MADEIRA TOURISM: A traditional cable car above the city in Funchal, in Madeira Island.
Santo Da Serra Porto Santo
Host venue to the Madeira Open European Tour event each year
since 1993, this picturesque course is a Robert Trent Jones that
opened in 1991. It offers fantastic panoramic views over the ocean
and is one of the most breathtaking mountain courses in Europe.
Because it is built on very irregular terrain at an altitude of 670
metres above sea level and in an area of profuse vegetation, the
fulfilling of this project required a huge effort in every sense.
Nonetheless, Trent Jones succeeded in giving the 27 holes, (the
third nine-hole loop was opened in October 1998) a logical,
interdependent design. One of the most spectacular holes is hole
number 4 (on the Machico course), a par 3, where the drive to the
green is played over a ravine filled with very dense vegetation. Spreading out over the idyllic island of Porto Santo, the layout
of the course was planned in such a way as to blend seamlessly
with the landscape and to respect the island’s ecosystems,
taking advantage of the native plant species and the various
lakes already existing there. It is an extensive and demanding
course set in a spectacular landscape, one that is capable of
attracting not only professional players, but also less experienced
golfers, being divided into two different areas. The southern
course comes close to the traditional style of the best American
courses, with a number of lakes and the island’s long beach as
a backdrop. The northern course is made more difficult by high
cliffs and combines the best features of British links courses with
spectacular scenery, providing an excellent challenge for golfers.
Palheiro
Situated close to the famous gardens of Quinta do Palheiro,
which date back to the beginning of the nineteenth century
that are famous for their wide range of exotic flora, the Palheiro
course offers fabulous views over Funchal bay, the sea and the
Ilhas Desertas in the distance. The par-72 course was designed by
the architect Cabell Robinson, a former assistant of Robert Trent
Jones, who had already done work in Portugal and took care to
make the most of the hills, mountain peaks and deep valleys that
are a typical feature of the Madeira landscape, in order to provide
golfers with an exciting and competitive round.
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The greens are small and
undulating, while the tree lined
fairways are very tight.