GOLF | FEATURED COURSE - MONTADO GOLF RESORT
A golfers paradise !
By Stuart Masson
The Montado Golf Resort lies some 16 miles south of Lisbon , among the cork oaks , orchards and muscatel vineyards near the old roman castle town of Palmela , and is the perfect venue for the holidaying golfer who likes to walk from bedroom to course in 5 minutes ! All 93 rooms in the 3 storey hotel , which opened in 2009 and still has the feel of a sparkling new venue , look out over the lake on the 9th or 18th holes .
The course first opened in 1992 and the original design was by Duarte Sottomayor , whose golf architecture career started under the tutelage of Robert Trent Jones and who designed the Estela links course north of Oporto , which opened in 1989 . In 2005 a restructuring of the course was conducted by Jorge Santana da Silva , another Trent Jones pupil , and if you have played Pinheiros Altos and Quinta do Lago ’ s new Laranjal course on the Algarve then you are familiar with his entertaining , challenging yet enjoyable style of golf architecture .
As you drive down the resort ’ s private driveway , the practice ground and a practice putting green are opposite the front of the hotel , just the other side of the car park from the 1st tee – very handy for warming up the long game and preparing your putting for the very quick and undulating Penncross greens out on the course .
The course lies on a gently undulating terrain , no steep climbs , and the holes wander back and forth through cork oaks and olive trees . Although many holes run side by side the trees , lakes and ditches separate them adequately and there should be no distraction from neighbouring players . Although the course is not physically testing the greens are certainly mentally challenging – hit the wrong side of some pin positions and a three putt may be a triumph ! Although
64 | Summer 2012 | www . portugal-life . net |