THE DUNAS AT TERRAS DA COMPORTA - 17 POINTS

Tens of thousands of golfers head to Portugal every year, from all over Europe and further afield, in search of sun, beer and good value golf. And, it’s probably mainly the climate, location and value which has attracted most of those golfers, rather than the quality of the courses.

For a long time, golfers in the know have been heading to the Lisbon area. They they find the intriguing Troia course to the south, and other perfectly serviceable offerings north of the city, like West Cliffs and Praia d’el Rey. But, if truth be told, Portugal was always missing a really special course. Well that’s all changed with the opening of the Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta.

Lying just over an hour south of Lisbon, the Dunas course has been a long time in the making. The sandy land near Comporta, south of Troia, always had great potential for a golf course and, back in 2008, the then owners engaged David McLay Kidd to design alongside a planned Fazio Ryder Cup development. However, the financial crisis brought trouble for the owners and, just as the front 9 was finished, the money ran out and the project was quietly put on ice.

In 2019 Kidd wrote a piece for my website on his ‘10 favourite courses that you may not know about’, and said of the course, ‘My business is fraught with projects that might have been. In 2012 we got this course half finished before the developer went to prison on fraud charges. Set in virgin dunes that go on for miles and miles south of Setubal this course would be a contender if it could ever find someone willing to finish it’.

Well, soon after that new owners, Vanguard Properties, resurrected the project and Conor Walsh and his European-based team worked through the tough Covid years to bring the course to fruition.

Fast-forward to summer 2023 and the Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta (I know, it’s quite a mouthful. Comporta Dunes would have worked much better!) has finally opened.

McLay Kidd has created a really wonderful course. Much will be written about it in years to come, but here are my thoughts on why it should be considered one of the best golf courses built in Europe for generations.

THE LOOK
I can’t think of another course in Europe that comes close to the blending of sand and grass that you’ll find at the Dunas. It’s stunning. There is a current trend in the UK to take great links courses and scrape out huge areas of sand. Sometimes it works, more often than not it looks contrived.

There are no such fears here. The native areas on the Dunas course look incredibly natural and give the course a wonderful flow. They blend into to the surrounding bush with an ease that wouldn’t be out of place on the Melbourne Sandbelt. While we’re on high-profile comparisons, there are places where you could imagine you are at Pine Valley. It really is that good.

There was one moment that was particularly memorable. The par 3 14th has a slither of grass from tee to green but, to the left of the length of the hole and behind, is huge sandy, native area. It is visually so arresting, and when you walk up to the next tee, a snaking par 5, you are once again confronted with this sandy expanse, and more. It’s quite something.

THE PLAYABILITY
I remember listening to Kidd on a podcast a few years ago, with Derek Duncan I think, when he talked about the importance of allowing all golfers to get off of the tee without too much fear, but to be rewarded for their execution thereafter.

He has certainly achieved that with the Dunas course.

The sandy areas that frame so many of the holes are well back from the landing areas, for your drive at least, and though he uses cross and centre-line bunkers cleverly, there are always options to bail. That means that, on the tee, you don’t feel the tension you would feel on many courses. That’s not to say this is not a strategic course – we’ll come to that later – but it is a course you can relax on and enjoy, even if bogey golf is your aim.

I was also really impressed with the tee areas. The course stretches from 7,200 yards at the back, to 4,200 off the very front tees. When I played, the ‘course furniture’ had yet to arrive, but the plan is not to have coloured tee boxes in the traditional fashion, but rather numbered tees (1 - 6) for you to choose from. You can see the variety in distance on the temporary scorecard.

On pretty much every tee box, the teeing area flows from back to front without interruption – certainly for all but the shortest tees. It’s like a ribbon of grass moving down the hole which helps give the course such a natural feeling.

It also means you are going to have fun if you choose wisely. Pick the right tee and you won’t have to worry about getting it in play, but you will still get to explore the full range of clubs in your bag.

I love the fact that they have the short ‘number 6’ tees. There are no carries at all, they are often placed at the beginning of the fairway, and it means that no matter what your stage in the game you will be able to compete against your friends and have fun. It’s hard not to applaud that!

The clever routing means that numerous holes play slightly downhill, yet you are never slogging up a slope. Blind shots are few and far between which will further contribute to the playability.

The original plan was not to have any rough on the course at all – just short grass and sand. But, on a visit not long before opening, Kidd changed his mind and fairways now meet slightly longer grass before they get to the sand. However, you won’t be hunting for any balls here. Rather, the rough gives the holes a little definition and it may mean that your ball doesn’t react quite as consistently as it would from the fairways. But it won’t slow you down on progression from tee to green.

Kidd knows how to please his audience and you will find some short par 4s where you can get close and there are no 240 yard par 3s from the middle tees here. He really wants you to enjoy the round.

THE STRATEGY
A common complaint about modern courses (usually from those who are long, straight hitters) is that fairways are too wide - the implication being that any fool could hit them. And it’s not just a charge laid at the door of modern courses, many say it about The Old Course too. While Kidd is undeniably generous from the tee, this course will also test your ability to think your way around a golf course and execute on your intent.

There are numerous places where the safe play will be relatively easy to pull off from the tee but birdies will be hard to achieve, whereas the bolder shot will be rewarded with the chance at a lower score - if you pull it off.

The par 5 15th is a good example of this. Longer hitters will be tempted to take on the bunkers sitting bang on line with the green. If you are successful they will bound down the fairway and have a fair shot of getting there in 2. Hit the sand though and they will have their work cut out. But for those of us with less power, we will have to go left, taking the eagle putt out of the equation.

Another factor key to scoring well will be noting where the pin is on a green, and working out how to get your ball close. As befits such a grand site, the greens are on a grand scale. It’s not unusual to have 3 or 4 clubs difference from one day to the other, depending on where the flags are positioned, and holes will change completely based on the greenkeepers’ decision on the day.

These aren’t the Kidd greens of The Castle Course and they are subdued by comparison. Part of me actually wishes they had just a little more movement, but I suspect I will be in the minority with that view! Nonetheless, using the swales and the hollows that will affect your ball when it hits the ground will certainly be of benefit.

THE QUALITY
The Dunas course exudes quality from the moment you arrive. The practice area is as good as anything you will find on the continent. The range has the same look and feel as the holes you will find on the course, while the massive putting green will keep you entertained as you warm up. There is an academy area, starter’s hut and refreshment area still to come and that will surely have a great feel to it.

I played the course a month before the soft opening and was really surprised by just how good the conditioning was. Other courses have opened in recent years and struggled a little with how the course played in the early days. I don’t think the Dunas at Comporta will have any such worries. Over time I am sure it will improve further but, when I was there, the greens were wonderfully true and the fairway coverage excellent.

It's very unusual to find courses on the Continent with fescue grass – basically the same kind of grass you find in the UK and Ireland. You are more likely to find the more springy bent/Bermuda grass. However, Kidd determined that, since the course was so close to the Atlantic, he could benefit from the ocean breezes and use fescue. That’s a decision which will reap rich rewards.

The choice of grass means that, in time, you should be able to play a ground game if you want. When I visited it was still early days, so the ground was a little lush, but it will firm up and I hope they take advantage of the grasses they have sown. Around the greens, the run-offs should allow you to putt from a distance or play a little chip, rather than having to reach for the lob wedge.

The native areas are a key part of the whole experience at the Dunas. They are vast, and bring so much to the course. However, I have seen other courses which have looked great from a drone when these areas have been put in, but which soon look scrappy as weeds grow and sand blows out.

They are intent that is not going to happen here. Greenkeeping equipment has been customised to tend the areas with care. Even more impressively, the whole course has been photographed from the air and they plan to do the same every year to ensure that there is no encroachment of vegetation and the areas play as originally intended.

I think that that’s a great idea and essential for the success of the course

THE SERVICE
The course hadn’t opened for play but it was clear that the team who will be running it are details-people who are happy to get into whatever is required to make the venture is a success. From the experience at arrival, to the provision of facilities for the visitor, they really are covering all bases. Of course, that doesn’t effect the quality of the course, but it will definitely enhance your enjoyment of the day.

I am really excited to see how others view the course and where it finds its place in European golf. I genuinely think it’s one of the best courses built in Continental Europe for a very long time. For me, it’s already Portugal’s number one course.

If they get the course bouncing a little more, and keep the stunning native areas under control, then it will challenge the very best courses anywhere.

I do have on slight bugbear though. When the course opens it will be for cart play only, and I struggle with that. I understand that, on a resort course, carts are an important component of the round for some people, but I wonder whether they really have to be compulsory. This is such a wonderful golf course, which unfolds so deliciously as you go round it, that it feels a shame to be whizzing about on a cart.

I’m sure that in the heat of summer it would be a tough walk for some golfers, but people walk longer sites than this. Sure, there are some longish hikes from green to tee but, even then, I’m not sure a walking golfer would be that much slower than those in carts. Maybe one for them to consider?

It would be churlish to finish on that note though. Instead, I would urge you to consider a trip to Comporta next time you are thinking of a golf holiday in the sun. The course will excite and thrill you, and definitely stick in your mind for a long time to come.

BOOKING THE COURSE

The course had a soft opening in June 2023. Between then and September it will cost €125 for a single golfer, €100 per person if you are in a group, but there won’t be onsite facilities, and the course will still be developing. However, from what I saw it would still very much be worth a visit.

From October, the price will go up to €175 per person, €150 if you are in a group.

This includes your range balls and cart hire for the day. 2024 rates are still to be announced.

The website is still under development, but to book you can just email golf@comporta.com

Correct as of August 2023.

TOUR TIPS

The Dunas at Terras da Comporta is located just south of the pretty town of Comporta, which is itself south of Troia. It takes about 90 minutes to get here from Lisbon airport, a little more from the city itself. However both towns are on a narrow spit of land which makes the logistics of getting here a little more complicated. You can either come by road or take the ferry over to the isthmus from Setubal. It doesn’t make much difference time-wise if you get the ferry times right.

This course is only about 25 minutes south of Troia, one of the best courses in Portugal. If you are coming to play the Dunas I would thoroughly recommend playing at Troia too – in fact it would be wrong not to!

There are big plans for Terras da Comporta. Work has already begun on a second site designed by Sergio Garcia, and there will be more than one hotel onsite too. but for now you have to look further afield for lodgings.

When it comes to somewhere to stay, Troia has a nice marina, casino and a little bit of nightlife. Come without too high expectations and it is pleasant enough. Comporta is closer and, while it’s not a big place, it does have a really nice selection of restaurants, is close to the beach and has the AlmaLusa Hotel. They are looking to offer golfer’s rates in the future so it’s worth giving them a call to see what they can do. I just got an Airbnb in the village which worked out well.

If you are in the wider Lisbon area for a few days, I would recommend getting up to Praia d’el Rey and West Cliffs too. They are about an hour north of Lisbon and have nice coastal areas around them too.

CONTACT DETAILS

Dunas Course at Terras da Comporta
N261
7570-788
Portugal

Email: golf@comporta.com
Web - https://www.comporta.com/en/

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