in a very chilled atmosphere. Even golfers can let go occasionally.

Verdict

Cascais is a joyful town with heaps to offer - history, culture, top cuisine, a beautiful coastline, a glamorous marina, nightlife, architecture and wonderful golf. 

We had not visited this region of Portugal before, but it was a revelation. We golfers can be great creatures of habit when we travel,  but we encourage you to spread your wings and visit Cascais. Take advantage of the Golf Passport, book your golf, choose your accommodation and enjoy.