38 THE WORLD OF GOLFING
TROIA RESORT
Troia Triumph As Links Leaps Into Europe’
s Top 10
Troia Resort
Portugal’s Troia Resort has further
established itself among Europe’s elite
golf courses by making an impressive
nine-place climb to number eight in
Golf World’s prestigious ‘Top 100 Golf
Courses in Continental Europe 2019’
rankings.
The stunning Robert Trent Jones Senior
links made a sensational ascent up the
rankings into Europe’s top 10, as golfers
and industry experts finally rightly
acknowledge one of Portugal’s best-kept
secrets.
Assessed over six different categories
– design quality, setting, playability,
presentation, memorability and hole
consistency – Troia scored an impressive
82.9 points out of a possible 100, with
the magazine’s judging panel scoring the
course highly in all criteria.
Troia’s new ranking puts it among the
top two in Portugal – an amazing feat
considering the standard of golf courses
across the country.
The par-72 layout stretches 6,317m
along the beach, offering panoramic
views of the Atlantic Ocean and Arrábida
mountain range throughout the 18
holes.
When announcing Troia’s impressive rise
up the rankings, the Golf World judging
panel remarked: “Troia comes with a
fearsome reputation, but it’s as honest
as you get. The course zigzags across the
northern slice of a peninsula, subjecting
you to different wind directions and
changes in topography and vistas.
But it’s not just the picturesque scenery
that makes it one of Europe’s best. “It’s an entertaining layout over a fairly
compact piece of land that rewards
sharp course management and approach
play.”
The challenging and diverse holes
test even the top pros, as players are
required to play a multitude of shots
through a combination of pine trees and
indigenous coastal plants, on a course
with small, narrow greens and bold
bunkering. Alexandre Barroso, Troia’s golf
director, said: “Everyone at Troia is
understandably delighted with our
new ranking and all the hard work and
sustained investment in maintaining the
natural beauty of the course is paying
off.